The site on which St Nicholas' Church stands was used as a burial ground by the de Greys, the first owners of the nearby Greys Court and estate. Then a church was built there in the 13th century. Many important memorials are contained within the church. As we were in the village enjoying lunch at the pub next door it was a good opportunity to visit the church afterwards. I particularly wanted to see the Knollys Tomb because this family also had connections to my home town. They owned property there and a street is named after them.
This brass memorial in front of the altar
is c. 1387 and shows Lord Robert de Grey
clothed in a suit of armour, hands in prayer
and a lion with a raised head at his feet.
and a lion with a raised head at his feet.
In the small chapel to the left as one faces the altar
is the Knollys Tomb with other memorials
on the surrounding walls.
William Knollys, the second, but eldest surviving son of Sir Francis Knollys together with his wife erected the chapel in memory of his parents. (Sir Francis was one of the Queen's councillors and Treasurer of the Royal Household).
The son, William, Earl of Banbury and his wife appear on the top of the canopy kneeling before a prayer desk.
Sir Francis and Lady Katherine Knollys (Katherine Carey was the daughter of Mary Boleyn and niece of Anne Boleyn) are recumbent effigies with the figure of a wooden swan and a plaster elephant at their feet. (symbolic figures used in the Knollys' Coats of Arms)
Their children are kneeling figures on either side, Lettice comes first and is depicted in her coronet and robes as a Countess. (She was married first to Walter, Earl of Essex and secondly to Robert, Earl of Leicester and she was a lady-in waiting to Elizabeth I). Behind Lettice are her sisters Mary, Maud, Elizabeth, Anne and Catherine. The last figure is possibly Dorothy, the first wife of William Knollys. On the other side are the sons, Henry, William, Edward, Robert, Richard, Francis, Thomas and Dudley who died in infancy. As the gate in the railing across the chapel was locked I could not photograph the other side of the tomb. The family continued to live at Greys Court until 1686.
From the 18th century onwards the chapel was used by the Stapleton family, who then owned Greys Court until the late 1930s when the Brunner family bought it and lived there. There are many memorials in the church commemorating them.
A memorial to the Fallen
In a glass case is one of the ceramic poppies from the
Tower of London Installation of Poppies tribute done in 2014 for
the centenary remembrance of the beginning of WW1 1914-1918,
the centenary remembrance of the beginning of WW1 1914-1918,
each one representing someone who sacrificed life
to bring about freedom for society at that time.
This was a thought-provoking way to finish a visit to this church.
On a bench in the church porch was this trug of garden produce
with an invitation to take some. I didn't, but left feeling that there
must be some lovely people in that village community.