Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Lichfield / A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espicopal See

by A. B. Clifton

The Monuments in the south choir aisle are particularly interesting. Commencing from the west end, there is on the south side an altar tomb in memory of Archdeacon Hodson, who died in 1855. The slab is of Serpentine stone, with a brass cross inlaid, and there are alabaster plaques representing the Crucifixion, the Entombment, the Resurrection, and the Ascension. Opposite is a monument to his son, Major Hodson, known as "Hodson of Hodson's Horse," who played a dramatic part in the Indian Mutiny, where he received his death wound. The coped top forms a cross, and underneath are represented the King of Delhi surrendering his sword to Major Hodson, with allegorical figures of Justice, Fortitude, Temperance, and Mercy; and at the corners statuettes of Joshua, David, St. Thomas of India, and St. George of England. Both these monuments are by Mr G. E. Street, R.A., the well-known architect of the Law Courts in London.

Close to the gate is a medallion to Erasmus Darwin, "a skilful observer of Nature," and the author of several books. He died in 1802, and was the grandfather of Charles Darwin, the celebrated biologist, whose name is a household word. The memorial to the grandfather directs attention to the hereditary obligations of the grandson.

In the second bay, between the pier arches, is the monument of Bishop Langton, who died in 1296. This originally stood to the south of the high altar. The figure is of Purbeck marble, and is habited in pontificalibus; the head lies on a plain cushion in a kind of frame. The mitre and shoes were probably once richly jewelled, and the whole, as we know from Sir William Dugdale's "Visitation," had a pedimented canopy. Now nothing remains but the mutilated effigy.

In a similar position in the third bay is the effigy of Bishop Patteshull, who died in 1241. This is also of Purbeck marble, and was probably jewelled. There are ministering angels outside a pediment at the head; the figure has the pastoral staff in the left hand, while the right is obviously raised in benediction, though only the fingers are left, the second wearing the episcopal ring. Pennant and others have drawn attention to the fact that this effigy has the "stigmata" or marks of Our Lord's wounds on his hands and feet. Some antiquarians think that this is the monument of Bishop Weseham, and not of Bishop Patteshull. There are engravings and descriptions of these last two monuments in Gough's "Sepulchral Monuments in Great Britain," 1796, but it is certainly strange that Langton's monument is described as Patteshull's, and vice versa.

Opposite to Bishop Langton is the most curious monument in the cathedral. It has now been identified as the tomb of Sir John Stanley of Pipe. The effigy represents a knight naked to the waist, below which was formerly a deep skirt painted with the arms of Stanley, the legs being in armour, while under the head is a buck's horn, and a similar horn is placed beneath the feet. The whole subject of this tomb is one presenting many difficulties, but they have now been cleared up, and in a communication to the "Archaeological Journal," vol. 24, Mr J. Hewitt has given much interesting information. From it the following account is taken:—The monument was always known as that of "Captain Stanley," who for some offence had been excommunicated, and who, after atonement, had been admitted to sepulture in holy ground on condition that the evidence of his punishment should appear on his sepultured effigy. The mutilations of the Civil Wars have so defaced the monument as to make this story extremely doubtful, until among papers belonging to the Earl of Winchelsea was found a coloured drawing of this effigy, done by Sir William Dugdale just before the wars for Sir Christopher Hatton. This sketch showed that the skin was bare, and that the skirt had the Stanley arms. But this did not clear up the difficulty. Pennant, in his "Journey from Chester to London," describes the tomb and gives the story, and then says: "I find a Sir Humphrey Stanley of Pipe, who died in the reign of Henry VII., who had a squabble with the Chapter about conveying water through his lands to the close ... so probably this might be the gentleman who incurred the censure of the church for his impiety." Shaw, in his "History of Staffordshire," declares that the arms on the base of the tomb show "the arms of Stanley impaling or, three chevronels gules (Clare)," which means that the person represented married a Clare. This Sir Humphrey did not do, and, moreover, he was buried in Westminster Abbey, where his brass still remains. Further investigation showed that the arms of Clare are also the arms of Gerard, and then that Sir John Stanley of Pipe married Margaret, the daughter of Sir Thomas Gerard. Pipe is a domain about a mile from Lichfield, so that the family of the dead knight would naturally have desired his interment in the cathedral of that city.

It does not appear that there was any ignominy implied in scourging as a public penance. On the contrary, many royal personages have submitted to it, and everyone will remember that Henry II. underwent a scourging upon his naked shoulders by the hands of the monks of Canterbury. There is a stained-glass window in the Bodleian Library at Oxford showing this scene.

Dr Rock, in the same volume of the "Archaeological Journal," says that to his thinking "this Stanley, of knightly rank, had drawn upon himself the greater excommunication through the spilling of blood in Lichfield Cathedral on some occasion, from a blow on the face with his hand or possibly by a slight stab with his avelace on the person of one with whom he had quarrelled. He lies bareheaded and naked as far down as the girdle. His upraised hands, according to the representation given by Pennant, and copied in Shaw's 'History of Staffordshire,' held a scroll which must have been the document ... signifying under the bishop's hand that, having undergone the canonical penance, the offender was again admitted to all Christian privileges."

Farther east than the "minstrel gallery" there is a window in memory of Bishop Rawle, who was consecrated Bishop of Trinidad in this cathedral by Bishop Selwyn. The subjects depicted in the window are Christ's Appeal to St. Peter, St. Paul's Vision, and The Baptism of the Ethiopian by St. Philip. Underneath the window is a highly-ornamented altar tomb designed by Sir Gilbert Scott in memory of Archdeacon Moore, whose effigy lies on the top. He died in 1876. Opposite, in the next bay, is the monument of Dean Howard, who died in 1868; the effigy of the dean, in marble, lies under a triple canopy formed from portions of the old screen. These last two effigies were the work of H. Armstead, R.A. It was here that Bishop Langton's monument once stood, and here also was Bishop Hacket's. This last now stands on the opposite side under the very beautiful window of the sixth bay of this aisle: it is in the Jacobean style, and is much painted and gilded. An effigy of the Bishop lies on an altar tomb under a canopy, while in front is a lengthy inscription in Latin.

Near this place, with other monuments, is one to the memory of Colonel Richard Bagot, who received his death wound at the battle of Naseby, 1645, and was buried in the cathedral. His father was Sir Hervey Bagot, Governor of the Close on behalf of the king.

In the seventh bay is another of the semi-effigies, two of which are in the south aisle of the nave, but this one is much more damaged; it is supposed to be the monument of Canon Strangeways. In Jackson's "History of Lichfield," which was published in 1805, it is stated that the name, though not then distinguishable, had only recently become obliterated, and was known and remembered to be Strangeways.