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Once under a large depressed Gothic arch, the tomb-chest has four black columns at the
corners that carry a black covering slab with eight kneeling figures of children and
three recumbent infants in swaddling clothes.
William, bearded with long curly hair, is depicted in armour. His right arm is on his chest
while his left is holding a sword. He is wearing an ermine-trimmed robe with his feet
supported by
a ram. Abigail, whose hair is in bunches, is also wearing a fur-trimmed robe and has her feet
supported by a dog. Both figures are resting their heads on tasselled cushions.
Under the canopy, supported by a ram and a greyhound, are the arms of
Sherard (Argent, a chevron gules between three torteaux) impaling Azure fretty or (Cave).
Beneath the arms are the mottoes Hostis Honori Invidia ('Envy is the enemy to honour')
and En Vertu la Force ('In virtue there is strength').
Quarterly of twenty
- Argent, a chevron gules between three torteaux (Sherard)
- Argent, on a bend sable nine annulets linked together or (Hauberke)
- Or frety of six gules (Verdon).
- Or, a fess gules (Lacey)
- Or, three chevonels gules (Clare)
- Argent crusilly fitchy and three fleurs-de-lis sable within a bordure gules (St Hillary)
- Gules, three clarions or (Consull)
- Azure, a lion rampant guardant or (Fitzhamon).
- Ermine, a fess sable (Isley)
- Argent, three horse barnacles sable (Barnack)
- Argent, on a saltire sable five swans (Burgh).
- Argent, three leopard's faces jessant-de-lis sable (Woodford)
- Ermine, a talbot passant sable langued proper (Priest)
- Gules, on a bend or three martlets sable (Brabazon)
- Sable, a chevron between three pick-axes argent (Mosley).
- Azure, six bezants (Bissett)
- Argent, on a chevron three bezants, a bordure engrailed gules (Helwell)
- Argent, fess and a canton conjoined gules a bordure sable bezanty (Woodville)
- Gules, on a chevron argent three roses (Brow)
- Per fess argent and or, a cross moline gules (Foville).
Impaling quarterly of nine
- Azure, fretty argent (Cave).
- Sable, on a bend flory or three escallops gules (?).
- Ermine, on a bend sable three whale's heads erased or (Whalley)
- Gules, a chevron between three mallets of six points or (Danvers).
- Argent, on a bend sable three seamews or (Danvers).
- Gules, two bars or, in chief two stag's heads caboshed of the last (Branchester).
- Ermine, on a bend gules three chevrons or (Bruley).
- Argent, on a fess between three martlets sable, as many mullets of the field (Pary).
- Argent, a chevron between three bells argent (Bennett).
There are two inscriptions. The first is on the north side of the chest, while the second is
on the wall behind. It is possible that the latter was originally on the south side of the
chest, which is now flush against the wall. The present church was not built until 1783 and it
is not known where in the former church this and the monument to Bennett, on the opposite wall,
stood.
Here lies interred the body of Sir William Sherrard, Lord Sherrard, Baron of Le Trime in
Ireland.
His most singular piety, bounty, courtesy, humanity, hospility, charity crowned his
mortell life, which (after he had enjoyed LII years) he changed for that which is immortal,
the first day of April,
in the year of Our Lord God MDCXL whose coming he expects.
William Lord Sherrard
third sonne of Francis Sherrard Esquire
had issue seaven Sonnes,
(Bennet, Phillip, George, Francis, William, Henry and John),
Foure Daughters
Emilia, Abigail, Anne, Elizabeth
By his Wife Abigail eldest Daughter of Cecil Cave
Esquire, third sonne of Roger Cave of Stanford
in the County of Northampton Esquire.
And this shee most affectionately dedicated
to his Memory for him, herselfe
and their children.
In July 1622 William, who married Abigail Cave in 1620, was knighted by James I.
Five years
later, in July 1627, Charles I created him Lord Sherrard and Baron of Letrym, Ireland.
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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