![Bromsgrove Church of St John, monument with effigies to Sir Humphrey Stafford (1400-post 1450) of Grafton, in the parish of Bromsgrove in Worcestershire, Governor of Calais, son of Sir Humphrey Stafford of Grafton by his wife Elizabeth Burdett. He married Eleanor Aylesbury (b. 1407 - d. AFT 1467), a daughter of Thomas Aylesbury and Catherine Pabenham.
Text from: Cotton, William, Bromsgrove Church : its history & antiquities ; with an account of the Sunday schools, churchyard, and cemetery", p.61 [1]
At the east end of the north aisle is an alabaster monument to Sir Humphrey
Stafford, of Grafton, son and heir of Sir Humphrey Stafford, of Grafton, knight, by
Ehzabeth his wife, daughter and heiress of Sir John Burdet, knight, displaying a full
length recumbent figure of a knight, arrayed in the superb armour of the period ;
Cased from head to foot in panoply of steel.
His head is covered with a conical basinet or helmet, encircled by a rich jewelled
wreath, called an orle, which was introduced during the reign of Henry W. for
the purpose of contracting the heavy pressure of the jousting helme, worn over it at
tournaments. (Plate IV., figure i.) The basinet is attached to a gorget (a piece of
armour worn round the neck, the origin of that which officers now wear when
on duty), the fastening being covered by an ornamental border (Plate IV., fig. 2),
which is succeeded by the breast plate and back piece ; the shoulders are covered
with jiauldrons, and the arms and hands protected by brassarts, elbow pieces,
vambraces, and cuffed gauntlets, all likewise of plate. Round his neck is suspended
the collar of SS. (Plate IV., figure 3), a cognizance introduced by Henry IV., being
the initial letter of his favourite motto "Soveragne." Beneath the head is a jousting
helme, the crest of which is a boar's head (Plate IV., figure 4), couped upon a
wreath mantling and doubling.* The thighs, legs, and feet are incased in cuisses,
genoiulleres, jambs, and soUerets pointed at the toes ; rouelle spurs were originally
fastened to the heels, but the straps alone of these remain. The bawdrick or girdle,
horizontally disposed about the loins, formerly bore the arms of Stafford, within
a border engrailed, and an anclace or dagger on the right side : this is now missing,
as also the sword, which was suspended on the left side from a belt buckled in front,
and crossing the body diagonally, a fashion which had fallen into disuse on the
introduction of the bawdrick, in the reign of Edward III., but was, during the 15th
century, again revived. At the feet reclines a greyhound.
Outstretch'd together are express'd
He and my lady fair :
With hands uplifted on the breast
In attitude of prayer ;
Long visaged, clad in armour, he,
With ruffled arm and bodice, she.
By the side of Sir Humphrey reposes the efihgy of his wife Eleanor, represented in the fashionable dress of her time, viz., a surcote or low bodied gown, fitting close to the shape, with light drawn sleeves; over this a mantle, open in front, and fastened across the breast by a cordon hanging down. The hair is gathered into a network of an orbicular shape, divided in the middle, milrc-like. (Plate IV., fig. 5.) * When a knight was equipped for the tournament, he wore a wreath upon his helmet, which was generally composed of two skeins of silk, of different colours, twisted together, and answering to the principal colours of the device of his shield. Round Iicr neck is a double chain. (Plate IV., figure 6.)* Her head is supported by two angels, and a dog and grififin crouch at her feet. 'J'he sides of the tomb are divided into square recessed compartments (Plate VI., fig. i), containing quatrefoils,
in the middle of which are small shields ; to these were affixed armorial bearings, but
none of them are now discernablc. According to Nash they bore the following : —
Or a chevron Gules and canton ermine ; Stafford ; quartering Azure, a chief Gules,
over all a lion rampant Argent ; Hastang : and empaling Azure a cross Argent ;
Aylesbury. The tomb also bore the arms of Palgrave and Burdet. Stafford was
heir of Palgrave, and Palgrave heir of Burdet. The inscriptions are worn away.
Eight of the compartments originally completing the sides of this tomb now form
the front and end of a long seat or sedilia on the south side of the sanctuary.
In the iSth year of the reign of Edward IV., Eleanor, the widow of Humphrey
Stafford, founded in the church a chantry of one chaplain, who was daily to say
mass at the aUar of our lady for the good estate of the king and queen, herself,
Sir Humphrey her husband, and Humphrey, lliomas, Elizabeth, Anne, and Joyce,
their children. For the support of the chaplain, she granted to Thomas Lytelton,
Justice of the Common Pleas, John Catesby, serjeant-at-law, and others, an annual
rent of lo marks, issuing out of her manor of Dodford, in Northamptonshire, with
intent that they should pay the same to the chaplain of the said chantry by two
equal portions, at Lady-day and Michaelmas. She presented the chaplain, and
the Bishop of Worcester gave him insthution, and after her death the lords of
Dodford presented. Thomas Harding, the first chaplain, was succeeded by Thomas
Lancastre, in 1504. Roger Chant (151 1) and Thomas Blackweye (1512) also held
the office. The deed of the foundation is worded as follows....](https://prod-images.planyourroadtrips.com/img/city-images/bromsgrove-gb-523357--20598/4-Bromsgrove_Church_of_St_John__memorial_to_the_Staffords.jpg?w=1080&q=80&f=webp)
landmark
The Peter James Collection
A remarkable private collection of over 100 classic and vintage cars on display in Birmingham.
20 km · about 25 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Bromsgrove
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove works well as a base: 10 minutes from Stoke Prior, 33km from Warwick Castle.
Bromsgrove is in England, United Kingdom, with about 35,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Stoke Prior, about 4 km away.
Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England, about 16 miles (26 km) north-east of Worcester and 13 miles (21 km) south-west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 34,755 in at the 2021 census. It gives its name to the wider Bromsgrove District, of which it is the largest town and administrative centre.Read more
In the Middle Ages, it was a small market town, primarily producing cloth through the early modern period. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it became a major centre for nail making.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Bromsgrove?
Within an hour or so of Bromsgrove: The Peter James Collection (20 km), Black Country Living Museum (21 km), Black Country Living Museum (Peaky Blinders) (21 km), Land Rover Experience Solihull (22 km).
Are there any good drives near Bromsgrove?
The nearest famous roads are Gospel Pass, A466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth) and A54 Congleton to Buxton.
Where is Bromsgrove?
Bromsgrove is in England, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Stoke Prior.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 34,755
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 52.3357, -2.0598
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Bromsgrove
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
museum
Black Country Living Museum
Open-air museum rebuilding an industrial Black Country town: canal boats, a working replica Newcomen engine, 1930s fish and chips fried in beef dripping, and a coal mine walk. A key Peaky Blinders filming location.
21 km · about 25 min drive
film location
Black Country Living Museum (Peaky Blinders)
The open-air museum in Dudley provides the canal-side streets and workshops of Peaky Blinders' Small Heath.
21 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Land Rover Experience Solihull
Off-road driving experience at Jaguar Land Rover's headquarters on a purpose-built terrain course.
22 km · about 25 min drive
racetrack
Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb
The world's oldest motorsport venue still using its original course, running since 1905. A 1,000-yard blast up a wooded Worcestershire hillside, steeped in Edwardian racing heritage.
25 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
National Motorcycle Museum
The world's largest collection of British motorcycles with over 1,000 machines spanning a century of manufacturing near Solihull.
27 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Morgan Motor Company
The last family-owned British car maker in Malvern, offering factory tours where hand-crafted sports cars are built.
29 km · about 35 min drive
castle
Warwick Castle
A medieval castle built by William the Conqueror in 1068, situated on the banks of the River Avon in Warwickshire.
33 km · about 40 min drive
Driving roads near Bromsgrove
3 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 100km.
- 45 kmCleeve HillThe highest point of the Cotswolds at 330 m, an open common above Cheltenham with views to the Malverns and Wales.
- 68 kmSymonds Yat RockA famous viewpoint 504 feet above the River Wye, where peregrine falcons nest and the river performs a dramatic horseshoe bend.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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