THE CHURCH OF NORBURY. 85 



to a colour and formed no part of an heraldic design, a close 

 inspection of the actual design will show that the supposed 

 similarity does not really exist, and has at most but a vague 

 resemblance. 



The work of reconstruction designed by Nicholas Fitzherbert 

 was accomplished by his grandson, John Fitzherbert, twelfth 

 lord of Norbury, who built the south-west chapel. He did not 

 die until 1531, but by his will, dated September 21st, 151 7, 

 he left his body to be buried in the parish church of Norbury 

 " under the newe made arche benethe the Steple or elswhere 

 God shall otherwyse dispose it." The plain table tomb to his 

 memory, with alabaster sides, now stands again in its original 

 position, namely, under the arch into the chapel to the west of 

 the tower. A brass plate on the upper slab is thus inscribed : — 



" Hie jacet corpus Johis Fitzherbert Armigeri quonda Dili hus manerii 

 q' obiit in vigilia Sancti Jacobi apostoli auno di MCCCCC tricesimo primo 

 ciis aie ppiciet de' ame." 



As to the interior of the church, there is one important detail, 

 which is older than any of the monuments or other remains, 

 save a few uninscribed coffin lids or old memorial stones, and 

 that is the thirteenth century font, which is of simple but 

 effective design. It is figured in Paley's Illuslrations of 

 Baptismal Fonts (1844), where it is thus described: — "The 

 design of this font is that of a short Early English clustered 

 pillar, the bell capital forming the bowl. The shafts of which 

 the pillar is composed make a square, those of the angles being 

 filleted. It is a plain but very good specimen of its style, and 

 is most probably about the same date as the font at Ash- 

 burne. ' 



This church is rich in monumental remains. The oldest 

 definite monument is the stone effigy of a knight, which was 

 made the subject of many journeyings up and down the church 

 during last century. In the " seventies " it was placed in the 

 most inappropriate place of all, namely, in the very centre of 

 the chancel, as though to be as effective an obstacle as possible 

 to decency of worship. It has now been happily placed under 

 the archway leading into the south-east chapel of the nave, 



