It is proposed in this paper to give an account of the monuments in Elland Church, which are very imperfectly given in Watson's "History of Halifax" (published in 1775). The Elland monuments and stained-glass appear to have suffered more than usual. The earliest Thornhill inscription is dated 1669, although it is known that many generations of the family were buried there before that date. It is still more remarkable that, although Elland may be said to be the cradle of the well-known Savile family, there is not a single evidence of their existence to be found in the church. Many members of both these families were buried there, as is evident from the list of Testamentary Burials in Torre, quoted by Watson. 1399. John Sayvill,' of Eland, chevalier. 1529. John Thornhill, of Fixby, to be buried within the chapel of our blessed Lady St. Mary, of Eland, in St. Nicholas Quire, or in the chancel thereto adjoining. 1545. John Sayvill, of Newhall, Gen. 1566. Henry Sayvill, of Bradley. 1567. John Thornhill, of Fixby. 1580. Tho. Savile, of Eland. 1583. Eliz., widow of John Thornhill, of Fixby, Esq. 1598. Brian Thornhill, of Fixby. 1607. John Thornhill, of Fixby, Esq. 1669. John Thornhill, of Fixby, Esq. Watson gives the following account of the monuments and painted glass which had been formerly in the church : "The most remarkable things in or about the fabric are these. In the east window, quarterly France and England, with a label of three 1 Sir John Savile, Knt., was Knight of the Shire for Yorkshire, and married Isabel, the heiress of the Elands. John Savile of Newhall, in Elland, married Margery, daughter of John Gled hill of Barkisland. Henry Savile of points, uncertain what color; within the Garter, Hony soit, &c. Above, a ducal crown, or, turned up ermine, and lions supporting. These were the arms of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, who died in 1399, and had Eland as part of his Honor of Pontefract. The same arc repeated, with falcons argent supporting, only the ducal crown on this is or, turned up argent, and the label ermine. In the same window were also the arms of France and England,3 within garter, with Hony soit, &c., but no crown or supporters. There were also some coats of private families painted in a window in this Quire, which Dr. Johnson, who surveyed this place July 23, 1669, could not well make out, they were so defaced. One of these coats contained :-1. Savile. 2. Gules, a plain cross argent. 3. Thornhill, of Fixby. 4. Eland, viz., gules, two barrulets between eight martlets argent, three, two, and three. 5. Argent, on a bend gules, three escallops or, for 6. Sable, an escutcheon within eight martlets in orle argent, for Rachdale, of Rachdale, parted per pale, argent, on a fess sable, three mullets of the field. On another shield, three chevronels braced in base, and in another part of the quarterings, six billets, three, two, one; two others imperfect; but in my Collection of Arms, I have made the following entry, uncertain from whence : 4a Quarterly.-1. Argent, three chevronels sable, braced in base, on a chief of the second, three mullets of the field, which belongs to the name of Danby. 2. Gules, three woolpacks or. 3. Gules, six billets or, three, two, one. 4. Argent, a saltire crenellé. With these in old characters: Pray for the gud prosperite, mercy.. of John Savyle," of Holly-ngezeth, Esquire, and Elizabet his wyffe, dowzter of Robert Hopton, and all their c . . lder gwyche causyt thys wyndow to be mayde. In a part belonging to Savile and Thornhill, a man kneeling at prayer, and in armor, his upper garment alternately white and red, behind him, in the same posture, his wife, her garment the same, only in two places thereof appear two bars gemells, argent; behind her, another woman in the same posture and dress. Under these figures, in old characters: "orate pro prosperitate Willielmi Thornhill, et Elizabet uxoris ejus, et Johannes Thornhill, filii et heredis eorundem, et Jhnæ uxoris suæ, et prosperitate Nichi . . . et Agnetis consortis suæ, filiorum This shield appears to be still in the west window of the north aisle amongst remnants of old stained glass. Probably; gules, a cross patée formée argent, for Golcar. Tankersley. Hopton, though generally their shield is ermine, on two bars sable six mullets pierced or. John Savile of Hullinedge married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Hopton, of Armley Hall, by Janet, daughter of Sir John Langton of Farnley, Knt., Glover's and Flower's Visitations. 7 There seems in the printed pedigrees and visitations no statement who Elizabeth the wife of William Thornhill was. Watson says, according to a MS. pedigree at Fixby he married Jen., daughter of John Ditton, but that if this is correct he must have had two wives, and that Elizabeth Thornhill survived her husband. He died 1500, and his son John married Jennet, daughter of Nicholas Savile, of New Hall, Elland. et filiarum eorundem, ac omnium Benefactorum suorum." This from Dr. Johnson's MS. Over the above a shield of arms. Quarterly.-1. Thornhill. 3. Toothill, of Toothill. 8 4th as first, parted per pale, argent, two bars sable.' perhaps for Kay, of Woodsome; but if so, these arms are not coeval with the figures; at least not with the above inscription, for they agree not with the names. With the above were also the figures of a man in armor, kneeling, behind him his wife and three children. 10 Arms of Savile on the garments of the two first; no shield of arms. There were also the following inscriptions in the North Quire: "Pray for the gude prosperity, mercy, and grace of Sir John Savile," Knt. daughter and one of the heirs. . . childere, and for the saul of his aforesaid wief, daughter of Sir William Vernon, the which Sir John causyd this window to be made the yere . "In the North Window there; Savile impaled with Scargil: 'Pray ye for the souls of George Sayvell, son of John Sayvell, Esq'; and of Margaret, his wife, daughter of Thomas Scargill, Esq.; which ... caused this window to be made." The chancel at Ealand is called St. Mary's Quire; the North Quire, St. Nicholas's Quire; and that on the south, St. John's Quire. On a gravestone in the chancel : "Hic in spe christiana requiescit Petrus Asheton 12 A.M. Ecclesiæ Anglicana Presbyter, et Parochiæ de Ealand in sacris Administer : Orthodoxa Fidei et Doctrinæ sanæ Theologus: Pietatis Exemplar : Pacis Cultor! Qui per decursum annorum triginta et unius fideliter pastorali functus munere, et reciproco omnium amore remuneratus, placide gregem simul cum anima Deo vocanti resignavit 30mo Octobris A.D. 1698. Etatis 55to. Thornhill-gules, 2 bars gemelles and a chief argent. Ficksby-Azure, a saltire between 4 cross crosslets, or. Toothill-or, on a chevron sable 3 crescents, argent. 9 The arms of Ditton, as those of Kaye of Woodsome are argent, two bendlets sa. 10 There is a plate in Watson's History of Halifax of these figures. 11 Sir John Savile of Thornhill and Tankersley, married for his first wife Alice, daughter of Sir William Vernon, secondly Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Paston. He died 1529 and was buried in Thornhill church. His tomb with effigies of himself and his two wives is engraved in Whitaker's History of Leeds. 12 Mr. Peter Ashton, preacher at Ealand, buried there Nov. 3, 1698, aged 45. Northowram Register, 94. Mr. Oliver Heywood's account of these curates is :— "After Mr. Broadhead came Mr. Peter Ashton (his father, Peter Ashton, a dish maker at Newton Heath, in Lancashire), formerly a hopeful youth for religion; helpt to the University by my father, Angier, and other friends: now very wild and mad against us, and hath turned his father, an old professor and elder, to the same prelatical way. He is now at Elland, and wish he were truly good." Mr. Ashton died; was buried Nov. 3, 1698. Obiit "Hic etiam (cum infante) jacet Samuel filius Rich. Petty,13 curati de On a gravestone in the chancel: Etatis suæ 80." 15 "Reliquiæ hic repositæ Petri Asheton," curati de Mildraw, in com. Lancastri, (filii Petri Asheton propinq: tumulati) qui animam Deo resignavit 5to die Aug. 1718. Ætatis 42. Atque Richdi Petty, curati de Ealand qui animam efflavit vivacem 7mo die Martii 1723. Ætatis suæ 49. "Hic jacet sepultus Johannes Clay," de Clayhouse, qui obiit decimo octavo die Junii, 1616." On the same stone: "Here lieth Captain John Clay, deceased Sep. 13, 1643." 17 In the North Quire the figure of the greatest part of a woman, in a praying posture, and four children below, also praying; 7 over the children's heads the names Elezabeth, Mary, Jane, Dorithy; on the right side of the woman's head the arms of Savile; on the left those of Boswell, impaled with . . . . a saltire ingrailed . in a chief three roses. . . . Inscription round the stone : Here the slepeth the body of Francis's daughter of Godfrey Boswell, Esq., wife of John Savile, of Newhall, Esquire, whose soul returned to God that gave it, February 26, 1609. Etatis suæ 60. In the chapel-yard : 19 Reliquiæ hic reponuntur Jeremiæ Bairstow, viri si quid venerationis sibi vendicant. Literarum scientia, rerum sacrarum peritia, morum probitas, vitæ sanctitas, revera reverendi. Qui postquam per annos triginta et amplius, gregi quodam christiano Pastor fidelis invigilasset, officii rationem, animamq; Deo reddidit 27 Julii 1731. This was composed by the Rev. Mr. Elston, whose inscription is also here. 13"Mr. Petty came to Elland from Knaresborough, 1700. Is there at this time, 1701." 14 Mr. Peter Ashton, Curate at Milnroe, near Rochdale, died at Eland about Aug. 4, 1718.-Northowram Register, 275. 15 Mr. Richard Petty, Curate at Eland, died Mar. 7,1724.-Northowram Register, 290. 16 This John Clay seems to have been the father or brother of Dr. Robert Clay, Vicar of Halifax. See Hunter's Notices of Clay House in Vol. II. of the Journal. 17 There is a plate of these figures and arms in Watson, p. 403. 18 Frances was daughter of Godfrey Bosvile of Gunthwaite, Esq., who died 1580, and who married Jane, daughter of John Hardwick, co. Derby; sister of Eliz., Countess of Shrewsbury. His arms were argent, 5 fusils in fess gules, in chief 3 boar's heads sable, impaling, Hardwick-argent, a saltire engrailed azure, on a chief of the second 3 roses of the first. 19 Mr. Jeremiah Bairstow, minr. at Eland, died July 28, 1731, in the 62nd year of his age. -Northowram Register, 309. M.S. Hananiæ Elston A.M. qui ingenio acri, limato, subacto, morum probitate, et aperto illo animi recte sibi consci candore, veram pietatem, fidem, humanitatem, cœlitusq; demissam Christianis libertatem, excolebat, tuebatur, promovebat: Qui magnas opes, famamve mortaleis inter neque quæritans, neque assecutus, suorum tamen amorem bonorum omnium, quotquot illum norant, benevolentiam conciliaret, sibi summi certe Judicis favorem adeptus est. Quis enim Viator meliore jure beatam speret immortalitem? Obiit 22 Junii, 1738. This was composed by the Rev. Mr. Crowther, late vicar of Otley. In the chapel-yard over Henry Ellistones, who died at Howroyd, 1697: Ullamne in rebus humanis, Lector, certitudinem esse reris, cum ipsum hominem una dissolvet hora? In the chapel-yard, over one John Hoile: Deo ac conjugi pius, justus ac propositi tenax, amiciæ certus, omnibus affabilis, ac si quid ultra est, sit tota vita pro epitaphio. Vade et tu fac similiter. From Dr. Johnson's MS. : Here sleepeth the body of Nicholas Hanson," one of the Attornies of the Com. Pl., servant to Sir John Savile, Baron of the Chr., a favourer of religion, whose soul returned to his Saviour, Nov. 7, 1613. The oldest date upon the gravestones at Ealand is this: John Hanson de Woodhouse, 1599, Æt. 82. In the list of "Armes" taken out of churches and howses in Yorkshire visitacion, Ao. 1584, by Glover, the following coats were in the church of Elland : Sable, 3 goats passant argent, belled or. (Stansfeld.) Quarterly 1. Savile. 2. Gules, a cross patée formée argent.23 3. Gules, 2 bars gemelles and a chief argent." 4. Gules, 2 bars between 8 martlets, 3, 2 and 3, argent. (Eland). 5. Argent, on a bend gules 3 escallops of the first.25 6. Sable, an escocheon within an orb of 8 martlets, argent." Impaling Argent, on a fesse sable 3 mullets of the 1st. 20 Mr. Hananiah Elston, Minr. at Eland, died June 22, buried June 24, 1738.-Northowram Register, 324. 21 Mr. Ellistons of Bersland (Barkisland), buried June 16, 1697, very rich, at Ealand-Northowram Register, 89. 22 Nicholas Hanson, attorney-at-law, near Elland, will dated 1613, desires to be buried with his father and his ances tors in the churchyard of Elland. He was son of the above John Hanson of Woodhouse, an attorney, who was born 1517 and died 1599. See Foster's Yorkshire Pedigrees. 23 Golcar. 25 Tankersley. 26 Rachdale, of Rachdale (Rochdale). |
