I am currently in the process of producing book of illustrations of 19th century Sheffield based on the various editions of Pawson and Brailsford's 'Illustrated Guide to Sheffield and the Surrounding Districts' (of which I am sure to have more to say some day) and the above illustration is from the 1879 edition.
The current draft of my note to appear with the illustration gives a taste of the history...
"The alabaster altar-piece was given to the abbey by Sir Godfrey Foljambe who died in 1376, the arms being those of Sir Godfrey (six escallops and the ‘jamb’ (leg) on the right) and his wife (six fleur-de-lis). The same arms can be seen on their mural monument in the south aisle of Bakewell Church. The carving was removed to the Foljambe family home at Aldwark and then at Osberton, near Worksop, after the dissolution of the abbey in 1536."
Should anyone be interested, I thought I would post below the description given by the Reverend Samuel Pegge in his 1801 account of the abbey, the description dates from 1784 at which time the piece was held at Adwarke, then the family home of the Foljambe's. Subsequently the family moved to Osberton Hall (~1787) and the altar-piece was described in various publications through the 19th century. There is a description of visit to the the Hall made by the
Thoroton Society during their Summer Excursion on the
19th September 1901, during which they mention the altar-piece. An undated black and white photograph of the altar-piece can be found in Picture Sheffield.
The Hall was sold in 1988 and again in 2011. Much of the Foljambe Collection built up by Francis Ferrand Foljambe (1749-1814) at Aldwarke and then at Osberton was removed in 1988, and many of the manuscripts and books were sold at Christies in 2008. Much of this information is gleaned from a planning application in 2012 to remove the display cases holding the last remnants of the stuffed bird collection - the application was rejected as was the appeal. Other than a passing mention concerning the origins of the collection, there is no mention of the fate of the Beauchief altar-piece.
The hunt therefore continues ........................................................
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From “An
Historical Account of Beauchief Abbey in the County of Derby, from its first
foundation to its Final Dissolution” by Rev Samuel Pegge, 1801.
Notes
in [ ] have been added by the editor - [? ?] indicates a possible
interpretation (a guess!).
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[Page
246]
APPENDIX
No XXIII
Altar·piece of the Abbey, now remaining at Aldwarke.
With
the free leave of Francis Ferrand Foljambe, esq. my good friend Mr. Josiah
Beckwith, of Masbrough, made the annexed drawing (Plate IX.) ao 1784
from an alabaster altar-piece (for such it is esteemed to be), formerly
belonging to our abbey, and now in the possession of the former benevolent
gentleman.
The
description which accompanied it ran as follows:
“About two feet high and nine broad [actually about 19 inches
broad] and about six inches thick. The
figures stand under a kind of canopy hollowed out of the stone; are about three
feet high, and project forward from the back two inches and a half; and the
recess in the stone under which they stand is about three inches back from the
front of the stone. The right arm of the knight that stands next St. Thomas is
broken at the wrist, but appears to have held a sword or dagger, which had
penetrated into the back part of the head of the saint. The right leg of the same
knight is broken off, from just below the knee to the foot 1. The canopy also from over his head to the end
of the stone is also broken off, but the stone in every other respect is
perfect. The figures, arms, ornaments, &c. have been painted and gilded
(the figures in their proper colours); and a good deal of the colouring and
gilding yet remains.”
Mr.
Beckwith, who apologizes for his unskilfulness in drawing, but assures me his
draught is a pretty strong representation of the original, thinks it was a present
to the abbey made by the first Sir Godfrey Foljambe, knight, and his lady. He was living 43 Edw. III [~1355], was a
seneschal of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and married Avice or Aveline,
the daughter of …. Ireland, of Hartshorne, because the arms of the first shield,
and those impaled with Foljambe in the second are the arms of that lady. He thinks this Sir Godfrey was the first of
his family that resided at Walton [Chesterfield], which was a grange belonging
to the abbey, and was rented by the Foljambe family from his time to the
Dissolution, when it was purchased by another Sir Godfrey, and continued to be
the capital seat of the family till Ao, 1631. And as the last named Sir Godfey purchased several
other of the possessions of this abbey, this accounts, in his idea, for the stone's
being at Aldwarke, now the chief seat of the family. He remarks farther, that the crest in the
lower corner of the stone, a Jamb [leg] parted per pale [?divided vertically?]
Or and Sa [?gold and black?]. is different from that borne now, which is a Jamb
quarterly [? divided into four parts?] Or and Sa. That on the stone has also the foot upwards,
whereas now it stands on the wreath 2. In the stone the wreath is about the knee.
1 This fracture, however, is not expressed in
the drawing.
2 This alteration is ancient, for we see it on a rail in Walton seat in Chesterfield church.
2 This alteration is ancient, for we see it on a rail in Walton seat in Chesterfield church.
[page
247]
APPENDIX.
Observations.
The stone
was so rich with painting and gilding, and otherwise by its expensive workmanship,
that it can be thought to be no less than an altar-piece.
The
archbishop is here strucken behind, on the back part of his head; whereas on
the convent's seal he has his front towards the assassins. See the Preface, and
p. 6.
The
assassins are in number four, see p. 14.
The figure next the archbishop, and who appears to strike him first, is
probably meant for Reginald Fitz-urse, who is represented in history as the
boldest and most forward of the company 1. They all have their spurs on, as coming from a
distance, and are armed 2. The next figure to him who I have conjectured
to be Fitz-urse has his sword drawn, and is in the posture of striking with it.
The
archbishop is cloathed in scarlet, which may be accounted for by observing, he
was led hastily by a private way through the cloisters into the church, in the
time of divine service 3, consequently might well be in his ordinary
habit.
One
scarcely needs to remark, that the figure with the cross and book is intended
for one of the archbishop's chaplains, his cross-bearer; his right hand being so
visible reminds us of that passage in the history, where it is said, that one
of the monks of Canterbury interposing his arm to ward off the first blow, it
was almost cut off 4; the hand appears here obnoxious to such blow.
The
first Sir Godfrey Foljambe married two wives; Anne, and Avice or Aveline
Ireland. In the life-time of Anne, he
founded a chantrey at Bakewell 5, com. Derby. ; and, after his
re-marriage with Avice Ireland, he made a present of this altar-piece to
Beauchief Abbey, viz. before 1350, as he died that year [or 1375]. This second wife
survived him, and remarried 6.
Quaere
[Query], whether Walton was purchased by Foljambe, since Sir Thomas,
second son of the first Sir Godfrey and Anne above-mentioned, may seem to have
acquired it by marrying Margaret daughter and co-heir of Sir John Loadham 7.
Sir Godfrey, however, after the
Dissolution, might, and I believe did, purchase what lands the abbey had, at
this place. The first error of my friend
Mr. Beckwith seems to have been, his taking the Grange for the mansion of Brito, Loudham and Foljambe,
whereas it was the farm now occupied by Alison,
and the estate of John Woodier, of Crookhill, in the county of York, esq. which
at this day is tythe-free 8.
1 Lord
Lyttelton, IV. p. 360
2 Ibid. p. 358
3 Ibid. p. 359.
4 Ibid. p. 360
5 Antiquarian Repertory, IV. p. 94.
6 Pedigree, penès Fr. Fer. Foljambe, esq.
7 Ibid.
8 See p. 138.
2 Ibid. p. 358
3 Ibid. p. 359.
4 Ibid. p. 360
5 Antiquarian Repertory, IV. p. 94.
6 Pedigree, penès Fr. Fer. Foljambe, esq.
7 Ibid.
8 See p. 138.
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