A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



The font has already been described.' It has a short 

 octagonal late- 14th-century- pyramidal cover with a 

 finial of four united heads. 



The wooden pulpit^ and seating are modern, but in 

 the chancel are ten old bench-ends. The 17th-century 

 communion table'' is still in use and the altar rails are of 

 the same period. The altar of the chapel at the east end 

 of the north aisle has front and ends of carved 17th- 

 century paneUing from elsewhere, a recent gift to the 

 church. 5 



During the restoration of 1874 a fine series of wall- 

 paintings was uncovered ov'er the north arcade, in the 

 north aisle, and over the chancel arch, .^bove the 

 chancel arch are white blank spaces* where the upper 

 part of the rood and the figures of Mary and John stood 

 against a red ground. The lower part of the rood and 

 figures extended downwards on to the area of the now 

 demolished tympanum. The background is powdered 

 with circles containing the sacred monogram and that 

 of the Virgin, and on the south side is a group of albed 

 angels, each holding an instrument of the Passion: the 

 corresponding group on the north side is obliterated. 



The other paintings bear no relation to the architec- 

 tural divisions of the building, three subjects filling the 

 space over the north arcade from the first (west) to the 

 middle of the fifth bay. Over the tivo western arches is 

 a strongly drawn representation of the Seven Deadly 

 Sins, or Pride and her six daughters, in which a richly- 

 clad female in crown and robes of state and sceptre in 

 each hand, stands over the jaws of hell (between the 

 springing of the arches). From her body issue six 

 winged beasts, or demons,' three on either side, each 

 vomiting a figure symbolizing one of the sins and each 

 attended by a familiar spirit. On the left of the picture 

 is a figure of Death thrusting a long tilting spear into 

 the heart of Pride. Above the second pier is St. 

 Christopher,* and east of this, from the middle of the 

 third to the middle of the easternmost arch, is a repre- 

 sentation of the Three Living and the Three Dead:' 

 the colours are faded and some of the outlines lost, but 

 the groups are drawn with vigour. Over the north 

 doorway is a nearly obliterated St. George and the 

 Dragon, and the legend of St. Katharine formerly 

 covered the walls at the west end of the aisle. The 



latter, originally in monochrome outline onlv, was 

 painted over in colours, probably as late as the i6th 

 century: the pictures, though much defaced, have been 

 identified.'" 



Under the easternmost arch of the chancel arcade is 

 the table tomb of John Wales, vicar (d. 1496), the 

 longer sides each with four trefoiled panels enclosing 

 blank" shields suspended from roses, and the east end 

 against the wall. The top is quite plain, and at the west 

 end are two panels with shields differing in shape. Along 

 the verge on the north and west sides is the inscrip- 

 tion: HIC JACET DNS lOHES WALES'" QUONDAM VICARIE 



eclesie: cvivs aie ppicietur deus 1496 OB DIE lA 2.3. 



On the south side of the chancel is a floor-slab with 

 the brass figures of John Tawyer (1470) and Margaret 

 his wife, with the symbols of the evangelists in the 

 corners, a group of four daughters, shield,'^ and inscrip- 

 tion.''* Near it is a slab with a precisely similar female 

 figure," arms as before, a group of four sons, and symbols 

 of St. Matthew and St. Luke, but without inscription.'* 

 On the north side of the chancel is a floor-slab with the 

 indent of a large floriated cross and inscription, both of 

 which were missing in Bridges' day." 



In the south chapel is a blue floor-slab with inscrip- 

 tion'^ to Robert Gage (d. Feb. 1616), and in the north 

 aisle a mural monument with brass inscription to 

 William Gage, of Magilligam, Ireland (d. 1632), with 

 shield of six quarterings." On the east wall of the 

 chancel is a brass tablet in memory of William Holmes, 

 vicar (d. 1653). 



A brass chandelier in the nave was given in 1762 by 

 William Brooks. Two 13th-century coffin-lids with 

 floriated crosses are preserved in the church, one at the 

 east end of each aisle.-" 



Amongst the relics in the south chapel are eight 

 pieces of town armour, c. 1630, parts of three incom- 

 plete suits, consisting of two breastplates, one back 

 plate, three taces, and two pikemen's pots. The breast- 

 plates are ornamented with a raised pattern and rivet- 

 heads: the pots are damaged.-' There is also the large 

 hexagonal tester of an 18th-century pulpit, and various 

 fragments of stone and woodwork, including cusping 

 from the east window, four bosses from the roofs, pieces 

 of wall-plate, and a roof corbel dated 1697. 



' y.C.H. Northants. ii, 14.6, where it is 

 ascribed to the 12th century. In addition 

 to the ram's head on the west side, there 

 is a single triangular, or chevron ornament 

 facing south-east. 



^ Or made up from woodwork of this 

 period. 



3 In memory of the Rev. Charles 

 Porter, vicar, d. June 1877. 



* The table stands on four fluted 

 baluster legs, and bears the inscription 

 'The gift of Gilbert Negouse who was 

 buried the 2 of August 1630'. 



5 By Mrs. Sartoris, of Rushdcn Hall, 

 together with some plainer wall panelling 

 of the same period. 



*• 'In the white surface of the spaces 

 may be seen the holes, some plugged, in 

 which the stays were imbedded for holding 

 the large figures in position' : Arch. your. 

 Ixix, 477. 



' Over each is a scroll, on which was 

 written the name of the sin depicted — 

 avarice, anger, envy, sloth, gluttony, 

 lechery. Pride has crisped hair in short curls 

 and a languorous, contemptuous expression. 



^ The saint is depicted as an old white- 

 haired bearded man ; he crosses the stream, 

 in which fish are shown between his feet. 



leaning upon his staff and bearing the 

 Child upon his shoulders. 



^ The three Kings and their company 

 go forth with hawk and hound from a 

 castle gate and are encountered by three 

 grim skeleton figures sent to warn them of 

 their latter end. The castle gate forms the 

 background of the picture and rabbits play 

 in the foreground. The figures are more 

 than life size. 



"* The identifications are as follows : 

 (i) St. Katharine rebukes the Emperor at 

 a pagan sacrifice; (ii) she disputes with the 

 doctors before the Emperor; (iii) the 

 doctors, converted by her words, are 

 thrown into the fire, and their miraculous 

 escape; (iv) Porphyrins, the Emperor's 

 sword-bearer throws himself at the saint's 

 feet as a believer; (v) lost; (vi) martyrdom 

 of St. Katharine, the executioner prepar- 

 ing to cut off her head; (vii) the saint's 

 tomb surrounded by angels. The last two 

 are on the west wall, on either side of the 

 window, the others on the north wall west 

 of the doorway. 



" One of the shields in the south side 

 has a cross cut on it. 



'^ The W in Wales is inverted. The 

 arms were 'all totally defaced' in Bridges' 



day, 'except a cross fleury in one of them* : 

 op. cit. ii, 187. The date is in arable 

 numerals. John Wales was instituted 

 4 July 1477. 



^3 [Azure] a bend [argent] with three 

 voided lozenges [gules] thereon, for Raunds, 

 to which family Margaret Tawyer be- 

 longed (see p. 30). 



'■* The brass was moved here from the 

 south chapel in 1906. The inscription 

 reads 'Of yo' charite pray for the soules of 

 John Tawyer & Margaret his wyfe which 

 John deceased the xxv day of Janyver in 

 the ycre of our lord mcccclxx on whose 

 soules Jhu have mercy*. 



'5 There is the indent of a man's figure. 



'^ Bridges records the figures of four 

 sons and five daughters on this slab, but 

 the figure of the man and the inscription 

 had disappeared; op. cit. ii, 188. 



" The slab was then near the altar rails, 

 in the middle of the chancel: ibid. 



■8 Given in Bridges, op. cit. ii, 188. 



'^ Inscription and emblazonment, ibid. 



^'^ That in the south aisle is coped, 8 J in. 

 thick, with plain cross: the other is 5 in. 

 thick and has a floriated cross. 



^' ylaoc. Arch. Soc. Reports, xxxvi, 93-4, 

 where the armour is fully described. 



38 



