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Sepulchral Effigies of Leicestershire and Rutland only
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Exton: SS Peter and Paul

NAME

TYPE

MATERIAL

DATE

Robert Kelway

Recumbent knight

Alabaster

1581

At the east end of the south aisle, Robert Kelway's monument also depicts his daughter Anne, her husband John Harrington and their daughter, Lucy, who are all kneeling before Robert's recumbent effigy. There is also a representation of Robert's grandson who died in infancy.

Originally, if the sketch in Blore's History and Antiquities of the County of Rutland is correct, all faced east towards the altar, but the son-in-law now faces west.

Robert, a lawyer, has his head on a cushion and is depicted wearing a round flat hat, ruff, short beard and a fur-lined cloak. There is a dragon regardant at his feet.

On the slab there are two female figures, one beneath the head and the other beneath the feet. John, kneeling on a cushion, has curly hair and is wearing a ruff and armour. Anne, also kneeling on a cushion, has her daughter Lucy behind her.

The monument, which has gadrooning so typical of the Southwark school, is topped by an achievement of arms: Qly

  1. Argent, two spoke shaves in saltier sable, between five pears pendant or (Kelway)
  2. Argent, a fess gules, a label of five points azure (Birkyn)
  3. Azure, ten bezants (?)
  4. Ermine, on a chief or three lions rampant sable (?).

Above the arms are three cupids; the right with his foot on a skull, the left holding a spade and the centre one blowing a horn. On either side is a tall obelisk topped by a ball. The effigies are under a coffered arch bordered by columns with Corinthian capitals.

The back of the arch is decorated with flowers, strapwork, spades, scythes and oil-lamps.

On either side of the arch are the arms of Kelway: Quarterly of eighteen

  1. A fret argent (Harrington)
  2. Barry of six argent and gules (?)
  3. Azure fretty and flory or (?)
  4. Argent, a chevron between three delves gules (?)
  5. Argent, a bend engrailed gules (?)
  6. Argent, a chevron sable between nine martlets gules (Hardeshall)
  7. Or, a cross gules, in dexter chief a martlet azure (?)
  8. Azure, three stags statant or (Green)
  9. Argent, fretty sable, on a canton gules a rose of the first (Rudyard)
  10. Azure, a saltire and a chief or (Bruse)
  11. Argent, an escutcheon with a double tressure flory counter flory gules (Earl of Huntingdon
  12. Argent, a lion rampant sable, a chief gules (Waltheof)
  13. Azure, three garbs or (Earl of Chester)
  14. Azure, a wolf's head erased or (Hugh Lupus)
  15. Argent, a cinquefoil pierced azure (Moton)
  16. Or, three piles meeting in point gules, a canton vair (Bassett)
  17. 17. Or, a fess gules (?)
  18. Ermine, a bend gules (?).

impaling Qly

  1. Argent, two spoke shaves in saltier sable, between five pears pendant or (Kelway)
  2. Argent, a fess gules, a label of five points azure (Birkyn)
  3. Azure, ten bezants (?)
  4. Ermine, on a chief or three lions rampant sable (?).

There are two inscriptions; the first is now on the wall by the memorial and the other on the monument itself. They read:

    Hic jacet Sepultus Robertus Keylwey, infignis (dum vixit) intertogatos armiger, Ingenio, Doctrina, et virtute clarus, qui semper bene latuit, vixit christiane, et mortuus est in domino 21 Februarii anno salutis nostrae 1580 et aetatis suae 84. Sobolem reliquit superstitem Annam, solam Haeredem et unicam filiam sibi charissimam, nuptam Johanni Harington de Exton, militi, quem pro filio et amico intime semper dilexit: de qua quidem Anna dictus Johannes genuit in vita praedicti Roberti prolem geminam, Keylweiium filium qui mortuus est, secundo die mensis Decembris An. Dom. 1570 et aetatis suae 21 hebdomodarum, et hic una cum avo tumulatur; et Luciam filiam ad huc superstitem, cui longam vitam concedat Deus. Ut ergo dicti Johannes et Anna tam charo et pio parenti justa persolvant, et ut gratissim. animi sui Exemplum Posteris relinquant, Hoc Monumentum construxerunt, illudq; Keylweyo patri, et Keylweyo filio, (in perpetuam corum memoriam, si sic Deo placuerit) dedicarunt, quod sibimet etiam Sepulchrum (Deo savente) destinant.

    Qui generisq, sui suerat, gentisq, togatae Gloria, Keylweii funera flenda vides. Contulerant in eumi varie sua munera Diva, Justicae comites, Suada, Minerva, Fides. Dum latet in Templi Vir non incantus Asyle, Invidia caruit, crevit at ille magis. Tutius occulto cressit sic arbor in Aevo Nititur et tandem, viribus ipsa suis. Sed neque sic potuit, venienti obsistere morti, (Sed bene) dum in Christo molliter ossa cubent. Dotibus ben nimium mors o inimica beatis; Horrida sic omnes, ad tua lustra trabis.

    (Here lies Robert Kelway; distinguished amongst men, while he lived he was renowned for talent, learning and virtue. He lived as a Christian and died in the Lord on 21 February 1580 in the 84th year of his age. His dearly loved daughter Anne, his sole heiress, married John Harrington of Exton, whom he had always affectionately loved as a son and friend.

    Anne and John had two children during Robert's life: a son, Kelway, who died 2 December 1570, aged 21 weeks, who was buried here with his grandfather; and a daughter, Lucy, still surviving and may God grant her a long life. As a just tribute to so dear and affectionate a parent, and to leave posterity evidence of their deep gratitude, the said John and Anne have raised this monument and dedicated it to their father and son Kelway. And, if it so please God, designed it also as a sepulchre for themselves.)


Sepulchral Effigies of Leicestershire and Rutland
Text copyright Max Matthews 2002. Selected text copyright Bob Trubshaw 2025–6.
Images copyright Max Matthews 2002 or Bob Trubshaw 2002, 2025–6.
No copying or reproduction without prior written permission.
Published by Heart of Albion Press


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