The survey and antiquitie of the towne of Stamford in the county of Lincolne with its ancient foundation, grants, priviledges, and severall donations thereunto belonging : also a list of the aldermens names, and the time when they were chosen : with the names of 10 Lord Majors (of the Hon. city of London) borne in the foresaid county of Lincolne / written by Richard Butcher, Gent. ...

CHAP. VIII. (Book 8)

Such Ancient Monuments as are to be seen in and about Stamford and Stamford-Baron, as well without as within the said Town.

THere is an ancient dike appeareth here and there in di∣vers place; betwixt Stamford and Lincolne, and (being obscured by ruinating time some miles from Stamford) some part of it appeares again upon the North side of the Town betwixt Stamford and Brig∣••asterton, and comes almost to the Town Wall toward Peter-gate but after it appeares no more Southward (for as much as I could ever perceive) this is vulgarly called the High-dike▪ but Camden in his Britania, calls it, Via militaris Romanorum and brings it to Stamford in the same place as I have here related it; Licet non nulla (saith he) antiquitati•• judi••ia hic supersint tractum{que} oli•• su∣isse Via militaris Romanorum, qua statim te ex ••ppid•• in Bore••m pro∣ficientem excipit satis declaret.

Not farre from hence upon the North side of the Town neer un∣to

York highway, and about twelvescore from the Town gate, which is called Clement-gate, stands an ancient Crosse of free stone of a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••••ious fabrick, having many ancient scutchions of Armes ••••s••ulped in the store, about it; as the Armes of Castil•• and L••••n, ••ua••••ered; being the paternall coat of the King of Spain, and divers other Hatchments belonging to that Crown, which envious time hath so defaced, that only the ruins appeare to my eye, and there∣fore not to be described by my pen.

This Crosse is called the Queens-Crosse, and was erected in this place by King Edward the first▪ about Anno Dom. 1293. The occasion of this erection was in memory of El••nor daughter to Far∣dinand the third of that name King of Castil••, and wife of the said King Edward the first, a most Religious, Chast and vertuous Lady, who (as the story goes) when her husband was wounded with an invenomed arrow at the Warres in Palestine, with her own mouth she sucked the poyson out of the wound and so healed her Lord, when all his Chyrurgions & Physitians had left the wound for mor∣••••ll. This Queen fal••ing sick at H••rdeley beyond Lincolne, there dy∣ed the 9th. of November 1290 and her Corpes being brought from thence to be buried at Westminster, in every place whne the same rested by the way, King Edward the first shortly after caused in me∣mory of her a most sumptuous Crosse of stone to be erected neer the place, some of which are standing and remaining (if not lately de¦stroyed) till this day as at Lincolne, Grantham, Stamford, Waltham, and Charing-Crosse neer unto Westminster yet appeareth.

At the upper end of the middle quire of this Church of St. Maries in Stamford,* 1.1 there stands a monument more curious for the work∣manship then for the matter whereof it is framed having no super∣scription nor Armes, to de••ote unto us who the party was that it was made for▪ He lyeth in Armour Cap••pe. The tradition is that he was a Knight who went by the name of Sir Daniel Phillips, a great man for Henry Earle of Richmond in the battaile against the Tyrant Richard the third. But I suppose he was one of a more high∣er rank and of the blood Royall, for at his feet there is a Lyon Co••chant and round about the Tombe Roses (the culler not percei∣ved) supported by a Grayhound and a Dragon, being hatchments of honour appertayning to the Crown of England.

At the upper end of the midle quite in the glasse window, did stand (before they were lately defaced) three Scu••chions of Armes, the first Gules a ••esse betwixt six crosse Crossees de Or, being the coat Armor of B••••champ, sometimes Earle of Warwicke; likewise another coat viz••. Argent a Pesse, between three Cressents Gules, which is the coat of Oagle of Pinchback in the County of Lincolne, from which family as to me appeares, the Baron Oagles of the North are descended, because these Oagles of Lincolnshire bear the pater∣nall coate without difference▪ the third is Azure•• Crosse fitched be∣tween 2. Eagles wing▪ Or in the midle window on the South side of the said Church (before the same was defaced) there stood the coat Armor of Shelton of Norfolke, viz••. Azure a Crosse Or.

Upon the North side of the golden Quire in this Church in the Wall of the fame, there is a Monument lying in Armor Cap••pe, but having neither Scutchion not superscription s••••ing that in the glasse window neer to the same there sometimes (and but lately) their stood a shield of Armes Sable, three Lyons pawe••▪ cupped and erected Argent, armed Gules; which Coat belongs to the name of Vsher, and this makes me to conceive, that this party was of that Family.

In the midst of the flore of the said golden Quire lies buried un∣der a faire stone of blew Marble, plated very curiously with Brasse work William Hi••km••n sometimes Alderman of Stamford, who at hi•• own cost and ch••••ges did gild over the roof of the said Quire; the full portrature both of him and his wife in Brasse, did lately lie fixed upon the same stone.

* 1.2In the upper window of the quire of St. Georges Church▪ are portrayed kneeling (as in St. Georges Chappell at Winsor before the picture of that Saint) Edward the third, his Queen, the Prince of Wales, and Henry Duke of L••ncaster, all in their Robes of the Order of the Garter, and in the windowes on each side the said Quire are portrayed, acco••ding to the first institution the first Knights of that Order that were made kneeling in their Garter Robes upon their Surcoates of Armes, which said Order was unded by the said Edward the third, the names of the first Knights of this Order are set down in order.

• Edward the third,
• Edward Prince of Wales,
• Henry Duke of Lancaster,
• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Earle of Warwicke,
• ...Cap••tain•• De Bouch••,
• ••aphe Earle of Stafford,
• William de Mount••ac••te, Earle of Salisbury.
• Roger de Mortimor Earle of March.
• ...Iohn de I••sula,
• ...Bartholmew Burwash,
• ...Iohn de-Belle Campo,
• ...Iohn de Mohum.
• ...Hugh Courtney,
• ...Thomas Holland,
• ...Iohn Gray,
• ...Richard Fitz-Symon,
• ...Miles Stapleton,
• ...Thomas Walle,
• ...Hugh Wrothesley,
• ...Nigellus Loring,
• ...Iohn Chandos,
• ...Iames Audley,
• ...Otho Holland.
• ...Henry Eme,
• ...Zachetus Dabridgcourt
• ...William Paganell.

In the Windowes of the said Church in sundry places appeares the Coat Armor of divers ancient and Noble Families; there is the Coat of Earle Warren the ancient Lord and owner of Stam∣ford, Checkie Or and Azure.

There is likewise the Armes of Sapcote, who bears Sable a Pid∣gion Coat erected Argent.

The Armes of Le Grosse, being Or a Ccheverne betwixt three Roses Gules, is likewise placed in the lower Window of the said Church towards the South.

There is likewise in an other window on the same side, the Coat Armor of Molene••x of Haughton in the County of Nottingham, who beares Azure, A Crosse Moly••e quarter pierced Argent. Which severall Monuments of Armes were here placed, either in regard the bearers of them were benefactors to this Church, or had Lands and possessions in the same Parish.

In this Church of All-Saints, I observe not any Monument of Stone worth the noting,* 1.3 and very few Monuments of Armes in the Windowes.

The Armes of the Town of Stamford, Gules three Lyons pas∣sant Or, impaled to Earle Warren, Or and Azure Checky, stands on the North side of the lowest window West, on the South side of

the same window, stands the Armes of the Marchants of the Staple being Nebile of six pieces Argent and Sable, a chief Azure charged with a Lyon passant Argent: my conjecturall reason is touching the placing of these Armes in this window, that the said window was first built at the joint charge of the Town and of William Brown, who was (as hereafter shal appeare) a great benefactor to this Church, and was a Marchant of the Staple.

* 1.4For the parishes of St. Iohns and St. Michaels in Stamford, I doe not observe any Mon••ment worth the noting▪ neither in the quires, bodies or windowes of the said Churches.

* 1.5There is in the upper end of the midle Quire of this Church of S. Martins neer Stamford, a stately Mausolean Monument built in the memory of VVilliam Cecell Lord Burley, standing just over the Vault in which his body lies interred, upon the North side of the North quire of the said Chu••ch, up against the Wall is erected a reasonable faire Monument in the memory of Richard ••ecel Esquire and Iane his wife, the Father and Mother of the said William Lord Burley▪ though the statue of the said Richard there stands yet his body lies buried in St. Margarets Church in Westminster, but the body of the said Iane lies in the Vault by her said Son William Lord Burley.

Both in the uppermost window of the Quire of this Church and in many of the windowes and Stone-work in the body of the same, stands the paternall Coat of Trigg, viz. Azure two Chevernels Or, betwixt three Roses Argent, whereby it seemes that the Ancesters of that Family have been good benefactors, as well to the windows as to the rest of the Fabrick of this Church.

There is in the same windowes, the Coat Armor of the Family of Vincents, who were the ancient Lords of Barneck neer Stamford being Azure three Gray-hounds Heads cupped Or.

Also the Armes of Mathew Parker som••time Arch-Bishop of Can∣terbury, being Verte three Cunnyes Argent the same impaled to the Armes of the A••chbishoprick.

There is in the same windowes▪ an ancient Coat of Armes attri∣buted by some Heralds, to be born by Egbert a Saxon King, the Field is Iupiter a Crosse patence Sol, which demonstrateth the An∣tiquity

of this Church, and the charity of the pious Benefactors to the same.

But Glasse and Stone in time decay Yet Vertues fame, shall lo••t alway.

Notes

• * 1.1

  St. Mryes.
• * 1.2

  St. Georges
• * 1.3

  All-Saints
• * 1.4

  St. Iohns and St. Michaels.
• * 1.5

  S. Ma••tins in Stam∣ford-Barō