56 CHURCHES IN THE RURAL DEANERY OF DORCHESTER, 



by the same hand. The church contains an interesting pulpit of 

 early 15th century work ; this has suffered much through the 

 re-tooling of the stone at a late period. Some of the panels carved 

 in figure subjects are modern imitations of the old ; at present it is 

 easy to distinguish them (plate 3). 



In the chancel are the effigies of Sir John Browne, in a suit of 

 tilting armour, and his wife ; the former, it should be noted, on 

 account of the armour, was born in 1558 and died in 1627. 



On the opposite side is a monument bearing a so-called emblem 

 of mortality, the representation in stone of a corpse sewn in a sheet, 

 and thus attired for burial ; the date of the monument is 1653. 

 "Up to and during the early part of the 17th century the bodies of 

 the commonalty were as a rule buried without coffins, being simply 

 enveloped in a linen sheet or shroud." (See Bloxam, " Companion 

 to Gothic Architecture," llth edition, p. 386.) An illustration of 

 a corpse similarly attired, copied from a mural painting (late 15th 

 century) on the wall of the chapel of the Holy Trinity, Stratford- 

 on-Avon, is given on page 196 of Bloxam 's "Principles of Gothic 

 Architecture," vol. ii. The sewing up of corpses in cloth for burial 

 was at an earlier date common amongst persons of all ranks. In 

 an account of the expense of the funeral of a great man who lived 

 at Bridport A.D. 1326 was " 9d. for linen cloth in which to sew the 

 body." Bridport Corporation Kecords (Dorset Antiquarian Field 

 Club Transactions, vol. xi., p. 101). On two monuments in the 

 north choir aisle of Salisbury Cathedral are carved effigies of corpses 

 so attired ; the shroud which envelopes one of them is represented 

 as tied at the ends and open in the middle, disclosing the corpse 

 within. 



15. STAFFOKD. 



PORCH, ARCH, AND PORTIONS of the walls of the church of 

 south side, 14th century. COPING AND APEX STONE, 15th century. 



The date above the entrance and in the gable of the east end 

 (1640) may have been the date of the last restoration of the 

 church. 



CHURCH DOORWAY : 15th century, 



