THE CHURCH OF NORBURY. 89 



six canopies, four of them wearing head-dresses like their 

 mother, and the other four in younger attire. All the children 

 hold shields, which were formerly emblazoned. Ralph's sons 

 were : John, the eldest son and heir ; Henry, a mercer of Lon- 

 don ; Anthony, the famous judge ; Richard, knight of Rhodes ; 

 Thomas, D.C.L., rector of Norbury and Northwingfield, and 

 precentor of Lichfield ; William, prebendary of Hereford and 

 Lincoln, Chancellor of Lichfield, and rector of Wrington, 

 Somerset; and a seventh son, who died in his youth. The 

 five daughters who married were : Dorothy, wife of Thomas 

 Comberford ; Edith, wife of Thomas Babington of Dethick ; 

 Agnes, wife of Richard Lister; Elizabeth, wife of . . . 

 Foljambe ; and Margaret, wife of Nicholas Purefoy. One of 

 the unmarried daughters was Alice, abbess of Polesworth, 

 Warwick. 



Le Neve's manuscript collection of epitaphs supplies the 

 following, which has long ago disappeared : — 

 " In Northbury Church in Derbyshire. — 



(The dart of Death that no man may flee 



Nay the common laws of mortallitie 



Hath demanded to be buried here 



The body of Rafe Fitzherbert Squiere 



Patrone of this Church and of this towen lord 



The which deceased yeares of our lord 



1483 

 Of Marcs the second dey thus parted hee 

 With him is layd upon this sepulture 

 Elsabeth his wyfe begon in sure 

 Daughter of John Marshall 

 Esq. lord of Upton and of Sedsall. 



7 sonnes 8 daughters they had in fere 

 In this lyfe together whilst that they were 

 Merciful Jesu that pitiest mankind 

 In thy blysee graunt them a place to fynde. 

 Prestes ambobus requiem Deus.) 



MS. P. L."* 

 This monument used to stand under the easternmost arch 

 of the north aisle arcade, and was moved to the chancel in 

 1842. On the floor of the chancel, also moved from the north 



*Harl. MSS. 3607, f. 8. 



