The lady wears over her head a veil, which falls on each side of the face to the shoulders. The neck and chin are covered with a wimple reaching almost up to the under lip. The dress is low in front about the neck, and falls in folds down to the feet. The gown is sleeveless with long slits for the arms. The hands are raised in prayer. The head rests on two cushions, and the feet on a dog similar to that at her husband's feet.
The monument has neither date, inscription, nor armorial bearings. Lipscomb assigns it to Sir Thomas de Reynes, who married Joan, daughter of Baron Seton, of Scotland, and died A.D. 1380. He says elsewhere, however, that he married the daughter of Sir Thomas Seyton, of Seyton, co. Northampton, and died in 1389. Vol. iv. p. 103.
A manuscript History of Clifton, written in 1821 by the Rev. Edward Cooke, rector of Haversham, and left by him to the rector of Clifton for the time being, states that these effigies "are of considerable antiquity, and were probably designed for some of the Borard family, or for that Thomas Reynes and his wife, who succeeded them in the estate," and died about A.D. 1310. Lipscomb's conjecture is undoubtedly erroneous; for the monument evidently belongs to a far earlier period than A.D. 1380, and even earlier, I doubt not, than A.D. 1310. The entire absence of plate armour, except genouillères, the sleeveless surcoat, the unornamented sword-belt, resembling a plain strap, fastened by a common buckle instead of the richly-chased ornament of the fourteenth century, unless we suppose that the ornaments were here indicated by colour, which has been effaced; the absence, also, of the dagger, and the cross-legged attitude, are sufficient characteristics for assigning the male effigy to the thirteenth century. The peculiarities of the lady's costume equally belong to the same century. Consequently, viewing these effigies in connection with the history of the manor, I am inclined to assign them to Simon de Borard and Margaret his wife, daughter of Sir Asceline Sydenham of Titchmerch, by whom he became possessed of part of that manor. This Simon de Borard died shortly before 1267, which agrees with the apparent date of the monument. The Church of Clifton, winch had been founded by one of his ancestors, who, however, was only a sub-feudary lord of the manor, probably was a small edifice. But after the attainder of
