TALBOT'S TOMB.

IN THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. ALKMUND'S,

WHITCHURCH.

BY REV. W. H. EGERTON, M.A.

ON a still summer's day, the last day of July, 1711, A.D., the whole fabric of the Parish Church at Whitchurch, in the Co. of Salop, fell to the ground. Workmen had just been engaged in repairing a crack which had appeared in one of the arches. There was no other premonitory symptom of weakness, nor warning of danger. Possibly the substratum, which consists of alternating seams of sand and clay, may have given way beneath the foundations, which, in old buildings, are frequently found to be shallow, however ponderous the superstructure. The Church was dedicated to St. Alkmund, younger son of Alcred, King of Northumbria, A.D. 774. He was the last surviving male descendant of Ida, founder of the Northumbrian Kingdom. He fell by the hands of the Usurper, and was buried at the White Monastery. The Church consisted of a nave, a good central tower, and a beautiful chancel, containing ten graceful windows, besides a large east window; all of which were filled with stained glass,1 emblazoned with the armorial insignia of the families of Beauchamp,

1 Mr. Earwaker, F.S.A., Secretary of the Ashmolean Museum, has kindly favoured the writer with the following extracts from Ashmole's own notes on Whitchurch Church.

"In a MSS. there showed me," he says, were entered some extracts out of the old Church register,

"In the East Window of the Chancell are two shields of arms (figured in the MSS.) quarterly, 1 and 4, a Lion rampant, within a border engrailed, 2 and 3, two Lions passant impaling France and VOL. VIII.

AY

Warren, and Surrey, Arundel, and Talbot. The architecture of the windows as represented in engravings was in the decorated style of the latter part of the reign of King Edward III., but that of the tower and battlements was in the perpendicular style of King Henry VI. The south porch, with an adjoining chapel which belonged to the Shrewsbury family, may be probably assigned to the same period. The utter destruction of their noble Church must have filled the minds of the parishioners with consternation; nevertheless, they set vigorously to work to raise money for the erection of a new Church. All united in the work of clearing away the ruinous heaps preparatory to the re-building of the House of God. Contributions were levied from strangers who were in the habit of stopping a night in the town on their way to Ireland, (for the route from London to Dublin lay through Whitchurch to Parkgate on the Dee, whence travellers embarked in small sailing packets to cross the Irish Channel.) Hence so many names of Irish noblemen and ecclesiastics on the list of subscribers, that of Dr. Swift, Dean of St.

England quarterly within a border. The same coat impaling 1 and 4 on five shields, 5 roundels, 2 and 3, five Cresents Portugal.) No tinctures given. When the extract was made (1598 A.D.) out of the before-mentioned Register there was standing in the said chancell window these coats following

"Gilbert Talbot d'ns de Blakemere and Joanna his Wife.

"Gilbert Talbot d'ns de Blake mere, and Beatrice his Wife, the King of Portugal's Daughter.

"John Talbot d'ns de Furnivall and Maude his Wife.
"John Arundell and Elizabeth his Wife of the Talbots.

"This coat and quarterings were carved upon wood within a garter and stood in the Church Porch where Sir Gilbert Talbot sometyme Knight of the Garter, lyes buried under a fair Marble whereon had been fixed a large cross of brass, but now taken away. The coat is quarterly of 6. (1) a lion rampant with a border engrailed (2) a lion rampant within a border (3) on a cross, saltire, a martlet for difference, (4) a bend between 6 martlets (5). (6) 2 lions passant.

"In the north wall of the said Porch on the right hand of the entrance hath been fixed an inscripcon in brass referring to the said Sir Gilbert Talbot, but it is long since taken thence."

See also Harleian MSS. in the British Museum, 2,129, p. 179.

Patrick, among the number. The foundation of the new Church was laid on the 27th of March, A.D. 1712. It was consecrated on October 3rd, 1713, eleventh of Queen Anne. The completion of the Church is thus recorded on a panel at the east end of the north aisleSubito collapsa ulto. July A.D. MDCCXI A.D. MDCCXIII.

Clarior resurgo

Gloria Deo.

So complete was the destruction of the Church, that few only of the monumental and other records were rescued from the ruins in a sufficient state of preservation to be replaced in the new Church. Among these were four volumes of chained books,2 the stone Font with the Tudor rose and fleur-de-lis on its alternate panels; a handsome mural tablet to the memory of the learned Matthew Fowler, D.D., Rector of Whitchurch, who died December 26th, 1683; and a Brass to the memory of his son, Matthew, who died, at Paris, of smallpox, A.D. 1679; an effigy in alabaster of John Talbot, Rector of the parish, and Founder of the Grammar School, in the reign of Edward VI.; and the recumbent figure, in stone, of the great John Talbot, first earl of Salop, who, after having fought his country's battles during the greater part of his long life, fell at Chastillon, after the battle of Bordeaux, in the year of our Lord 1453, and in the 80th year of his age. The figure is thus described by the Rev. Thomas Corser, M.A., late Rector of Stand, near Manchester, in his notes on the "Iter Lancastrense," published by the Cheetham Society.3

It is a recumbent stone figure of a Knight in armour, a

1 La Bishop of Killaloe, Morrogh Vist Blessington, La Bis" of Clogher, Lord Mountjoy, Earl of Donegal, Ld Bish" of Waterford, Allen Viset Midleton, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, Archbis" of Armagh, Lord Primate of Ireland, and others.

2 Defense of the Apologie, by Bishop Jewel, 1 vol., folio; Fox's Book of Martyrs, 3 vols., folio.