It
is exciting to be there, and it is tempting, and for some of us unavoidable, to
hurry through and try to see everything at once. Try to slow down, or do the
run through and then start again for a slow leisurely stroll around the
interior, pencil and notebook in hand. Okay, ipad or iphone in hand.
The
walls and floors of even the small churches have some stone or brass tablets or
monuments that can help in family research. To have such a memorial, a family
would have to have considerable means, however.
If
you enter by the front door, your will probably see a rack of pamphlets
highlighting the history of the church building and the interesting plaques or
memorials it contains. This information may be available on the parish website
so you can preplan your visit.
Among
the newer memorials might be ‘Rolls of Honor’ for casualties of the Boer War
(1899-1902), World War I and World War II. They give the name, rank, regiment
and sometimes the battle where the service man or woman died. No matter where your
family fell on the economic scale of this parish, a relative’s name might be
found here.
There
are two types of older stone monuments – tombstone effigies and memorial
tablets. Effigies or figures representing a dead person have been used in
church monuments since the twelfth century, usually lying on top of a coffin or
coffin shaped stone box on the church floor. The older carvings are flatter and
the later ones more three dimensional.
Memorial
tablets, also called wall monuments or wall tablets, are stone panels engraved
with genealogical information and commemorative poems or phrases. They look
like one sided tombstones embedded in the wall, and they could usually fit within
a rectangular space 2-3 feet wide and 3-4 feet tall. Having been in common use between the 16th
and 19th century, their decorative style depends on when they were
produced.
Last,
but hardly least, are the monumental brasses. These are engraved metal plates
attached to the wall or floor which shows both human figures and symbols to represent
the person who has died. There may be as many as 8000 remaining in England, but
many were destroyed during the English reformation and later in the time of
Oliver Cromwell.
The
deceased and members of his family are commonly depicted wearing the clothing
and uniforms of the time period. Others
have Christian symbols or are depictions of biblical stories. They date from
the thirteenth to the seventeen century.
Rubbings
of these brasses have been a popular pastime, but ask permission before
attempting an art project. Many parishes forbid it and have reproductions for
sale as an alternative.
Sources:
Friar, Stephen. The Companion to the English Parish Church. London: Chancellor Press, 2000.
Mellen,
Rachael. A Practical Guide for the
Genealogist in England, Second Edition. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books,
Inc., 1987.
