Norwell
St Laurence

1On south side of chancel arch, a brass plate (30.5cm wide x 51cm deep, and 180cm above floor level), within an ornamental surround, inscribed:

2On the wall leading to the south transept, a brass plate on a marble base (35.5cm x 40.5cm and 157cm above floor level), inscribed, beneath a coat of arms, with two crests (Quarterly, 1 and 4, Halliburton/Laurie, 2 and 3, Vere):

3To the right of Monument 2, under a window, a brass plate (92cm x 16cm, 162cm above floor level), within a plain lined surround, inscribed:

4On east wall at the entrance into the south transept, a convex marble wall tablet with moulded base and curved head (93cm x 113cm, 260cm above floor level), probably originally erected on a pillar:

At the top of the memorial there is the face of a winged cherub as decoration.

5On east wall of south transept, as Monument 4, a convex marble wall tablet with moulded base and curved head (62cm x 100cm, 260cm above floor level), inscribed:

The date 1772 has been corrected from 1782. The memorial is signed in the bottom righthand corner: J. Wallis, Newark. A slightly different version of this inscription is described by William Dickenson, when the monument was ‘On a pillar in the body of the church’.

6In the corner of the west wall of the south transept, a raised white marble tablet (76cm x 56cm), with a ruled black surround, on a black base (93cm x 74cm, 223cm above floor level), inscribed:

[Signed under bottom righthand corner: Nicholson and Wood, Newark]

7In centre of west wall of south transept, an elaborate now-largely illegible stone and slate armorial monument (241cm x 120cm, 235cm above floor level), inscribed in small capitals, of which Dickenson provides a full transcription (when it was positioned in the chancel):

A translation, adapted from Guy Hemingway may be offered:

In eternal and sacred memory. Here lies Elizabeth, daughter of William Ayloffe, knight and baronet, of Bruttens, Essex, by Katherine, daughter and heiress of Thomas Sterne, esquire, of Melburne, Cambridgeshire. She was married to Gervase, son of Gervase Lee, formerly of Southwell, esquire, with whom she lived twice eight years and was blessed with twice eight children, equally of either sex. She died, in eager hope of the resurrection, 4th April 1629. She left the earth for the stars. Beautiful in form, farewell.

The memorial is listed as an ‘Alabaster Renaissance revival style wall monument with square foliate panel carrying central inscribed slate tablet with moulded edges, scrolled apron and flanking Ionic columns on brackets. Entablature has ogee central gable containing foliate panel with Arms and motto, and above, damaged half height effigy’. The arms are those of Ayloffe and Lee per party, with the motto on a scroll Ubi celsa magni, as well as two separate escutcheons in the upper corners displaying (1) a Lion rampant; (2) a Lion rampant, three crosslets. Similar escutcheons also occur respectively under the base of the two Ionic columns framing the monument (cf Monument 11 for similar arms). The base is further decorated with a roundel showing a Pelican in her piety.

8Below Monument 7, on west wall of south transept, a small metal tablet (26cm x 48cm, 181cm above floor-level), inscribed:

9On west wall at entrance to south transept, a lozenge-shaped, marble tablet (77cm x 85cm, 313cm above floor-level), inscribed:

10Below Monument 9, a black, rectangular black marble tablet, with concave corners (64cm x 49cm), raised on white marble base (82cm x 66cm, 229cm above floor-level), inscribed:

[Signed on base of tablet: R. Marshall, Newark]

11Below Monument 10, a rectangular brass square (46cm x 40cm) set on a raised marble tablet (61cm x 55cm, 147cm above floor level), with the arms Per pale, in the first on a fesse, 3 crescents, 3 lions rampant, 2 and 1; in the second between a stag’s head antlered, a star in the chief, 3 buckles below, and inscribed:

12On north wall of the chancel, a small brass plaque (25.5cm x 20cm) on a wooden base (29.5cm x 24cm, 160cm above floor-level), inscribed:

13On the north wall of the Chancel, a small brass memorial tablet (30.5cm x 30cm, 138cm above floor-level), inscribed, within a ruled surround and with some rubrication:

14On the floor of the south transept, a lozenge-shaped marble tablet (82cm x 102.5cm), set in a large stone slab (95cm x 186cm), commemorating the Rev Edward Walker and inscribed:

15Alongside Monument 14, another lozenge-shaped marble tablet (83cm x 103cm), set in stone slab (94cm x 186cm), inscribed:

16Alongside Monument 15, on the floor of the south transept, a virtually illegible armorial alabaster slab (92cm x 168cm), for which Dickenson gives the partial inscription:

Dickenson gives the motto on a scroll beneath the shield as Thesaurus Intus. Hemingway, following him, suggests that the arms may be those described by Thoroton as:

on a monument for Gervas Lee Esq. in the Chancel’: Az., on a Fess cotised Or three Crosslets paté Or (Ayloff) and Arg. a Lion rampant Gules, and Sable a Chevron Gules between three crosslets flory Or, with a Crest (Pierie) a Demy Queen of Mauritania, party per pale Arg. & Gules, holding in her right hand a diamond ring Proper.

He further comments ‘The combination of Lee and Ayloffe suggests that the arms are those of a descendant of the Elizabeth who died in 1629’ (see Monument 7 above).

17Alongside Monument 16, a stone slab (93cm x 175cm), inscribed:

18Alongside Monument 17, on the floor of the south transept, a now-broken slab (41cm x 72cm) used to fill a space, part of a memorial for which Hemingway provides the probable inscription:

19Adjoining the head of Monument 18, another stone slab (83cm x 100cm), inscribed within an oval surround:

20

Effigy of knight

Detail

The figure of an armed, cross-legged knight of c1330 in the south wall of the south transept, with the head detached from the body. The sandstone slab, probably of Derbyshire origin, on which the figure is carved now lies at ground level under a tomb-recess of c1280-1300; the two parts of the effigy jointly measure 190cm long x 55cm wide. From the poor, impermanent, fit it is clear that the effigy has been moved to this position in modern times, probably at the restoration of 1874-5, its original siting being unknown. Traditionally this effigy has been identified with Sir John de Lysours, lord of Willoughby by Norwell, whose turbulent career can be documented from c1279 until his murder in 1322. As the lords of Willoughby were the only armigerous family living in the parish in the early fourteenth century, this is a reasonable deduction but it rests on no documentary or heraldic evidence currently known.

21

Effigy of lady

Detail

The serene figure of a lady with a wimple, her hands placed together in prayer, with her feet resting on a dog, currently lying under a raised tomb-recess of c1300 in the south wall of the south aisle. The figure in Mansfield stone is 195cm long x 48cm wide. Dated to the early 14th century by Pevsner, it may be from a few decades later, c1350 (C Brooke). As with the male effigy, there is a discordance in date between the effigy and its current position within an earlier tomb-recess, to which it may have been moved in 1874-5. No obvious identification can currently be made although it is likely that the lady belongs to the same family for whom the male figure was carved. There are also parallels with the near-contemporary tomb of a lady of the Fledburgh branch of the Lysours family that deserve further investigation. Did both the Norwell effigies once form part of a large free-standing box-tomb? It is possible that both may have been ordered together.

22Lying on the floor in the south aisle is a large carved sandstone grave cover, sculpted in relief, displaying a geometrical cross of fully developed round leaf-form. It measures 186cm long x 55cm (at head) and 40cm (at foot) wide. The shaft of the cross, which rests on a stepped base, is 40mm wide, indicative of a late 13th or early 14th century date. It may have marked the grave of one of the early prebendaries, possibly Mr John Clarell (d.1295).