8o NOTES TO THE PEDIGREE OF THE STRELLEYS. 



There is a beautiful but nameless tomb in the centre of the 

 chancel of Strelley Church, bearing the crest of the Strelleys, which 

 can only be referred to this Sampson and his lady, although it 

 would seem from its details not to have been erected for at least ' 

 ten or fifteen years after his death. Sir Sampson died in 1390, 

 and his son and successor in 1430, whereas this memorial repre- 

 sents the armour and costume worn about 1405-10. It must also 

 be remarked that there is a manifest incongruity between the 

 plainness of the sides of this tomb and the exquisite workmanship 

 of the superincumbent effigies ; and I cannot but think that these 

 figures, representing a demolished tomb, have been brought from 

 some other part of the church to make room for pewing or some 

 other fancy, and placed upon this tomb when its original f>iensa 

 was laid upon the floor ; this covering I believe to have been the 

 slab bearing the brasses of Sir Robert Strelley, who died in 1487, 

 and his wife Isabel, which has been considerably reduced in size. 

 This will account for the defective condition of the upper edge of 

 the high tomb, and the utter disappearance of the customary 

 marginal inscription of the period of the effigies. The head of the 

 knight in pointed bascinet reclines on a helm crested by the family 

 device — a Saracen's Head langued, and WTcathed argent z-n^ azure. 

 The body is vested in an escalloped joupon encircled or girt hori- 

 zontally round the hips, with an ornate sword belt to which are 

 attached a "pot "-sheathed dagger on the right, and a sword on 

 the left. The feet in sollerets rest on a lion. Two laminse come 

 between the gorget and the jupon. 



The head of the lady is a magnificent specimen of mediaeval 

 art. The hair is trussed at the sides in richly jewelled network, 

 and banded over the brow beneath a handsome coronet. The 

 mantle receding downwards is secured across the breast by a 

 slender cord attached to the robe by jewelled plates. Two tiny 

 dogs of the mastiff order keep vigil in the folds of the mantle near 

 the feet. The right hands of the figures are conjoined. The 

 knight holds his right gauntlet in his left hand. Fourteen angels 

 bearing shields adorn the sides of the tomb, each completely 

 occupying his rectangular compartment ; these, however, are 



