A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



At the back of the recess are brass kneeling figures of 

 Sir Robert Clifford, 1508, and his wife Elizabeth, 

 with an inscription underneath. On the knight's 

 surcoat and on a shield behind him are his arms. 

 Cheeky or and azure a fesse gules quartering Gules 

 three rings or parted with Sable three crosses formy 

 or, with the difference of a ring, and on the 

 lady's mantle and on the shield behind her Clifford 

 with its quarterings impaling Barley ; the brasses 

 retain traces of coloured inlay. Two other shields 

 below the figures and one on the canopy have dis- 

 appeared. On the moulded edge of the slab is a 

 brass marginal inscription, ' Credo quod Redemptor 

 meus vivit et in novissimo die de terra surrecturus 

 sum et in came mea videbo Deum Salvatorem meum. 

 Tedet animam meam vitae meae.' On the east wall 

 of the chapel are tablets to Ralph Freeman, 1665, and 

 to Mrs. Elizabeth Freeman, 1634. On the south wall 



by Robert Phelps, 1736 ; the fourth, fifth, sixth and 

 eighth by George Chandler, 168 1 ; the seventh 

 recast in 187 1. 



The communion plate consists of a cup, 1632, 

 paten and almsdish, 1636, and modern silver paten 

 and flagon. 



The registers before i 8 1 2 are as follows : (i) all 

 entries 1559 to 1 709 ; (ii) baptisms and burials 1707 

 to 1812, marriages 1707 to 1753; (iii) marriages 

 1754 to 1812. 



In 1237 presentation to the 

 ADFOWSON church of Aspenden was made by 

 the Prior and brethren of the 

 Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England,*' who 

 were holding land in Aspenden in 12 17-18.'' 

 The donor of the church is unknown. The Hos- 

 pitallers held it until their dissolution," but do 

 not seem to have appropriated it. The advowson 



Aspenden Church from the North-east 



of the aisle is a mural tablet to Sir Ralph Freeman, 

 Lord Mayor of London, who died in 1634, and his 

 brother William Freeman, 1623. On the tablet are 

 two copper busts ; that representing Sir Ralph wears 

 the SS collar of the lord mayor. On the north wall 

 of the nave are brass figures of a civilian and his wife, 

 with imperfect inscription, dated ijoo. On the 

 south wall of the chapel on the outside is a tablet to 

 John Ward, 1665, and his wife Martha, 1645 ; it 

 was erected by Seth Ward, Bishop of Salisbury and 

 founder of the hospital in Buntingford, in memory of 

 his parents. Near the south doorway is an oak 

 alms-box, probably of early 1 7th-century date. 



There are eight bells : the first, second and third 



was then held by the Crown ^lO until 1604, when 

 James I granted it to Sir Roger Aston and John 

 Grimsdich,8i probably in trust for Sir John Bro- 

 grave, kt., who presented to the church in 1607.92 

 It descended with the Brograves and Freemans (see 

 Hamells in Braughing), and then with the Yorkes 

 and Saviles (see Wakeley) 93 until recently acquired 

 by Mr. Austin E. Harris. 



There was originally a church attached to the 

 manor of Berkesden, the site of which is still visible 

 in the fields north of Berkesden Green. In 1086 a 

 priest is mentioned as a tenant of the manor.9* No 

 record of any presentations remains, and the church 

 is not mentioned in the Taxatio of 1290 or the 



^ See Clutterbufk, Hist, and Antiq. of 

 Herts, iii, 351. 



»' Feet of F. Div. Co. i Hen. Ill, 

 no. 3. 



^ Clutterbuck, loc. cit. ; Land Rev. 

 Misc. Bks. Ivii, fol. 164. 

 ^ Clutterbuck, loc. cit. 

 " Pat. 2 Jas. I, pt. xix, m. 8. 

 «* Clutterbuck, loc. cit. 



24 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), cccxxxv, 

 8 ; ccccxci, 18 ; Rccov. R. Mich. 1657, 

 rot. 126; Inst. Bks. (P.R.O.) ; Close, 

 25 Geo. Ill, pt. xxii, no. 8, 

 «* KC.H. Hen,, i, 32,4. 



