MONUMENTAL EFFIGIES 



away. The head rests upon a single pillow 

 and the feet upon a dog. The coffin-shaped 

 slab is still retained though no longer in use 

 at this time for a pavement burial. 



The effigy probably represents the wife of 

 Peter de Bernak, who is commemorated by an 

 effigy in an arch hard by, and now reduced to 

 an almost shapeless block of stone. It is ap- 

 parent that this dishonoured fragment formerly 

 exhibited the usual dress of a soldier of the 

 end of the thirteenth century, with the links 

 carved on the Barnack stone as with the 

 Purbeck effigies. The head of the effigy is 

 broken oflFand lies near the mutilated trunk. 



Sir Robert de Keynes. Died 1305. 

 Dodford. 



This Purbeck marble effigy is sculptured 

 upon a slab narrowing to the feet, after the 

 early manner common to the effigies in this 

 material, and the last example in the county. 

 The figure lies upon a wide and low altar-tomb 

 formed of five plain slabs of Purbeck, the 

 whole monument being polished, and forming 

 a unique and striking memorial. A young 

 man is represented wearing a closely-fitting 

 mail coif apparently fastened up by a flapped 

 opening on the left side of the face. Over 

 this is a ridged headpiece or cerveliere, pro- 

 longed over the ears and strapped on to the 

 coif. The body is clothed in a quilted 

 gambeson, and over this is worn a hauberk 

 of mail, with sleeves, and gloves divided into 

 fingers. The elbows are protected by small 

 discs or coutes, and over all is a surcote laced 

 on the right side, short and scanty in the 

 skirts, indicating the cyclas and the coming 

 change, and confined round the waist by a 

 cingulum. The thighs seem to be covered 

 by cuisses or breeches of leather, the knees are 

 protected by ridged and shaped poleyns, and 

 the legs and feet by mail chausses, and armed 

 with prick spurs. The sword is suspended by 

 a broad belt, and on the left arm is a shield 

 charged with the arms of De Keynes — and 

 kite-shaped, a reversion to the Norman form 

 as depicted in the Stitch Work at Bayeux. 

 The head rests upon two pillows and the feet 

 upon a dog. 



The whole of the mail here represented is 

 of the kind known as ' banded,' of which only 

 four other sculptured examples are known to 

 exist on effigies in England, namely, at Kirk- 

 stead Chapel, Newton Solney, Tollard Royal 

 and Tewkesbury. Brasses, painted glass, illu- 

 minated MSS., seals and other graphic 

 authorities of the period abound with illustra- 

 tions of this kind of defence, but the material 

 and construction of ' banded mail ' has not 

 been satisfactorily explained. It is impossible, 



on seeing the Keynes effigy only, to come to 

 any conclusion other than that some pro- 

 tection differing very much from the usual 

 chain mail was intended to be represented by 

 the sculptor. 



The monument of Sir Robert de Keynes is 

 undoubtedly the most remarkable in the 

 county. About forty years ago the effigy, 

 which had been broken into three parts, was 

 with characteristic appreciation and veneration 

 most carefully put together by the distin- 

 guished antiquary the late Sir Henry Dryden, 

 to whose untiring zeal in the elucidation and 

 illustration of the antiquities of the county 

 Northamptonshire is so greatly indebted. 



Mabila de Murdak, about 1 3 1 o. Gayton. 



This diminutive freestone effigy of a child, 

 measuring only two feet two inches, wearing 

 a veil and gown, was discovered in 1830, 

 built face inwards into the exterior of the 

 east wall of the chapel. At the end below 

 the head are two mutilated shields — a fess 

 between six fleurs-de-lis, and a fess, in chief 

 three roundles. On one side of the plinth 

 is this inscription : HIC lACET IN TUMBA 

 MABILA FILIA THOME DE. . . . There 

 was no such person at this period as Thomas 

 de Gayton, but there was a Thomas de 

 Murdak of Edgecott, who married Juliane, 

 daughter and co-heir of Philip and Escholace 

 de Gayton. Juliane de Murdak murdered 

 her husband at the instigation of Sir John 

 Vaux, in 13 16, and was convicted of the 

 crime and burnt at the stake. This unto- 

 ward incident may account for the name of 

 Murdak having been defaced on the effigy. 



Sir John de Lyons, died 131 2, and 

 Margaret his wife. Warkworth. 



The freestone effigy lies upon a low tomb 

 within an arch in the north wall of the north 

 aisle, and is carved with much freedom and 

 art, the loose fit of the mail hood and the 

 arms of the hauberk, as well as the full folds 

 of the long surcoat, being capitally expressed. 

 There is no change in the general character 

 of the military costume, but there is a manifest 

 advance in its representation. The head rests 

 upon two pillows supported by angels, and 

 the feet, armed with prick spurs, upon a lion. 

 The shield is sculptured with the Lyons 

 coat. The sword-belt is a perfected example 

 of a system of suspending this lethal weapon 

 from two points on the scabbard which had 

 its origin at the beginning of the last quarter 

 of the thirteenth century. By the old plan 

 the belt was attached to the top of the 

 scabbard only, the result being that the 

 sword constantly hung in a more or less 



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