The Hatchments in the Churches of Canterbury

( 72 ) THE HATCHMENTS IN THE CHURCHES OF CANTERBURY BY N. E. TOKE. THE word " hatchment" is a corruption of the heraldic term " achievement", which was, originaUy, an escutcheon, or armorial shield, on which were depicted the marks of some heroic act, or great achievement, on the part of the bearer. The term was subsequently apphed to the diamond-shaped frame charged with a shield of arms which, at the death of a person of social position, was affixed to the front of his house where it remained for six or twelve months and was then removed either to his parish church, or to the church of some neighbouring parish of which the deceased was lord of the manor. Hatchments of this kind were first employed in the seventeenth century, and became popular in the eighteenth, and the first half of the nineteenth century, but have now faUen into disuse.1 They originated, in aU probability, in the early practice of suspending in the church the helmet, sword, and shield of the deceased person, and, in the sixteenth century, in the custom of carrying helmets, banners, and shields in the pompous funerals which were then popular among the nobility. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth the rage for magnificent funerals was at its height. Those of Edward, Earl of Derby, in 1574, and of Sh PhiHp Sidney, in 1587, were especiaUy magnificent. On the death of the former the chapel and the house were hung with black cloth garnished with escutcheons of his arms. On the Saturday before the funeral the coffin was brought into the chapel, where it was covered with a paU of black velvet, garnished with escutcheons of arms, and on it were 1 A very late example of a hatchment, perhaps the last, was that erected on the Provost's Lodge at Eton for the Rev. J. J. Hornby who died on November 2nd, 1909. It has no crest, helmet, motto, or mantling. HATCHMENTS IN THE CHURCHES OF CANTERBURY. 73 placed his coat of arms, helmet and crest, sword and shield, and about it his standard, great banner, and six bannerols. A hearse, thhty feet high, twelve feet long, and nine feet broad, with double rails, was erected in the church between the choh and the nave. It was hung with black cloth with a valance of velvet fringed with silk. On the canopy, which was made of taffeta lined with buckram, was wrought, in gold and silver, an achievement of the Earl's arms with helm, crest, supporters, and motto. There were four other buckram escutcheons wrought in metal, six great burial pasteboard escutcheons at the corners, and smaU escutcheons in gold and silver on paper royal. The church was hung throughout with black cloth, with escutcheons not only of the earl's arms, but also of his arms impaled with those of his three wives. At the funeral procession, which was sumptuous in the extreme, the earl's standard and the great banner of his arms were borne by esquhes. The Lancaster herald of arms bore his helm ; Norroy, king of arms, his shield; Clarencieux his sword, and Garter, king of arms, foUowed last bearing an escutcheon of arms. After the funeral service the six bannerols and the rest of the achievements were placed in the church above the tomb.1 The smaUer pasteboard and silk escutcheons, which were used in these pompous funerals and afterwards hung in the church, were the prototypes of hatchments proper to which they were not unlike. According to the New Enghsh Dictionary, the first instances of the use of the word " Hatchment " occur (a) in Hall's Chronicles, 1548, where the writer, in describing the funeral of King Henry V, says, " The Lord LoveU, the Lord Audeley, the Lord Morley, the Lord Zouch bare y6 baners of sainctes, and the Baron of Dudley bare the standard, and therle [the Earl] of Longmle bare the baner. The Hatchments were borne only by Capitaynes to the number of XII." 1 Berry, Encyclopaedia Heraldica, Vol. I. 74 HATCHMENTS IN THE CHURCHES OF CANTERBURY. (b) In John BosseweU's Worhes of Armoirie, 1572, where the author states that an " Achenement [Achievement] meaneth the armes of everie gentleman, weU marshaUed, with the supporters, helmet, wreath and creste, with mantel and y* worde, of some termed y8 poesie, aU which of heraltes is properly caUed blazon, heawme and timbre."1 The term is also used by Shakespeare (Hamlet, Act IV, Scene V) when Laertes regrets that his father Polonius, untimely slain by Hamlet, had— " No trophy, sword, nor hatchment o'er his bones, No noble rite nor formal ostentation." But in aU these cases the word "hatchment" signifies an escutcheon, or achievement of honour of some sort rather than a hatchment in the modern sense of the word. In some churches can be seen painted on canvas or wood, and usually in a rectangular frame, armorial shields which bear an inscription giving the name and date of decease of the person commemorated. These armorial emblazonments belong mostly to the seventeenth century, and hatchments proper differ from them chiefly in the shape of the frame, and in the colour of the ground work on which the arms are depicted and by which is shown accurately whether the defunct was man, or woman, married or unmarried, widower or widow. After the seventeenth century hatchments bear very rarely a date, or inscription beyond a pious motto, such as "Resurgam " ; "In Coelo Quies " ; " Mors Janua Vitae", or the like. In a few cases the family motto is given, e.g. in Nos. vi and viii at St. MUdred's, Canterbury, (pp. 82, 83). These detaUs are shown in Plate I which is taken from an illustration in Berry's Encyclopaedia Heraldica, to which I am indebted for much information. Fig.- 1 is the hatchment of an unmarried esquire, or gentleman. It shows his paternal coat with mantle, crest, and pious motto (Resurgam), on an entirely black background. Fig. 2 is the hatchment of an esquire, or gentleman, whose wife survives him. His arms are shown, impaling 1 Armoirie, H, 1216. ! ••'/->• PlATE I. FUNERAL ACHIEVEMENTS. HATCHMENTS IN THE CHURCHES OF CANTERBURY. 75 those of his wife (should she be an hehess her arms would be shown on an escutcheon of pretence), the dexter half of the background being black, to denote his death, and the sinister half white. The hatchment of an esquire, or gentleman, dying a widower, and having married but one wife, is the same as the last, except that the whole background is black to show that both husband and wife are dead. Fig. 3 shows the hatchment of an esquire, or gentleman, whose second wife survives him. The coat of arms of the deceased with mantle, helmet, crest, and motto is painted on an enthely black background. On the dexter side of the shield is a smaU oblong escutcheon with his arms impaling those of his first wife, the dexter side being white and the sinister side black to show that he survived her. On the sinister side of the central shield is a similar escutcheon with the dexter side black and the sinister side white to show that the second wife survived him. Had he survived his second wife, and died a widower, then the escutcheon with the arms of the second wife would be white on the dexter side and black on the sinister to show that he was the survivor of the second marriage. Fig. 4 is the hatchment of an unmarried lady. Her paternal arms are on a lozenge-shaped shield suspended from, or enclosed by, a knot of blue or gold ribbon against a black background, and usuaUy with a cherub's head in Heu of a crest. Fig. 5 is the hatchment of the wife of an esquire, or gentleman, who died during her husband's fife-time. The husband's arms are impaled with hers on the dexter side whose background is white to show that he was still ahve. The sinister side shows her arms on a black background. Fig. 6 is the hatchment of a widow. Her arms, impaled with those of the deceased husband, are enclosed in a lozenge, and the whole background of the hatchment is black. The hatchments of ladies should be painted without mantle, helmet, or crest, but this rule is not always observed. They are also usuaUy without a motto. 76 HATCHMENTS IN THE CHURCHES OF CANTERBURY. The hatchments of Peers, and of Knights of the Garter, or of any other order of knighthood, do not differ materiaUy from those mentioned above, but the paternal coat should be enchcled by the garter or ribbon of the order, and should bear a coronet and supporters. If a Peer were married and a knight of any order then his hatchment should bear two shields, the dexter one containing his paternal coat enchcled with the ribbon of his order, and the sinister shield having his arms and those of his wife. The hatchment of a Bishop should have the arms of the See impaled with his paternal coat, the arms of the See being placed on the dexter side of the shield and his own on the sinister side, surmounted by the proper mitre. The dexter half of the background should be white (since the See never dies), and the sinister half black. It is usual to place a key and crozier, in salthe, behind the shield of an archbishop, and two croziers behind that of a bishop. As hatchments seldom bear a name or date, it is difficult to identify with precision the person they commemorate. The difficulty is increased in the case of an unmarried man, or woman, since, without the mark of cadency, which is rarely given, the hatchment might represent any unmarried member of the famfiy. The determination is easier in the case of married persons because the arms of husband and wife are impaled, thus giving some clue towards identification. Moreover, the lofty position of most hatchments and the dim lighting of churches increase the difficulty of determining the heraldic tinctures which are frequently altered in colour by time and dust—or fades into argent, argent yeUows into or, and azure changes into vert, or is grimed into sable. In the foUowing fist of hatchments I have been able to identify, with some degree of accuracy, the persons commemorated, and to blazon theh arms, but in a matter of such difficulty I am aware that I cannot hope to have enthely avoided mistakes, and I shaU be grateful for the correction of any errors which may be detected. The sixteen hatchments described are aU that now remain in Canterbury out of a much greater number. Hasted mentions twenty-three HATCHMENTS IN THE CHURCHES OF CANTERBURY. 77 more, and no doubt others were erected after his death in 1812. ST. AALPHEGE'S. I. POSITION. Over the south door. CREST. An ounce's head, erased, gutU azure, ducally crowned or. AAEMS. Per bend sinister, or and sable, a lion rampant, double-queued, counterchanged. SIMPSON : impaling : Argent, a chevron or between three rams passant of the second. R-AMSEY. BACKGROUND. Black. MANTLING. Gules and argent. INSCRIPTION. Roger Simpson : gent. Died ye 8 of January 1656. Mary His wife died ye 14 ApriU. 1648. NOTE. The arms have been repainted recently, and, if Hasted can be relied on, the field of the impaled arms misrepresented. Hasted gives this as vert, and says that the hatchment was on the north wall. In the Register of Burials in St. iUphege's (Edited by J. M. Cooper) occurs this entry, "Jan. 11, 1656. Mr. Roger Sympson died at the Blean and was buried in the north oyl [i.e. aisle] going into the minester's chancell." II. POSITION. CREST. .ARMS. BACKGROUND. On the south waU. A demi-lion rampant, or, langued gules, collared azure and argent. Vair, azure and argent. Bix. On an escutcheon of pretence—Gules, a chevron or. HADLEY (?). Black. MANTLING. Gules and argent. 7 8 HATCHMENTS IN THE CHURCHES OF CANTERBURY. INSCRIPTION. Under this lyeth ye body of Mr Tho. Bix lattly of y° parish of Bishopsgate nr London: he dyed ye 2nd of March & was interred ya 6th, near ye place where his grandfather & grandmother lyeth, & in ye 42 yeare of his Age. 1697. NOTE. Hasted (Vol. D7, p. 464), says that the hatchment used to be on the south side of the north aisle. According to the Registers of St. Alphege's, Thomas Bix was born on December 26th, 1654 and died on March 3rd, 1696. The discrepancy in the dates of the year given by the Register and the inscription is probably due to the former reckoning the year as commencing on March 25th, and the latter on January 1st.1 There are two hatchments for Bix in St. Mildred's Church, Canterbury (see pp. 80, 81). III. POSITION. Over the entrance door in the north • aisle. CREST. Out of a crown a demi-wyvern or. .ARMS. Per pale, vert and gules, three boars' heads, couped or ; a chief of the last. COPPIN : impaling : Per pale, gules and vert, three pheons or : ROBERTS. BACKGROUND. Dexter white, sinister black. MANTLING. Gules and argent. INSCRIPTION. Mary Wife of John Coppin. gent. & Daughter of Sr John Roberts. Knt. departed this fife Xlthof June. 1685. and of the 42nd year of her age. NOTE. This hatchment has also been repainted, apparently wrongly. Hasted (Vol. IV, p. 464) says that in his time it was at the east end of the north aisle, and he gives the arms of Coppin as— Per pale, azure and gules, three boars' heads ; couped or : a chief of 1 In England the year was reckoned from Christmas Day from the seventh to the twelfth century when the Anglioan Church began the year on March 25th. It was not till 1752 that the year began with January 1st, although the change had been made in Scotland on January 1st, 1600, and in most of the Continental countries of Europe in the sixteenth century • HATCHMENTS IN THE CHURCHES OF CANTERBURY. 79 the second, and those of Roberts : Per pale, azure and gules, three pheons or. According to the Register of Burials in St. Alphege's Mary Coppin gave bhth to a still-born son which was buried on June 10th, 1685, the mother dying two days later. John Coppin died in 1701. There is a heraldic ledger stone for another member of the family—the Rev. John Coppin of Bekesborne (obt. 1689)— in St. Martin's Church, Wootton. A number of hatchments have disappeared from this church. Hasted mentions one for Peters, impaling Stoning, and another for Anne Peters (obt. 1721) with the same impalement, both above the stone memorial to Peter Peters in the north aisle : one, in the N.E. corner, for the Rev. John Stocker (obt. 1708), and, on the north waU, one for Edward Crayford (obt. 1613), and another with six coats of arms for Jane Crayford (obt. 1698), wife of William Crayford and daughter of Thomas Roper, and a thhd, also with six coats of arms, for Crayford impaling Peters : also, at the east end of the north wall, one for Brandon. HOLY CROSS. POSITION. At the west end of the south aisle, over the doorway. CREST. A sinister hand and arm habited per pale, gules and azure, holding an olive branch, ppr. : on a torse argent and sable. AARMS. Argent, two bends engrailed, sable. STAINS. MOTTO. Resurgam. MANTLING. Gules lined argent. BACKGROUND. AU black. NOTE. An unusual feature of this hatchment is that the helmet beneath the crest contains a human face. There is a coloured mural tablet in the nave to the memory of Robert Staines, who died March 7th, 1806, and of Sarah, his widow, who died March 9th, 1824. It has the same crest and arms as the hatchment, with an impalement: azure, a cross between four eagles displayed, argent for WARD (Gorleston, Suffolk). Hasted says that a Richard Staines was Mayor of Canterbury in 1792. 80 HATCHMENTS LN THE CHURCHES OF CANTERBURY. ST. MILDRED'S. I.1 POSITION. West end of the north waU of the north aisle, the uppermost hatchment nearest the window. CREST. A demi-lion, rampant or, collared azure and argent. .ARMS. Vair, argent and azure, with a label for cadency : on an inescutcheon : Gules, a chevron or. Bix. impaling : ' Or, a falcon rising, holding in its claws a lure sable. BACKGROUND. Black. INSCRIPTION. Here lyeth Iohn Bix gentn dyed ye : 1s t : of Aug1: 1708 • : Aged 27th years : & also a child of his. II. POSITION. North waU of north aisle, below No. I. CREST. An arm, in armour, ppr., brandishing a falchion argent, hilt and pommel or, between two pikes gules, headed of the third, on a torse ermine and sable. ARMS. Quarterly : 1 and 4 : Argent, a crossbow between four moorcocks sable, legged, crested, and jowlopped gules. HIGHMORE. 2 and 3. Argent, a mermaid gules, crined, girdled and tailed or, holding in the right hand a mirror, and in the left a comb of the second. ELLIS. (Prestwich. Lanes.) BACKGROUND. Black. MANTLING. Gulesandargent. MOTTO. BeUo paratus paci intentus. NOTE. This hatchment is probably for Anthony Highmore (obt. October, 1799) son of the painter and author Joseph Highmore (see No. II), who married Anna Maria (obt. October, 1794), 1 Illustrated in Plate II. / . ,>^ ' * / > (/' Mill' *V .