A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



stairway leading to the upper stages of the tower, 



built in the thickness of the wall, and not projecting 

 externally. This turret rises very slightly above the 

 parapet of the lower. The top stage of the tower 

 is lighted by four windows of two cinquefoiled lights, 

 with a quatrefoll in a two-centred head. They are 

 arranged in pairs on the north and south sides. 



The oldest monument in the church is now in the 

 north chapel, and consists of a small coffin-lid with 

 the figure in low relief of a knight in armour of 

 about 1 160. The body is almost wholly covered by 

 a large heater shield. 



Abo in the north chapel, to the south of the coffin- 

 lid, is the large and elaborate marble altar tomb with 

 the effigy of Robert first Earl of Salisbury, the founder 

 of the chapel, who died in 1612. The altar slab, 

 with the recumbent effigy of the earl wearing au 

 arrxiet with the visor open and the collar of the 

 Garter, and holding a staff in his right hand, is sup- 

 ported by four finely-sculptured kneeling figures hold- 

 ing a sword, vases, broken columns and a skull. 

 Beneath the slab, and between the four figures, is the 

 representation of a skeleton. 



Immediately to the south of this tomb is one with 

 a life-size recumbent effigy, of about 1 ;6o, said to be 

 that of Sir Richard Kyrle. 



A brass in the chancel commemorates Fulk Onslow, 

 1602, and his wife, with a shield of arms and an in- 

 scription. There is another brass with inscription to 

 Fulk Onslow in the tower. 



In the south chapel is a large monument betiveen 

 the south windows to D.ime Elizabeth Saunders, 1 61 2, 

 and Dame Agnes Saunders, 1588. It consists of an 

 altar-tomb with marble panelled sides, with the effigies 

 of the two ladies, half-recumbent, with their heads to 

 the west, lying, one on the tomb itself and the other 

 behind it raised upon a step. Behind them a recess 

 is formed by a semicircular arch resting on modillions, 

 with Renaissance foliation in the flat spandrels. This 



On the cresting of the cornice are two shields and a 

 lozenge in the centre. The left-hand shield bears 

 Moore : Argent a fesse dancetty gobony gules and sable 

 between three molets sable. The right-hand shield 

 has the arau of Saunders : Party cheveronwise sable 

 and argent three elephants' heads razed and counter- 

 coloured, and on the loicnge is Moore impaling 

 Barry ermine and gules, for Hussey. There is also 

 in the south chapel a tomb of John Brocket!, 1598, 

 with shields of Brockett impaling and quartering 

 other coats. 



In the tower is an iron-bound chest dated 1692. 



There are eight bells : I, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 by John 

 Briant of Hertford, J 786 ; 6 by Thomas Mears, 

 London, 1841 ; and 8 with the names of Charles 

 Pratchell and William Woodards, churchwardens. 



The plate consists of a silver gilt chalice, paten, 

 flagon and almsdish, each inscribed ' The parish 

 church of Bishop's Hatfield in ye county of Hertford 

 1685,' two other silver chalices and patens, and 



lothei 



The register^ are in eight books : (i) baptisms i6jj 

 to 1713, burials 1653 to 1690, marriages 1653 to 



1 740 ; (ii) burials 1 678 to 1 7 1 3 ; (1 1 1 ! buriali 1 695 

 to 1750 ; (iv) baptisms 1713 to 1782, marriages 

 1741 to 1753 ; (v) baptisms 1783 to [811 ; 



(vi) burials 1751 to 1 8 1 2 ; (vii) marriages 1754 to 

 1772; (viii) 1772 to 1812. 



The chantry at the altar of St. Anne in the 

 parish church of Hatfield was founded in 1330 by 

 Roger de Louth, 'for the good estate of himself and 

 his wife Joan in life, for their souls after death, and 

 for the souls of Thomas de Louth, late treasurer of 

 the Church of St. Mary, Lincoln, John Hayward and 

 Katharine his wife.' B9 He gave ten messuages, 40 

 acres of land and lew. rent in Hatfield to the Prior 

 and convent of Wymondley for a chaplain to celebrate 

 daily service. 90 In 1392 John de Wendelyngburgh 

 and others, apparently trustees of Nicholas de Louth, 

 added two messuages, 33 acres of land, 2 acres of 

 meadow and 2 acres of wood for the benefit of the 

 sout of Nicholas de Louth fll (or Luda). The advow- 

 son was held by the Louth family. 



In the report made to Edward VI in 1548 the 

 revenue from the tenements was reckoned at £y 8r. %d. 

 James Shawe, the incumbent, was ' an impotent man of 

 the age of seventy years.' 9 - After its suppression the 

 lands were granted in the same year to Ralph Burgh 

 and Robert Beverley. 93 



A chapel connected with the lords of the manor of 

 Ponsbourne existed in the parish church of Hatfield, 

 and was situated next to that of the Blessed Mary of 

 Ludwick. M In 1 5 18 John Fortescue left provision 

 for ' an honest clerk ' to celebrate mass there 

 annually for the souls of himself and his ancestors. 93 

 In 1660 the 'Chapel of Ponsbourne ' adjoining the 

 church was repaired by Stephen Ewer, who had 

 refused to pay the assessment for the repair of the 

 parish church unless his own chapel was also repaired. a " 

 The image of the Blessed Mary of Ludwick in 

 Hatfield Church is mentioned in I470, flr also the 

 images of the Blessed Mary of Pity (de Pete), a3 

 St. Anne, St. Etheldreda and the Holy Trinity.* 9 



There are references in the 16th century to a Gild 

 or Fraternity of St. John the Baptist. In 1 5 10 a 

 bequest was made to it by John Lowen ,0 ° and others, 

 in 1514 by Nicholas La nam, 1 and in 1520 by 

 William Clarke. 2 In 1538 a tenement in Woodside 

 yielding a yearly rent of \i. belonged to 'a brother- 

 hood,' 3 and in 1 545 a Fraternity is entered as 

 paying 6d. towards a subsidy. 1 After this it disappears. 

 Lemsford, in the north of the parish, was formed 

 into a separate ecclesiastical parish in I 858," and the 

 church of ST. JOHN, LEMSFORD, was erected in 

 that year by the Dowager Countess Cowper of 

 Brockett Hall and her children as a memorial to her 

 husband, the sixth earl. 



The church of ST. MARY, NEWGATE STREET, 

 was built in 1847 by Thomas Mills of Tolmers. 

 The living is a perpetual curacy. 



ST. MARK'S chapel of ease at Woodhill was built 

 in 1852 by the Marquess of Salisbury. 



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