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Sepulchral Effigies of Leicestershire and Rutland only
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Frowlesworth: St Nicholas

NAME

TYPE

MATERIAL

DATE

Frances Staresmore

Recumbent lady

Alabaster by ?Epiphanius Evesham

1657: Erected in 1658

Frances, wife of the Lord of the Manor is depicted recumbent on a high tomb enveloped in a richly creased and crumpled shroud with only the face visible. The head rests on a tasselled cushion.


 

On the south side, flanked by two coats of arms - Sable, a lion rampant guardant or (Brocas) and Argent, fess vert between three torteuax (Staresmore) impaling Brocas - is the inscription:

    Sacred to the precious memory of Mrs Frances Staresmore (wife of Francis Staresmore, esq. Lord of this Manor of Frowlesworth), one of the daughters and coheirs of William Brocas, of Threddingworth in ye county of Leicester, esq, who departed this life the second day of June in the year of our Lord God, 1657, was this monument erected 1658.

The north side bears the inscription:

    To me to live in Christ, to dye is gain.

There are two reasons for believing this to be the work of Evesham, or at least his workshop. Firstly, it is believed that Mrs Starsmore employed Evesham for her husband's effigy and, secondly, the Harrington monument in Hertingfordbury, attributed by Esdaile to Evesham, contains a figure almost identical to that of Frances.


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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