 Whatton
St John of Beverley
Monuments and Memorials
Click the numbers in the key plan for details of the items.
1
On the south wall at the east end of the chancel:
In form like three sedilia with pointed trefoil arches.
On left hand side, coat of arms centre top. The upper half of the inscription reads:
+ Sacred to the memory of Harriott
wife of W H Hall Esq and eldest
daughter of the late Wm Dickinson
Esq of Muskham Grange in this
county. She departed this life
Sep xxii MDCCCXXXVII and her
body resteth in the cemetery of
Gurelle near Calais
+ Also of W. H. Hall Esq.
formerly of the iv or King’s own
Reg of Foot who died January vi
MDCCCxlix and whose Remains
are interred at Penalley South Wales
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The lower half of the inscription is now almost illegible. Thankfully, the missing text was recorded by Godfrey (1907).
On the right hand side is a coat of arms centre top, with the following inscription:
Sacred to the memory of
Cecil Haffenden Hall Captn in
the Scots Fusilier Guards
eldest son of Thomas Dickinson
Hall Esq: who died Augst xx
MDCCClxxiv aged xxx years |
2
 Effigy |
 Graffiti on the
monument |
At the east end of the south aisle is a reclining figure of Sir Hugh Newmarch in armour of the fourteenth century.
Part of his right foot and the left leg below the knee are missing.
This part of the south aisle served as a school during the 19th century and the monument has been defaced with graffiti.
3On the south wall to the east of the door: a memorial tablet, white alabaster on a plain black border with following inscription:
THIS TABLET IS ERECTED
BY EXECUTORS OF THE WILL OF
ELIZABETH BOWER,
LATE OF REDMILE AND FORMERLY OF
WHATTON FIELD SPINSTER DECEASED TO
PERPETUATE THE MEMORY OF HER
PATERNAL GRANDFATHER
JOHN BOWER,
OF WHATTON FIELD
WHO DIED DECR 7TH 1800, AGED 72 YEARS.
AND OF HIS CHILDREN
WILLIAM BOWER,
OF WHATTON FIELD
WHO DIED OCTR 20TH 1879, AGED 74 YEARS.
AND THE SAID ELIZABETH BOWER,
WHO DIED OCTR 5TH 1892, AGED 89 YEARS.
ALSO OF HER MATERNAL GRANDFATHER
EDWARD ROWBOTHAM,
OF WHATTON, WHO DIED DECR 18TH 1813 AGED 84 YEARS.
EXEC. ROBERT WATSON, LATE OF SCARRINGTON, &
HENRY WATSON TALBOT, OF SUTTON CUM GRANBY. |
The maker is T Barker, Nottingham.
4
 Monument to
Sir Richard de Whatton |
 Illustration by
Stothard (1832) |
At the west end of the south aisle is a reclining figure of Sir Richard de Whatton with shield, surcoat and crossed legs (d circa 1336).
Lawrance and Routh (1924) provide a detailed description of the effigy:
'It is lucky that we have Stothard’s drawings of this very interesting effigy, as an unfortunate “restoration” in recent years has destroyed several of its best features. The head rests on the usual double cushion and a round-topped and slightly ridged bascinet is worn over the coif of mail: the leather cap worn between the two shows distinctly below the lower edge of the bascinet. Below the hauberk the edge of the gambeson may be seen, but no quilting is visible. The kneecaps are now quite plain, but when Stothard made his drawings they were shown to be reinforced with highly ornamental metal plates. The feet rest on a lion and rowel spurs are worn. The hands joined in prayer, are encased in articulated gauntlets of cuir-bouilli. The sword-belt is fastened to the scabbard with interlocking thongs, a method of attachment which was becoming old-fashioned at the time this effigy was made, though it is found as late as 1340. The shield has been carved with the arms of Whatton, argent six crosslets gules and a bend sable charged with three besants, though of course the colours are no longer to be seen.'
Sir Richard was a descendant of the church’s founder.
5 On return wall above Sir Richard’s head a brass plate engraved in black capitals with rubricated first letter and blazon.
Inscribed as follows:
SIR RICHARD DE WHATTON
SECOND SON OF SIR JOHN DE WHATTON
LORD OF ROKEBURNE CO SOUTHAMPTON
HIGH SHERIFF OF HERTFORDSHIRE AND ESSEX IN THE YEARR 1241,
BY ELLA HIS WIFE
SECOND DAUGHTER AND COHEIR OF JOHN LORD BISET
BARON OF COMBE BISET, CO WILTS
AND OF EAST BRIDGFORD IN THIS COUNTY;
WAS COMMISSIONER OF ARRAY IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE AND DERBYSHIRE
IN THE YEAR 1316;
AND WAS SUMMONED BY KING EDWARD II IN THE YEAR 1322
TO ATTEND HIM AGAINST HIS REBELLIOUS BARONS;
AND HAD ENTRUSTED TO HIS CUSTODY THE FORFEITED
CASTLES AND ESTATES OF THEIR CHIEF
THOMAS PLANTAGENET EARL OF LANCASTER.
HE DEPARTED THIS LIFE WITHOUT ISSUE.
THE ALTAR-TOMB IN THIS
NORTH CHAPEL OF THE ABOVE SIR RICHARD,
WHICH FORMERLY BORE THIS LEGEND:
“PRIEZ PUR L’ALME DE SIRE RICHARD WHATTON CHIVALIER”
WAS REPAIRED AND THIS TABLET SET UP,
IN THE YEAR 1892 BY
HUGH DE HERIZ WHATTON,
JOHN SWIFT WHATTON M.A. TRIN. COLL. CAMB. AND LINC. INN,
ARUNDELL BLOUNT WM WHATTON
CLERK M.A. TRIN. COLL. CAMB,. HIS KINSMAN. |
It was made by Jones and Willis.
6On the north wall of the north aisle, to the west of the north door, is a wooden panel commemorating Thomas Cranmer with following inscription painted in black:
In the adjoining hamlet of
ASLACKTON was born, on the
second of July, 1489, the ever-
memorable DOCTOR THOMAS
CRANMER, sometime RECTOR
of this church, ARCHBISHOP of
CANNTERBURY in the reigns of
HENRY the eight, EDWARD the
sixth, and the former part of
that of Queen MARY, and the
most eminent Prelate who ever
filled the metropolitan see.
HE was one of the principal
promoters of the REFORMATION,
and had a leading hand in the
compilation of the RUBRIC, the
ARTICLES and HOMILIES of
the established protestant-
church, and, during the pers-
ecutions in the reign of MARY
the first, he suffered Martyr-
dom, by being burnt at a stake,
opposite BALLIOL-COLLEGE,
OXFORD, on the 20th of March
1556, 7, and died triumphing
his REDEEMER JESUS CHRIST.
G.P. |
(It appears possible that one line of text may have been lost near the bottom of the panel. The author seems uncertain of the year of Cranmer’s death - in fact it was 1556.)
7 In the north wall to the east of the north door is a reclining figure in the cassock of Canon of Welbeck under an arch with leaf moulding and railing around. Above is a brass plate with coat of arms and inscribed in black capitals with rubricating:
This tomb hereunder believed to be that of Robt de Whatton Canon of Welbeck in this County and Vicar of Whatton from the year 1304 to the year 1310 was repaired and this tablet set up in the year 1892 by Hugh de Heriz Whatton John Swift Whatton Arundell Blount Wm Whatton his kinsmen.
Wonder not mortal at they quick decay.
See! Men of marble piecemeal melt away
When whose image we no longer read
But monuments themselves memorials need’.
Crabbe |
8Towards the east end of the north wall is a memorial stone with blue and red lettering incised dedicated to Thomas Cranmer. In the centre top are the arms of Canterbury impaling Cranmer.
The inscription reads:
IN PROUD AND
THANKFUL MEMORY OF
THOMAS CRANMER
ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY 1533-1556
TO WHOSE PIETY, LEARNING, SKILL IN LETTERS
THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER
GIVES ABIDING WITNESS.
THIS CHAPEL
IN THIS CHURCH WHERE HE WORSHIPPED
AS A BOY WAS RESTORED TO THE
BEAUTY OF HOLINESS
A.D. 1957 |
9On the south returning wall near the east end of what is now the Cranmer Chapel is a brass plate inscribed in Latin decorated with coats of arms. It is dedicated in 1879 to the Dickinson Hall family. The inscription reads:
Ad majorie dei ompotentis gloria et in piam memoria vivi et patris carissimi in vitreis hujf fenestre historia Ascenciois Duice fuptibf juis et liberor fuor depingi fecit Sophia Elizabeth que fait uxor Thome Dickinson Hall Arinigeri Ville de Whatton en le Vale quarda diem et hujf cecthe patroni qui guide Thomas Kenrickior Cranmerior Aslactoniovet et Whattonior sanguine oriundus obit ye die May A ab Incarnacoe MDCCCLXXIX etatis vero LXXI tabula haur encamp erigend mirabit Magr Thomas Kenrick Hall huif ecctie vicarias et pdri Thome filius hatu quartas
In ppetua memoria erit Justus Amen |
10
 Incised slab to
Thomas Cramner |
 Engraving of Thomas
Cramner's slab (1792) |
On the floor in the Cranmer Chapel is a life-size memorial stone to Thomas Cranmer’s father (1467-1501), depicting a squire in repose at prayer with head on a cushion set between family arms.
The marginal inscription in Latin reads:
Hic jacet Thomas Cranmer
Armiger qui obiit vicesimo septimo die
Mensis Maij Ann dni Mo quinquigesimo
primo cuj anie ppiciet de Amen. |
The arms shown on the slab are:
Left: Arg. on five fusels in fesse, gules, each an escallop or—Aslacton.
Right: A chevron between three cranes—Cranmer.
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