Rochester Cathedral Heraldry before A.D. 1800

( 113 ) ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL HERALDRY BEFORE A.D. 1800. CompUed by Paymaster Commander A. W. B. MESSENGER, R.N. THERE is very little heraldry of pre-Reformation execution in the Cathedral. The principal examples are the two shields (Nos. 10 and 11) on Bishop Lowe's tomb, whUe the remainder are comprised by the three small shields (Nos. 1, 2 and 3) on the sediHa canopy, to which may perhaps be added the three in the south transept gable (Nos. 76, 77 and 78) and the defaced painted shield (No. 84) now reposing in the slype. AU heraldic brasses have gone. The shields from the Somers tomb (Nos. 79-83) wiU probably be of most interest to genealogists, and I am glad to be able to quote what appears to be the original grant of Richard Watts' arms (No. 28). The arms of the bishops painted on the quire waUs were executed at the time of the restoration work under Sir Gflbert Scott and are therefore outside the scope of the present paper. In the Armorial the blazons are those actually existing or such for which evidence of former existence is available at the time of this survey. Errors and variations wfll be found referred to in the Inventory. The manner of blazoning generally follows the suggestions of the late Sir W. St. J. Hope (Grammar of Heraldry) and of Mr. Oswald Barron (Enc. Brit., 12th ed.), and, for the sake of uniformity, blazonings taken from other sources are as a rule similarly expressed. Cases where it has been found more appropriate to give the original text are distinguished by quotation marks. Practically aU the historical notes have been obtained from the typescript volume in the Chapter Hbrary, The Heraldry of Rochester Cathedral, by Major Brian Cope, to whom my thanks are due for leave to make use of the same. 8 114 EOCHESTER CATHEDRAL HERALDRY I also wish to acknowledge the valuable assistance of Mr. H. S. Kingsford, M.A., Assistant Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries, and of the Rev. S. W. Wheatley, F.S.A., by whose advice some errors have been corrected. ARMORIAL. NOTE :—Arms recorded, but now removed, destroyed, etc., are shown in italics. ABBITOT. Party gold and gules three roundels counter-coloured. (82) BARRELL. Ermine a chief sable with three talbots' heads razed ermine thereon. (41, 43, 44, 66, 67, 68, 101, 102, 103, 105, 106) BEATJOHAMP. Quarterly gold and gules with a bend gules. (82) BENSON. Ermine a chevron and three goats' heads couped sable with three scaUops ermine on the chevron. (46) BOURN. Silver a chevron gules and three lions sable with three lozenges gold on the chevron. (99) BOWDLER. SUver two Cornish choughs. (44) BoWLE. Azure three cups gold with a boar's head silver in each. (105) BRADFORD. SUver a fess gules with three stags' heads razed gold thereon. (20) BROWKER. Barry of eight pieces gold and sable and eightmartlets gold 3. 2. 2.1. (89) BRAOSE of GOWER. Azure crusiUy and a lion gold. (82) BRTNTON. Nine pieces silver and azure. (3) BRTJS OI? SKELTON. Silver a lion azure. (82) CAESAR. Gules three roses and a chief silver with three roses gules on the chief. (17, 87, 88) CANTERBURY, SEE of. Azure a cross-staff suver with its cross gold and over aU a paU silver charged with four crosses formy fitchy sable. (64) CHRISTOHUROH, CANTERBURY. PRIORY of. Azure a cross sUver with a text X surmounted by a text i sable thereon. (2) CLARE. Gold three chevrons gules. (114) COLCHESTER. Gules a chevron and three stars gold. (12, 86) BEFORE A.D. 1800. 115 COLLTNSON. Azure three cinquefoils gold each charged with a roundel gules. (21, 24, 93) COOKE. Party azure and sable three eagles silver. (74, 75) CROMER. Silver a chevron engrailed sable and three crows. (83) CROMPE. Gules a chevron and three quatrefoUs gold. (35) CULPEPER. Silver a bend engrailed gules. (81) CUTHBERT. SUver a fess gules with three crosslets fitchy silver thereon. (27,94) DENHAM. Silver a bend sable and three molets sUver thereon. (38) DENNE. Silver two flanches sable with two leopards' heads gold thereon. (20) DERING. Gold a saltire sable. (16, 88) EDMUND of WOODSTOCK. England and a border silver. (110) EMPIRE, THE. Gold an eagle sable. (109) EYNSHAM. Azure a saltire engrailed silver with five martlets azure thereon. (105) FAUNOE. SUver three lions sable each with a gold coUar. (41) FOGGE. SUver a fess and three rings sable with three rowels sUver on the fess. (42) GXLMAN. Silver a man's leg cut off at the thigh sable charged with a gemel bar gold below the knee. (40) * GOURNAY. Party gold and azure. (82) GRANT. Azure three lions gold and a chief sUver. (12,15, 86) GREEN. Azure a pheon and three bucks gold. (14) GREGORY. Gold two bars azure and a hon passant azure crowned gold in chief. (23, 91) HAMPSON. SUver three hemp-brakes sable. (9) HANBURY. Gold a bend engraUed vert and two plain cotises sable. (67) HARRIS (a). Gold three hedgehogs azure. (18) HARRIS (b). Azure a chevron ermine and three hedgehogs gold. (22) HEAD. SUver a chevron sable ermined silver and three unicorns' heads couped sable. (30, 31) HTLL (a). Azure an open book sUver and three cherubs gold. (38, 70, 97, 98) HlLL (b). Silver a chevron and three waterskins sable. (106) 116 ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL HERALDRY INYS. SUver three roundels between two bends gules. (38) JOHNSON. Gules three spearheads sUver and a chief ermine. (24, 25, 26, 92) JOLLEY. Gold a cinqefoil and three pheons sUver. (26) KITCHELL. Azure a hawk and a border gold. (66, 102, 105) LEE. Sable a fess cheeky gold and gules and eight gold biUets. (7, 8, 9) LOCK. Six pieces azure and gold with three hawks rising gold in the azure. (25, 92) LOVELACE. Gules a chief indented sable with three martlets sUver thereon. (66, 105) LOWE. Silver a bend azure with three wolves' heads razed sUver thereon. (10,11) MARECHAL. Gules a bend indented gold. (82) MARSHAM. Silver a lion passant gules between two bends azure. (96) MERTON. Gold three chevrons party azure and gules countercoloured. (84, 85) MOWBRAY. Gules a lion silver. (82) NEWBOROUGH. Cheeky gold and azure a chevron ermine. (82) NEWCOMBE. Silver a lion's head razed and three crescents gules. (14) OLIVE (?). a fess and three lions passant with , three stars on the fess. (15). PAGITT. Azure a cross engrailed silver with a scaUop sUver in the quarter. (33) PARKER. Gules a chevron and three keys silver with three fleursde- lis gules on the chevron. (90) PARR. Silver two bars gules and a border engraUed sable. (19) PEARSE. Azure a fess silver and three pelicans gold with three roundels sable on the fess. (44) PENISTON. SUver three Cornish choughs. (82) POLEY. Gold a Hon sable. (39) PRATT. SUver a chevron and three roundels sable with a martlet silver on each roundel and three voided lozenges gold on the chevron. (13) PYMM. Sable a fess sUver and three owls gold with three crosslets sable on the fess. (16, 17, 87) RDDGE. Silver a griffin vert. (80, 81, 82, 83, 107) BEFORE A.D. 1800. 117 < ROBINSON (?). Vert a chevron silver and three stags gold with three molets gules on the chevron. (42) ROBSON. Azure a chevron ermine and three boars' heads couped gold. (22, 23, 91) ROCHESTER, CITY of. Gold a cross gules with a text letter r gold thereon and a chief gules with a gold leopard. (48-55, 56-61) ROCHESTER, SEE of. SUver a saltire gules with a scaUop gold thereon. (1, 4, 5, 11, 63, 72, 73, 77) ROLT. SUver a bend sable and three dolphins silver each with a gold crown thereon. (36) RONDEAU. Azure a fess wavy sUver with three roundels azure thereon and a gold sun in base. (34) Ro USE. Sable two bars engrailed silver. (90) RUTTON. a fess and three unicorns' heads couped in a border . (100) S. GEORGE. Silver a cross gules. (47, 65, 111) SHEAFE. Ermine a chevron and three roundels with three wheat-sheaves on the chevron. (37) SOMERS. Vert a dance ermine. (32, 33, 68, 71, 79, 80, 82, 83, 101) SPICE. Gules a chevron and three fleurs-de-lis . (69) SPRAT. Silver a chevron sable and three sprats swimming azure. (72) SQUERREY. SUver a squirrel gules. (83) SWAN. Azure a chevron ermine and three swans silver. (98). THURSTONE. Silver a bend sable with three rowels gold thereon and a bear sable in the cantel. (29) TREVOR. Party bendwise sinister ermine and sable ermined silver a lion gold. (45) UPCOTT. Silver a chevron and three boars sable with three silver roses on the chevron. (103, 106) WALLER. Sable three walnut leaves gold between two bends silver. (71) WARNER (a). Party indented silver and sable quartering azure a fleur-de-lis gold. (5, 6, 7, 8, 9) WARNER (b). Vert a cross engraUed silver. (6, 7, 8, 9) WATTS. Silver a chevron engrailed sable and three hares' heads razed gules with five gold drops on the chevron. (28, 32) WrLoocKS. Ermine a chief cheeky sable and gold. (73) 118 ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL HERALDRY WTLEORD. Gules a chevron engrailed and three leopards' heads gold. (39, 95, 104) WOOD. Sable a chevron and three oak trees uprooted gold with three martlets sable on the chevron. (18) ARMS UNIDENTIFIED. A. Sable a lion and a border silver. (112,113, or 115) B. Silver a lion with a forked tail gules quartering sable a lion with a forked tail silver. (108) C. Gules three buckles gold. (21, 93) D. three buckles . (36) E. Silver a saltire and a fess gules. (62) F. six roundels . (69) G. three crowns in pale . (76) H. a cross and four . (78) I. Sable a cup silver and a laurel branch vert. (95) J. Sable a chevron ermine and three teazles gold. (106) INVENTORY. NOTE.—(o) signifies that the arms are depicted without tinctures. I. ARMS in situ. PRESBYTERY. On the sedilia canopy. 1. SEE OE ROCHESTER. 2. PRIORY OE CHRISTCHURCH, CANTERBURY. 3. BRTNTON. Thomas de Brinton, Bishop of Rochester, 1373-1389, who was buried in the Cathedral, perhaps in the Lady Chapel. These arms appear on the bishop's seal of dignity (Arch. Cant., Vol.xxiii., p. 311). CHAPEL OF S. JOHN BAPTIST. (Aisle of N. Quire Transept.) Tomb of Bishop John Warner, d. 21 Oct., 1666. 4. SEE of ROCHESTER. 6. SEE of ROCHESTER impaling WARNER (a). Granted by Sir William Segar, Garter, 1616. 6. WARNER (a) quartering WARNER (b) with a crescent over aU for difference. Burke's " General Armoury " gives both these arms for WABNER, but the latter are also the arms of KINGSLBY (Sorrett, Herts.). Tomb of Archdeacon John Lee Warner, S.T.P. d. 12 June, 1670. Formerly Rev. John Lee, nephew of Bishop Warner. He took the additional name of Warner on succeeding to his uncle's estates. BEFORE A.D. 1800. 119 7. Quarterly I. and IV., LEE, IL, WARNER (a) with a crescent for difference, III., WARNER (b). Granted by Sir Edward Bysshe, Knt., Clarencieux King of Arms, 20th Nov. 18. Car. I I . anno 1666, to John Lee, D.D., Archdeacon of Rochester, son of Thomas Lee, then late of London, Gent., deceased, by Anne, daughter of Harman Warner, sister and heir of John Warner, late Lord Bishop of Rochester. Dockets of Bysshe's Grants, fol. 19, and Visitation of Kent, D. 18, fol. 179. College of Arms. (Berry Enc. Her.) Tomb of Lee Warner, d. 4 March, 1698. 8. As for No. 7, omitting the crescent. 9. As for No. 8, impaling Hampson. For his wife Catherine, daughter of Henry Hampson. NORTH QUIRE TRANSEPT. Tomb of Bishop John Lowe. 10. (o) LOWE. These arms were also " confirmed to Humfrey Lowe, of Southmills in the parish of Blenham, Bedfordshire, July 28, 1628. Heralds' Office, Hertford & Middlesex, C. 28, fol. 7, 3rd Index." (Berry Enc. Her.) 11. (o) LOWE with a saltire couped gules having a scallop gold thereon in the cantel. (For SEE of ROCHESTER.) This seems to be an interesting variation of the more usual practice of a bishop impaling his arms with those of his see. QUIRE. The quire walls between the modern arms of the bishops and the low backs of the stalls are decorated with an heraldic diapering reproduced from an early fragment. The design consists of red quatrefoils edged with green, each charged with a gold leopard. The quasi-octagonal spaces left by the quatrefoils are coloured blue with orange edging, and each is charged with a gold fleur-de-lis. (For further information regarding this diaper, see Archosologia Cantiana, Vol. X. Article by Canon Scott Robertson, p. 70.) SOUTH QUIRE AISLE. Floor Slabs. 12. (o) GRANT impaling (o) COLCHESTER. Jane, wife of Dr. Grant (Prebendary of Rochester, 1692) and eldest daughter of Sir Duncombe Colchester. Died 21 Jan. 1719. 13. (o) PRATT. Daniel Pratt, M.A., Dean of Rochester, died 30 Jul. 1723. 14. (o) NEWCOMBE impaling (o) GREEN. Benjamin Newcombe D.D. Dean of Rochester, 1767-1775, died 22 Jul. 1775, and his wife Sarah, died 18 Aug. 1794. 120 ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL HERALDRY 15. (o) OLIVE (?) impaling (o) GRANT. Hester wife of Thomas Olive and daughter of Rev. Dr. Grant, died 26 May 1735. The arms of Olive are recorded as:—Silver a fess sable with three molets gold thereon. NORTH TRANSEPT. Floor Slabs. 16. (o) PYMM impaling (o) DERING. Mrs. Margaret Pymm, widow of John Pymm and daughter of Finch Deering. Died 20 Mch 1683. 17. (o) CAESAR impaling (o) PYMM. Augustus Caesar, Doctor of Physick, died 7 Aug. 1683. 18. (o) HARRIS (O) impaling (o) WOOD. Alicia, wife of Walter Harris, died 17 Oct. 1744. Mural. 19. PARR. John Parr, Storekeeper of the Ordnance, Chatham, died 21 May 1792. The tinctures are much worn but the border should be sable. SOUTH TRANSEPT. Floor Slabs. 20. DENNE impaling BRADFORD. Rev. John Denne, D.D. Archdeacon and Prebendary of Rochester. Rector of Lambeth, died 5 Aug. 1767, and his wife, Susanna, daughter of Rt. Rev. Samuel Bradford, Bishop of Rochester, died 3 Dec. 1780. The Bradford fess, here gules, should be azure. 21. (o) COLLINSON impaling (o) " C." George Collinson, died 21 Dec. 1715, and Anne his wife, died 22 Nov. 1727. 22. (o) ROBSON impaling (o) HARRIS (b). Thomas Robson of London, died 15 Oct. 1692, and Mary his wife, died 23 Oct. 1702. 23. (o) GREGORY impaling (o) ROBSON. Edward Gregory of Rochester, died 20 Nov. 1682, and Anne his wife, daughter of Robert Robson, died 26 Oct. 1678. 24. (o) COLLINSON impaling (o) JOHNSON. Maria (died 15 May 1704) daughter of Robert Johnson and wife of George Collinson, formerly of York and then of Rochester. 25. (o) LOOK impaling (o) JOHNSON. Thomas Look, died 1705. 26. (o) JOLLEY impahng (o) JOHNSON. John Jolley, died 6 May 1700. 27. (o) CUTHBERT. Thomas Cuthbert, died 10 Apr. 1700. BEFORE A.D. 1800. 121 28. (o) WATTS. Richard Watts (died 10 Sep. 1579) of Satis House, founder of the hospital and charity of his name in Rochester. The College of Arms has the following record which would appear to refer to the same person :—" The Armes and Create of Richard Wattes of the Citye of Rochester in the County of Kent gentill: Argent on a cheveron engrailed sable betwene thre Wattes heddes Rasyed gewles eyed or five guttes golde upon his helme on a Torse silver and gewles a demy Watte sable abowt his neck a flatte cheyne or betwene his legges tornyng abowt his backe supportyng betwene his feet a pawnsey in his proper cowler stalked and leved verte as more plainly apereth depicted in this margent yeven by me Thomas Hawley als Clarencieulx Kyng of Arms the first days of Aprill in the Vlth yere of the Reyne of our Sovereyne Lorde King Edward the sixth." Mural. 29. THURSTONE. Morellus Thurstone, died 18 Feb. 1747. Berry gives for Thurston of Bobshead, Kent:—Silver a bend gules with three molets gold thereon. 30. HEAD. Sir Richard Head, 1st Baronet (cr. 19 Jan. 1676) M.P. for Rochester, died 18 Sep. 1689, and his third wife Anne, daughter of Ven. William Kingsley, Archdeacon of Canterbury, and widow of John Boys. 31. HEAD. Sir Edmund Head, Bart, died 21 Nov. 1796. 32. WATTS impaling SOMERS. Richard Watts (see No. 28) and Mary his wife, daughter of Thomas Somers of Halstow. 33. PAGITT impaling SOMERS. Thomas Pagitt, Barrister-at-law, and his wife Mary, daughter of Thomas Somers of Halstow, and widow of Richard Watts. 34. RONDEAU. James Rondeau, died 14 Feb. 1768, and Elizabeth his wife, died 24 Jan. 1759. Probably descended from the Mons. Jacques Rondeau, a French refugee and a Presbyter of the Church of England appointed by Archbishop Sancroft to hold services at Leeds and Broomfield, Kent, etc. (Tanner M.S.S. Bodleian. Acts Books, Lambeth. Vide Arch. Cant., Vol. xxii. pp. 216-7.) - LADY CHAPEL. Floor Slabs. 35. (o) CROMPE. John Crompe, eldest son of Preb. Benjamin Crompe, died 10 Apr. 1718. 36. (o) ROLT with a crescent for difference impaling " D." Jacob Rolt, died 23 Sep. 1727, and Agnes his first wife, died 22 Nov. 1705. 37. (o) SHEAFE. Richard Sheafe, died 3 Nov. 1728. 122 ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL HERALDRY 38. (o) HrLL (a) impaUng quarterly I. and IV. (o) INYS, II. and III., (o) DENHAM, with a crescent for difference. Frances, wife of Preb. Daniel Hill, died 16 Aug. 1706. THE NAVE. Floor Slabs. 39. (o) POLEY impaling (o) WTLEORD. Richard Poley, died 21 May 1765, and his wife, daughter of Robert Wilford, died 24 Nov. 1792. 40. (o) GlLMAN (?). Rev. John Gilman, Vicar of Kingsdowne (1690-1710) of S. Nicholas Rochester (1701-1710) and Canon of Rochester (1689-1710), died 17 Nov. 1710. The shield is nearly indecipherable. 41. (o) FAUNOE impaling (o) BARRELL. Jane, wife of Thomas Faunce and daughter of Preb. Edmund Barrell, died 22 June 1759. 42. (o) FOGGE impaling (o) ROBINSON (?) Captain Christopher Fogge R.N., died 24 Nov. 1708 when in command of H.M.S. Rupert, and Mary his wife, died 23 June 1714. This gravestone is covered by quire stalls and no shield is visible, but Thorpe records a tinctured achievement as above. 43. (o) BARRELL. Francis, son of Francis Barrell by his third wife, Frances, daughter of William Hanbury, Died 10 Feb. 1765 aged 17. The inscription of this stone is almost entirely hidden but is recorded by Thorpe (Reg : Roff). 44. Party of three pieces i(o) PEARSE, ii (o) BARRELL, iu (o) BOWDLER. The inscription is entirely covered but is recorded by Thorpe (Reg : Roff :) as for the first and second wives of Francis Barrel], last male heir of the family (see No. 43) viz. i. Anne, daughter of Thomas Pearse of Rochester, died 30 Oct. 1734, and ii, Frances, daughter of Thomas Bowdler, died 16 June 1736. 45. (o) TREVOR. John Trevor, died 28 May 1730. 46. (o) BENSON. Rev. John Benson, M.A., Rector of High Halstow, 1718-1753, died 10 May 1753. The goats' heads should be razed, not couped. On shields borne by angels forming the eighteen corbels supporting the roof principals. North Side. East to West. 47. S. GEORGE. 48-55. CITY OE ROCHESTER. South Side, West to East. 66-61. CITY OF ROCHESTER. BEFORE A.D. 1800. 123 62. "E ." St John Hope, in his description of the Cathedral (Arch. Cant., Vol. XXIII, p. 279), says that Thomas Brown, Bishop of Norwich, but of Rochester 1435-1436, left £20 " ad fabricam navis ecclesie cathedralis Ruffensis. . . . Proviso quod opere fabrice hujusmodi aliquod memoriale fiet per sculpturas armorum meorum et nominis mei." He adds that " there are no traces of the good bishop's arms, but they may have been painted on the shields. . . . which now bear the Elizabethan arms of the city." He seems to have overlooked this curious bearing. Is it possibly a single representation of Bishop Brown's arms ? On the other hand, the arms in the bishop's obituary roll are :—Silver three hawks' lures sable a crescent for difference. 63. SEE of ROCHESTER. 64. SEE of CANTERBURY. 65. S. GEORGE. Mural. North Wall. 66. Erased (BARRELL) impaUng quarterly, I. and IV., KITCHELL, II. and III., LOVELACE. Francis Barrell, died 11 June 1724, and his wife Anna Kitchell, died 1717. 67. (o) BARRELL with a scutcheon of (o) HANBURY. Francis Barrell (see Nos. 43 and 44) last male heir of the family, died 23 Feb. 1772, and his third wife Frances, daughter and co-heir of William Hanbury. The Hanbury shield is incorrectly carved as a bend engrailed on a bend. There are traces of former colouring on this achievement. 68. BARRELL impaling SOMERS. Francis Barrell, Sergeant at Law, M.P. and Recorder for Rochester, died 15 Sep. 1678, His wife was Anne Somers who died 14 Jan. 1707. 69. SPICE impaling " F ." William Spice, died 27 Jan. 1800, and Mary his wife, died Jan. 1795. Berry (Enc. Her.) gives for Spice :—Silver a fess and two chevrons gules. Mural. South Wall. 70. HrLL (a) Robert Hill, 3rd son of Preb. Daniel Hill. 71. SOMERS impaling WALLER. Richard Somers, died 26 Jan. 1682, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of John Waller. CHAPTER ROOM. Mural. 72. SEE of ROCHESTER impaling SPRAT. Thomas Sprat, Bishop of Rochester, 1684-1713, Dean of Westminster, 1684-1713. 124 ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL HERALDRY 73. SEE of ROCHESTER impaling WTLCOOKS. Joseph Wilcocks, Bishop of Gloucester, 1721, and of Roohester, 1731-1756. Refused Archbishopric of York. TREASURY. (Above Chapel of S. John Baptist.) On two gilt cups. 74 and 75. COOKE. These cups were given to the Cathedral by Preb. Ralph Cooke, D.D. in 1662/3. The arms were granted to Dr Cooke when rector of Burstow, Surrey, 20 Aug. 1662. (Berry, Enc. Her.) SOUTH TRANSEPT GABLE. On stone Shields. 76. (o) "G." 77. (o) SEE of ROCHESTER. 78. (o) " H ." Both this and No. 76 have been the subject of controversy. Thorpe (Oust. Roff., pp. 165, 166) says a good deal on the matter. He concludes that " in elucidating two of these coats there is not a little scope for the imagination, it being much more easy to determine to whom they cannot be applicable than to ascertain the names or ranks of the persons commemorated." But later (p. 203) we find a footnote saying, " Mr Tracy, whose knowledge in heraldic researches is extensive and correct, is fully persuaded that the arms of Ethelred II which were formerly in a north window in Canterbury Cathedral . . . were " Gules three ducal crowns in pale or." As Ethelred was a great benefactor to the Church of Rochester he therefore conceives that " there can hardly be any doubt but that this shield was fixed as a memorial to him." Regarding the third shield. Thorpe on page 166, by a process of deduction, suggests that these arms were possibly those of the Prior and Convent. However in a footnote on page 203 he states " a cross patonce with four martlets is noticed by Speed to have been the arms of Edmund the Martyr, Edmund Ironside and Ethelred the Unready." (A shield bearing these arms is in the Bridge House, Rochester.) "And if Dr Denne (Archdeacon of Rochester 1728-67) had not traced the martlets upon the shield he seems to have been told that formerly they were discernible. To which of these kings as benefactor of the Church of Rochester this shield ought to be assigned is not easy to determine." The only comment now possible on this theory is that the shield at present shows a simple cross and not a cross paty, and the four excrescences, while bearing no resemblance to any recognisable heraldic charge, have still less the appearance of ever having been martlets. The shield seems to have been a reproduction made during some restoration, and one can only suppose the mason endeavoured to reconstruct some defaced charges whioh conveyed no meaning to him. THE SLYPE. Mural. 79. SOMERS. John Somer of S. Margaret's, Rochester, clerk to the Privy Signet. BEFORE A.D. 1800. 125 80. SOMERS impaling RIDGE. Martin, daughter and heir of Edward Ridge. She married as her second husband John Somer. 81. CULPEPER with a crescent for difference impaUng RIDGE. Thomas Culpeper, the first husband of Martin Ridge. oo [J , A ,*m 111 7t\ 7il£> & 4H? \ 4> PENISTON (NO. 82). 82. Quarterly of nine pieces, I'., PENISTON, IL, BRUS of SKELTON, III., ABBITOT, IV.. NEWBOROUGH, V., MOWBRAY, VI., GOURNAY, VII., BEAUOHAMP, VIII., BRAOSE of GOWER, IX., MAREOHAL, impaUng quarterly I. and IV., SOMERS, II. and III. RIDGE. Thomas Peniston. He married Mary, elder daughter and co-heir of John Somer and his wife Martin Ridge. The quarterings in this shield are of exceptional interest and denote some of the oldest families in England. These quarterings came to the Peniston family through an alliance with the noble family of Beauchamp of Holt, whose arms are :—Gules a fess and six billets gold, and. this bearing appears on a Peniston seal c. 1600. It would seem likely ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL HERALDRY that the arms of Beauchamp of Bedford, which here occupy the 7th quartering, were depicted in error for those of Beauchamp of Holt. "Holt (which hath that name from the thick woods)," writes Camden (Britannia, Vol. I, p. 619), " a castle formerly belonging to the Abtots and since to the Beauchamps. These springing from William Beauchamp, surnamed the blind baron, grew into a very honourable family whose estates after some time, by heirs female, came to the Guises and Penistons." Beauchamp of Holt, a cadet of the famous line Beauchamp of Elmley, became extinct in the male line on the death in 8 Henry V. of Sir John de Beauchamp, 2nd and last Baron Beauchamp of Kyderminster. Through the Beauchamp family are derived the quarterings of Abbitot—Walter de Beauchamp, Constable of England, married Emeline daughter of the noted Urse of Abbitot, Earl of Worcester; those of Newborough, Earl of Warwick, and of Mareohal by the marriage of Walter de Beauchamp with Isabella the heiress of the ancient earldom of Warwick, conferred by the Conqueror on his companion, Henry de Newborough, the younger son of that famous figure of Norman times, Roger de Beaumont. Brus of Skelton, a branch of the famous Bruce family, extinct in the male line on the death s.p. in 1271 of Peter de Brus, Lord of Skelton ; the wellknown de Mowbray family with their alliances to the ancient and powerful Norman families of Gournai and Braose, Lords of Bramber and Gower, all figure in this interesting achievement. Quarterly I. and IV., CROMER, II. and III., SQUERRBY, impaling quarterly I. and IV., SOMERS, II. and III., RIDGE. Sir James Cromer. He married Frances, younger daughter and co-heir of John Somer above. NOTE.—The above tinctured achievements (Nos. 79-83) relating to the old Kent family of Somer, or more commonly Somers, originally numbered six, but only five now remain (see No. 107). Thorpe (Reg. Roff., p. 710) mentions all six as then existing. The Rev. Edward Hawkins D.D. in his article, " Notes on some monuments in Rochester Cathedral " (Arch. Cant., Vol. XI, pp. 5 and 6) mentions that there existed in the south side of the nave, a stately tomb belonging to the family of Somers, upon which these shields were undoubtedly fixed. Manningham (Diary of John Manningham, Camden Soe, 24 Feb. 1601/2) mentions this tomb as then existing. The actual date of its destruction is not known though, if it survived the Commonwealth period, it may have been dismantled when the south aisle of the nave was recased in 1664. How the shields were arranged is a matter for conjecture, but it seems probable that Nos. 79, 80, 81 and 107, being of alabaster, were incorporated in a portion Of the monument distinct from that to which Nos. 82 and 83, which are of stone, belonged. A possible arrangement would have included the alabaster shields as part of some form of canopy, while the stone shields might have been attached to the side or ends of a chest tomb. Thorpe records the whole series as being on the south wall ot the nave, and gives a full description of the various bearings. There is little doubt however that in the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th quarterings of the Peniston shield the tincture azure should toe substituted for the vert given by Thorpe. This tinoture is so given in the arms of Sir Thomas Peniston of Cornewall, Oxon, by Sir J-. Phillips in his " Genealogica." (Brit. Mus.) MERTON. BEFORE A.D. 1800. 127 II. ARMS REMOVED OR DEFACED. Arms recorded by Thorpe (Reg. Roff.) as being in the Cathedral in the positions stated, but such that no longer appear. NORTH QUIRE TRANSEPT. 85. MERTON. Stone shield on the wall above the tomb of Bishop Walter de Merton ; possibly this is No. 84. SOUTH QUIRE AISLE. Tinctured achievement. 86. GRANT impaling COLCHESTER. See No. 12. NORTH TRANSEPT. Tinctured achievements. 87. CAESAR impaling PYMM. See No. 17. 88. CAESAR (Silver three roses and a chief gules with three roses silver on the chief) impaUng DERING. See Nos. 16 and 17. In the North Window. 89. BROWKER. Probably an orle of martlets was intended. SOUTH TRANSEPT. Tinctured achievements. 90. PARKER impaling ROUSE. Mrs Johanna Parker, died 28 Dec. 1697. 91. GREGORY impaling ROBSON. See No. 23. 92. LOOK impaling JOHNSON. See No. 25. 93. COLLINSON impaling " C." See No. 21. 94. CUTHBERT. See No. 27. 95. WrLEORD impaling " I ." Mary, wife of Captain Robert Wilford, died 17 Feb. 1683. See No. 39. In the South Middle Window. 96. MARSHAM. Marsham, Earl of Romney. 128 ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL HERALDRY LADY CHAPEL. Tinctured achievements. 97. HILL (a) . See No. 38. 98. HELL (a) impaling SWAN. THE NAVE. Floor Slabs. (Probably stUl beneath the stalls.) 99. (o) BOURN. Sampson Bourn, Master Attendant of H.M. Dockyard, Chatham, died 16 Sep. 1724. 100. (o) BUTTON. Isaao Rutton and Mary (died 1665) his wife. Berry (Enc. Her.) gives for Rutton (Ashford, Kent), Party fesswise azure and gold three unicorns counter-coloured. 101. (o) BARRELL impaling (o) SOMERS. Francis Barrell and his wife Anne Somers. See No. 68. 102. (o) BARRELL impaling (o) KITCHELL. Francis Barrell and his wife Anna Kitchell. See No. 66. 103. (o) BARRELL impaling (o) UPCOTT. Edmund Barrell, died 2 J u ly 1710, and h i s wife Maria, daughter of William Upcott. Tinctured achievements. 104. WTLEORD. See No. 39. 105. BARRELL impaling quarterly I., EITOHELL, II., LOVELACE, III., BOWLE, IV., EYNSHAM. See No. 66. In the arms of EYNSHAM as quartered b y the LOVELACE family the martlets are sable. 106. BARRELL with a molet for difference impaUng Quarterly I. and IV., UPCOTT, II., " J.", III., HILL (6). See No. 103. Mural. Alabaster Shield. 107. RIDGE. See Nos. 80, 82, 83, and note following. THE CRYPT. Painted on the vaulting. St John Hope (Arch. Cant. Vol. X X H I , pp. 327, 328) records the following arms as being part of the painted decoration of the vault beneath the chapel of S. John Baptist. They are now practically indecipherable, but a copy of p a r t of the painting and of four of the BEFORE A.D. 1800. 129 shields was made and now hangs in a frame on the vestry partition in the south quire aisle. In all there were originally eight shields, viz :— In the North-West Quarter. 108. " B." 109. THE EMPntE(?) In the South-West Quarter. 110. EDMUND of WOODSTOCK (?) Edmund of Woodstock, 2nd son of Edward I by his second wife, Margaret of France, bore these arms. 111. S. GEORGE. In the South-East Quarter. 112. Defaced. 113. Defaced. In the North-East Quarter. 114. CLARE (?) 115. Defaced. One of the above defaced shields appears to have been as " A." 9