These three photographs are all of monuments in Bramfield Church, near Halesworth in Suffolk, and are at the special request of my brother, who blogs as Crowbard. The first two are a monument to three members of the Coke family, who lived at Bramfield Hall (the house behind the crinkle crankle wall, illustrated earlier this week). The monument was erected in the early part of the 1600s.
The photograph above is a close up of part of the above monument to the Coke family. It is a lovely alabaster sculpture of mother and tiny daughter. It is very touching monument.
The above monument is, I think, of slate, much the same period as the Coke monument (or a little later). It is a monument to Bridgett Applewhaite, and has, to our way of thinking some odd ideas. One of them is worded as 'the enjoyment of the glorious freedom of an easy and unblemished widowhood' which seems to be the only cheerful part of the whole thing.
Don't trip over the long S, or rather esses in this one, they are written as fs, and can be a bit difconcerting.
Being called up to supper now, so must leave this - The church at Bramfield is worth the journey.
10 comments:
Not at all difconcerting Mike !
That is a glorious monument, Mike. Fine workmanship and a great heraldic record of their preceding generations.
As you say the Applethwaite marker is couched in terms that reveal the distaff sentiments of the day. I might say that the author of those words was bold and all too aware of the impositions of marriage upon those participants of a gentler persuasion.
Crikey. Actually, we were going to have lunch in Bramfield today, but found out in time that the nice pub there is shut for refurbishment. But we want to go and see the church now, it's only 20 minutes down the road so we'll get there asap.
Hello Crowbard. That is a very difcerning ftatement regarding the long f.
You are right concerning the Coke monument. I was particularly struck by the four pieces of armour surrounding Squire Coke's statue. His own armour or not (and I should think they were) they are all of the right period - the first quarter of the seventeenth century - circa 1600 to 1630.
P.s. Your remarks on the Applethwaite stone are also very apt, and better than I could express it (although they read rather comically to our eyes).
Hello Z and Tim. The run down to Bramfield Church will be well worth while. Don't know where to advise lunch in the area. We went to the Angel (is it ?) the Inn in the town centre. When we lived for a short time in Halesworth in the mid sixties it was THE Inn in Holza. Ann says it's now 'adequate, with decentish food', hope that's not 'Damning with faint praise' though. It is obviously very popular with the local town people, which is always a pretty good sign.
I bafk ferenely in the fincerity of your refponfe dear fibling, your approval upliftf my fpiritf afstonifhinglyly. (note to younger readers ~ the double 's' only took the long 's' for the first one ~ compare with the High-German compound double 's' as in daß = dass, in English the long 's' and the short 's' wherenever conjoined.)
Regarding the touching monument are you actually allowed to? Touch it I mean. I always have an urge to do so.
Hello Pat. I didn't know whether to put that it was a touching monument or a moving monument, but as monuments tend not to move I thought that was a bit misleading and put 'a touching monument', because it would, of course be possible to touch it ......I suppose.
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