Between the two knights is a large stone with heraldic bearings, and the following legend in small Roman character:—
MARIÆ FILIÆ ET HEREDI UNICE GEORGII BLENERHAISET ARMIGERI FILII PRIMOGENITI THOMÆ BLENERHAISET MILITIS INAURATI NUPTÆ PRIMO THOMÆ CULPEPER ARMIGERO QUI HIC: POSTEA FRANCISCO BACON ARMIGERO QUI PETISTRIÆ IN COMITAT: SUFF: TUMULATUR SINE P'LE DEFUNCTE XVIJ SEPTEMB 1587, ÆTATIS SUÆ 70.
VIDUÆ PIÆ CASTÆ HOSPITALI BENIGNÆ
JOHANNES CORNWALLIS ET JOANNES BLENERHAISET
MEMORIÆ ET AMORIS ERGO POSUERUNT.
There are some brass plates of the Blenerhaisets on the east wall. Just below these, and partly under the communion- table, is a large stone, from which a small male figure has been removed. A female figure remains, but it is imperfect and loose. It has the pedimental head-dress, the head resting on a square cushion: the dress is long-waisted, the sleeves are tight, terminating in cuffs which cover the hand; a rich girdle which passes just over the hips supports an aulmoniére and a rosary. The legend is as follows:—
Heare under lyeth George duke Esquyre
who maryed Anne the dawghter of syr thoms
Blenerhaysett knyght the whyche George
dyed the xxv daye of July In the yeare
Of oure lorde god A. MoCCCCC.Li
whose sowle God pardon. Amen.
Anne Duke subsequently married Peter Rede, Esq.; she survived him nine years, and was buried in St. Margaret's church, Norwich, where her effigy appears on an altar-tomb on the north side of the chancel with the following legend[1]:—
Here under lieth buried ye body of Anne Rede ye Daughter of Sr Thomas Blenerhayset Knyght and first ye wife of George duke late of Bramton Esquyer & the' after ye wyfe of Peter Rede of Gymyngham Esquyer ye wch Anne Departed ys lyfe ye xvj day of Aprill in yere from Christes incarnacion 1577.
She is represented, not as a widow, but with the French hood; a small ruff appears round her neck, and little frilled wrist-bands under her sleeves, which fit closely to the arms, and are tied with a number of small bows of riband: they are also padded and high-shouldered, according to an ungraceful fashion of the times of Elizabeth; and in front, as if appended to her girdle, appears an oval ornament of rather
- ↑ Blomef. Norf., vol. iv. p. 492. Cotman, Pl. lxxx. p. 42.
