HIGHAM FERRERS HUNDRED 



RUSHDEN 



wall is a four-centred traceried window of three cinque- 

 foiled lights. 



The 14th-century south doorway is of nvo con- 

 tinuous wave-moulded orders, as is also the outer door- 

 way of the plain unbuttrcssed contemporary porch, the 

 coped gable of which has a trefoil finial: high up in the 

 east wall is a small niche and in the west wall a single- 

 light window. 



The graceful west tower and spire are, of their 

 period, inferior to none in the county. The tower is of 

 four stages, the three lower supported by double but- 

 tresses set back from the angles, above which, on each 

 side, is a grotesque head. In the upper stage the angles 

 are marked by flat pilasters. The buttresses and the 

 quoins of the upper story are of ironstone, and there are 

 ironstone bands irregularly placed on the intervening 

 wall-spaces. The vice is in the south-west angle. The 

 west doorway is covered, as at Higham Ferrers and 

 Raunds, by a shallow stone porch (8 ft. by 4 ft.) with 

 continuous moulded outer arch the straight-gabled em- 

 battled canopy of which is connected by cusping with 

 the tower buttresses. Over the arch is an empty tre- 

 foiled niche, and above the canopy a plain gable of 

 masonry forming the roof of the porch, which internally 

 is covered with a small quadripartite vault whose cham- 

 fered ribs, as well as the wall-arches, spring from 

 mutilated carved corbels: the boss is a six-leaf flower. 

 The inner doorway has continuous mouldings divided 

 by a casement but is without a hood, the wall above 

 being quite plain. The west window is of three cinque- 

 foiled lights, with moulded jambs and vertical tracery, 

 and above it, in the third stage, is a clock dial. On the 

 north and south sides the two lower stages are blank, but 

 in the third stage is a small pointed window of two tre- 

 foiled lights with quatrefoil in the head. The large 

 double bell-chamber windows are of the same type, but 

 deeply recessed, with moulded jambs, and hood-moulds 

 continued round the tower as a string. Above them, 

 between the pilasters, is a band of trefoiled tracery, and 

 the tower terminates in a beautiful parapet of pierced 

 quatrefoilcd circles on a corbel table of heads and 

 flowers, with shafted angle pinnacles attached to the 

 spire by pierced flying buttresses. The spire has 

 crocketed angles and three tiers of gabled openings in 

 the cardinal faces, the two lower being of two trefoiled 

 lights, with transom and a quatrefoil in the head. The 

 spire is 96 ft. high and the total height of tower and 

 spire 192 ft. 



The late I 3th-century font has an octagonal bowl, 

 the sides of which are carved with bold leaf-work, and 

 the shaft has traceried ornament of various patterns. 



The interesting I jth-century oak pulpit has traceried 

 panels divided by buttresses, moulded top, and em- 

 battled bottom moulding: the canted front is supported 

 on a shafted stem.' 



The roof of the nave is of five bays, with moulded 

 principals resting on angel corbels, and can-ed bosses: 

 each bay is subdivided by moulded ribs into eight com- 

 partments and the battlcmented end-pieces have shields 

 within quatrefoils and an angel in the centre. The 



shorter roofs of the aisles are equally good, of two bays, 

 with moulded principals, quatrefoilcd wall-plates, and 

 end-pieces, the bays subdivided as before, with angels 

 below the intermediate cross ribs. The roof of the 

 south chapel, though altered and much restored, is in 

 large measure original, and has four moulded principals 

 and battlcmented wall-plate. 



The I 5th-century screenwork remains to be noticed. 

 The rood-screen is much restored and the upper part 

 modern: it has three tall traceried openings on each side 

 of the doorway, but the lower part is quite plain, the 

 rail and upright being unmoulded. The screens be- 

 tween the chancel and chapels extend across both open- 

 ings on either side: less in height than the rood-screen 

 they are of the same general character, with traceried 

 openings and moulded top-rails and uprights, but they 

 are extensively restored.^ At the west end of the south 

 chapel, below the Bochar arch, is a screen with two 

 traceried openings on each side of the doorway and solid 

 lower panels, the top-rail of which facing west is carved 

 w-ith vine pattern; and in a similar position in the north 

 chapel a screen with elaborately carved top and middle 

 rails, traceried openings, and solid lower panels. 



The long screens inclosing the transeptal chapels are 

 generally of the same character, but differ in detail, the 

 upper rail of that on the north side being plain and the 

 tracery rather simpler; both screens stand slightly in 

 front of the aisle walls and are returned at the west end. 



A few 1 5th-century seats remain at the west end of 

 the nave. 



At. the east end of the north chapel, against the screen 

 wall, is the canopied monument, with kneeling figures, 

 of Robert Pemberton, 'gentleman usher to Queen Eliza- 

 beth for 30 years' (d. 1609), and Mary Traughton his 

 wife (d. 1608).' The cornice is supported by pilasters 

 with Renaissance ornament, and in the two panels at 

 the base are the figures of four sons and four daughters. 

 Against the north wall of the same chapel is the canopied 

 tomb of Sir Goddard Pemberton, kt. (d. 1616), high 

 sheriff of the county of Hertford, with reclining figure 

 in armour under a semicircular coffered arch. There 

 are also mural tablets to John Ekins (d. 1677) and 

 Elizabeth his wife (d. 1663).* 



In the tracery of the east window of the chancel are a 

 few pieces of 15th-century glass, the remains of a Jesse 

 window, comprising four prophets and eight kings, on a 

 blue ground: the prophets wear hats and stand within 

 loops of the vine, emljowered in foliage,^ the kings are 

 nimbed. Other fragments of the same period occur in 

 the east window of the north chapel, and in the north 

 window of the nave.^ 



There are six bells, five by R. Taylor of St. Neots 

 1794, and the tenor by the same firm, then Robert 

 Taylor & Son, 1818.' 



The plate consists of a modern medieval chalice 

 and paten of 1849, and a pewter flagon and bread 

 holder.* 



The registers before 18 12 are as follows: (i) all 

 entries i 598-1724; (ii) baptisms and burials 1726-83, 

 marriages 1726-58; (iii) baptisms and burials 1783- 



' The pulpit is on the south side of the 

 chancel arch : its longer south side stands 

 on a modem stone base, the north side is 

 open. 



* In front of the organ, on the south 

 side, the screen is merely a modern frame- 

 work. 



' The inscriptions on this and the other 

 monuments are given in Bridges, Hiil. of 



Sortfianti. ii, 192-3. Sir Goddard Pem- 

 berton is represented with pointed beard 

 and ruff. 



* Bridges records an 'antique freestone 

 monument* in the chancel with inscription 

 to William Peeke and Margaret his wife, 

 and a tablet to William Maye, 1631: 

 ibid. 19:, 194. 



' Nelson, Anc. Painttd Ghtt in Eng- 



lanJ, 157. 



"■ The Virgin, apostles, and censing 

 angels in the east window of the north 

 chapel; SS. Peter, Matthew, James the 

 Less, and Andrew in the north window 

 of the nave. 



' North, Cli. Bcllt of Norihants. 395, 

 where the inscriptions are given. 



• Markham, Ch. Fhtt 0/ ,\oriijnli.lSi. 



IV 



49 



