The Beresford Tomb, Fenny Bentley

[poliphilo]

The life-sized, shrouded effigies of Sir Thomas Beresford and his wife Agnes on their tomb in Fenny Bentley church. Their many children are represented- also shrouded- around the sides of the tomb. Sir Thomas and some of his sons fought at Agincourt.

Comments

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Hehe - what a clever wheeze by the sculptors! I imagine them having a stock of generic shrouded bodies out the back - quick and easy to knock out when business was quiet, of course. Then whenever the local aristocracy requested a shrouded funeral effigy, they could doff their caps, say "I'll have it for you by next week, m'lud", and skip off down the pub. Very good. :-)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Saves having to worry about getting a likeness too...:)

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

That was my first thought! There has to be a story there somewhere. Was they specially commissioned or was it a wizard wheeze by a not very good sculptor in order to hide his lack of skill?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've no idea. I'd like to think it was a commission.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

Aren't these amazing? I wonder how many examples of shrouded effigies there are? Had no idea they did this sort of thing.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've never come across anything quite like this before. It may not be unique, but it's rare.

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

My first thought was that someone had gone to a lot of trouble to carve those giant marrows!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Heh-heh-heh....

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

Now THAT is fascinating, I have never seen fully shrouded effegies before.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Me neither, though semi-shrouded cadavers are relatively common.

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

John Donne immediately springs to mind.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

I've never seen anything like that before. I wonder...were they requested by the family or by the deceased themselves before they died or...as someone suggests, just an easy way our for the tomb carvers?
It's just a little creepy as well.
:)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've no idea. And I doubt any record remains. I'd like to think that whoever commissioned the tomb (presumably one of the Beresfords) had a taste for the morbid and bizarre.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

That's fascinating. I've never seen anything like that before.