When I got on my blog last night to approve a comment, I realized that I haven’t posted here in over a month! So I thought I would make amends with a quick post about two grave markers of Woodville family members.
The first marker, an incised slab, can be found at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin at Grafton Regis. It depicts John Woodville, who died in the early 1400’s. Through his son Richard, he was Elizabeth Woodville’s great-grandfather. An inscription credits him with building the church’s bell tower (shown below the marker).
The second marker, a brass found at St. John the Baptist Church in Hillingdon, depicts Jacquetta, Lady Strange, a younger sister of Elizabeth Woodville, and her husband, John. Unlike those of her other sisters, Jacquetta’s marriage did not take place in the wake of Elizabeth’s match to Edward IV in 1464. Instead, Jacquetta married John Strange, Lord Strange of Knokyn, by March 27, 1450. Their daughter Joan (the small figure depicted on the brass) married George, the heir of Thomas Stanley. George is best known for having been taken hostage by Richard III to guarantee the loyalty of the Stanleys at Bosworth, a gambit which failed.
The photographs of both brasses are from the picture library of the Monumental Brass Society.
yes it has been a long time since you blogged! I guessed you were tied-up with your new book. The brasses look superb – I particularly like the connection to George, who was the hostage of Richard III – luckily, his captors didn’t carry out Richard’s commands!
We miss you Susan, though I’m sure you’ve plenty to keep busy with! Thanks again for more of those fascinating tidbits I so love about the era.