CROSS-LEGGED EFFIGIES IN DORSET. 13 



The effigies at Wareham are in the Church of Lady S. Mary, 

 where they originally rested in a small side chapel, known as 

 the Chapel of King Edward the Martyr, whose body, is said to 

 have been temporarily buried here before being removed to 

 Shaftesbury. They now occupy the north and south sides of 

 the chancel. Tradition associates these effigies with the family 

 of Estoke, that on the north side to Sir Henry d'Estoke and 

 that on the south side to Sir William d'Estoke. Hutchins 

 mentions some arms on the shield of one of these effigies " On 

 the shield are the arms of Stoke, but whether of East Stoke or 

 Barnston is uncertain." The fact that the adjoining parish is 

 called East Stoke is interesting. The Rev. Selwyn Blackett, the 

 present rector, tells me of a curious local tradition, which is, 

 however, unsupported by any evidence, to the effect that Sir 

 William lost his life while fighting on Wareham Bridge in 

 consequence of a swarm of bees settling on his head. 



The Bridport effigy is in the north transept of the Church of 

 S. Mary, where it is entirely surrounded by pews. It has, 

 unfortunately, been restored, with the consequence that, as an 

 authority of contemporary costume and armour, it is of little 

 value. It is said to represent a Chidiock, and faint traces of 

 colour remain. 



The effigy at Horton is in the Church of S. Wolfhilda, and is 

 fashioned out of Purbeck marble. The figure is shown in the 

 conventional treatment known as " ring " mail. On the left arm 

 is a shield with an escutcheon of seme'e of cross-crosslets and a 

 lion counter rampant, with a fleur-de-lis on the shoulder. 

 Pulman, in his " Book of the Axe," identifies this effigy as that 

 of Giles de Braose, or Brewes, whose name appears on the roll 

 of the Battle of Boroughbridge among the men-at-arms and 

 bannerets of Buckinghamshire, according to which the Sire 

 Giles de Breouse, bore, " de azure crusaile d'or a un lion d'or, 

 a un fluret de goules en le espaule de lion." Below each knee 

 is a strap, or garter, similar to those on one of the Wareham 

 effigies. The head rests on a cushion and the feet on a conven- 

 tional animal. 



