The History and Antiquities of London, Westminster, Southwark, and Parts Adjacent, vol. 4
Allen, Thomas
1827
Chapel of St. Nicholas.
There are saints of this name, the Bishop and Confessor, whose anniversary was celebrated on the ; and St. Nicholas of Tolent, who had an anniversary on the ; his altar stood where the duchess of Somerset's tomb now is, at which those who heard mass had years and -days indulgence. The screen has a door in the middle with pierced arches over it, and on each side are ranges of the same. The embattled frieze is adorned with shields and roses. | |
The monument of Winifred, marchioness of Winchester, is of the Corinthian order, and is constructed of various coloured marbles; in an altar-tomb lies the effigy of the marchioness in her robes and coronet. She died in . | |
In this chapel is the elaborately gilt monument erected by the great lord Burleigh, to the memory of Mildred, his wife, and Anne, countess of Oxford, their eldest daughter. It rises to the height of feet, and is constructed of various coloured marbles, after a design of the Corinthian order. It consists of stories, | |
106 | surmounted by obelisks and shields of arms; the lower contains a sarcophagus with an altar tomb behind: on the liesthe statue of lady Burleigh in her robes; and on the latter is the recumbentfigure of the countess of Oxford. In the upper story is a statue of lord Burleigh, in his robes, with the collar of St. George, kneeling. Lady Burleigh died April , aged ; Anne died , aged . The inscriptions, which are very long, are in Latin, and were written by lord Burleigh. |
Here is also a handsome mural monument, with statues of alabaster, of sir George Fane, and lady Elizabeth, his wife, . This monument was restored by lord Despencer, in . | |
On the eastern side is a broken and brassless tomb, probably that of Baron Carew and his lady; they both died in . A pedestal and pyramid before it was erected to the memory of Nicholas Bagenall, the infant child of Nicholas Bagenall, of Anglesea, esq. and his wife Charlotte. | |
Under the south window is the beautiful monument to the remembrance of William de Dudley, bishop of Durham, who died . This is of those which deserve a particular description. The altar-piece is adorned with quatrefoils enclosing shields, and between them pointed arches; the buttresses at each end have alternate arches terminating in foliage; before them are pedestals, but no statues. other arches, with the same ornaments, form the canopy. The ribs spring from angels with shields, a range of lancet-shaped niches fill the spaces on the sides of the spirals; it is completed at the top by friezes of grape vines and labels. The effigy cut in brass is removed. A decayed effigy, taken from an ancient tomb, of lady Catherine St. John, who died , and is represented resting upon her elbow, is placed on it; the feet broken off. It lies loose on the tomb. | |
Over the tomb of the marchioness of Winchester is a female, supported upon her left arm under an arch, as a memorial of lady Elizabeth Ross, who died ; it has no inscription, and is very much decayed. At the west end is a large monument, inscribed:
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It was designed by R. Adams, and sculptured by N. Read, and | |
107 | is composed of a basement of pannels, on of them pedestals, with the cumbent lion and unicorn, inverted torches, crescents, and festoons. On the pedestal statues of Faith and Hope, and a large arch behind, nearly at their feet; there is besides a sarcophagus, with a bas-relief of the duchess distributing alms, boys weeping by an urn, and a pyramid for a back ground. Over the urn the family arms in a circle richly emblazoned. On the frieze above the arch,
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At the west end of the screen is a tomb of freestone, with the effigy of Philippa, duchess of York. She died in . The side of the tomb has double quatrefoils, with shields; and it had formerly a very rich canopy, painted to represent a serene night, with gilt stars, and a painting of the Passion. No marks of the canopy remain. | |
Her effigy is in a veil, wimple, gown, and mantle. Round the edge is the following inscription: the letters in italics are destroyed.
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On the eastern side of the door is an altar-tomb with Ionic pillars at the corners, and sepulchral emblems tied by ribbands on the sides, to lady Cecil, lady of the bedchamber to queen Elizabeth, who died . Only of the pillars remain, and that is loose from the capital. The volutes are richly gilt. | |
A very awkward sarcophagus, with a clumsy large scroll suspended to it, was erected near it, to the memory of lady Jane Clifford, who died in the year . | |
A pyramidal monument of white marble on a pedestal of black supports a vase which contains the heart of Anna Sophia, daughter of the count Bellomonte, who was ambassador from the court of France to James I. She died in the year . The tomb is on the south side of the chapel. An ill-shaped altar-tomb stands in the midst of the pavement, on which lie the effigies of sir George Villiers, knight, and his lady. The brass effigy of sir Humphrey Stanley, who died , lies on the pavement very little injured. Not far from it the body of J. Amy Blois, who died d, , aged . | |
Footnotes: [] Malcolm. i. p. 147. |
