Fig. 248.—Coudière, Peter Halle, 1420. Herne Church, Kent.
One of the earliest examples in brasses of this period is that at Great Tew Church, Oxfordshire, referred to on p. [192] as being of a transition character, in consequence of the camail appearing beneath the gorget. The bascinet and bavière are in one piece, and the whole revolves upon the gorget, which is probably prolonged upwards inside the headpiece. The placcates are oviform; the upper lame of the taces covers the lower part of the breastplate; the hauberk and hip-belt are in use, and the great heaume is shown under the head, to be worn as usual over the bascinet. Robert, Lord Ferrers of Chartley, 1407 ([Fig. 243]), presents a very unornamental suit of this earlier portion of the period, showing the globular helmet with the mentonnière riveted to the upper portion and revolving within the gorget; it should be compared with the Wylcotes brass. Sir Simon de Felbrygge, K.G., 1413, is shown with the royal banner of King Richard II., and wears the diagonal sword-belt; he is furnished with many lames in his epaulières and has shield-shaped palettes, while the coudières show the fan-shaped plates in their incipient stage. The Yorkshire St. Quintins appear to have been eccentric in the style of their armour. We have referred to peculiarities in respect of Sir John de St. Quintin and his brass, 1397 (vide p. [191]), and in that of Sir Thomas de St Quintin, in Harpham Church, Yorkshire ([Fig. 246]), we have more characteristic originalities. The orle round the bascinet is of very large proportions, and ornamented with a brooch in front; the gorget consists of three plates, the upper one of peculiar form, showing ridged projections over the cheekplates of the bascinet, while the epaulières are more of the nature of the pauldron of a subsequent period, in being composed of a single piece. The arm openings are protected respectively by a roundel and a shield-shaped palette, and roundels are also used at the elbows, these being strongly reminiscent of the early camail days (vide Sir John de Argentine, 1360, p. [175]).
Fig. 249.—Bascinet, Sir William Calthorpe, 1420. Burnham Thorpe Ch., Norfolk.
The hip-belt is among the latest examples of that fashion, having been generally discarded by this date; it is very elaborate, and suggestive in point of width of that of the brass of Sir John de St Quintin in 1397 (p. [191]). The hem of the hauberk is wavy, and so also is that of the gambeson showing beneath it; this is possibly the only example of the gambeson being visible at this late period. But perhaps the chief points to be observed are the laminated defences for the back parts of the genouillières. If they are lames they probably represent the earliest development of this nature; on the other hand the artist may have intended to represent banded mail, and omitted the small vertical lines. The development of the fan-shaped coudière may be well observed in the brass of Lord Camoys, in Trotton Church, Sussex ([Fig. 247]), where the defence, both inside and out, may be seen, but the strap or other fastening joining the two sides of the opening is not shown. The coudière may have been riveted to the brassarts and vambraces, in which case it was not needed. A brass in which the fastening is apparent is that of Peter Halle, c. 1420, in Herne Church, Kent ([Fig. 248]), where the strap may be noticed crossing the mail. Upon the brass of Sir William Calthorpe, 1420, in Burnham Thorpe Church, Norfolk, the bascinet is shown very highly ornamented with a border; he also wears a collar of Esses round the neck ([Fig. 249]).
The brass of Sir John Lysle ([Fig. 250]) in Thruxton Church, Hampshire, bears the date 1407, and if the effigy were executed at that time, or approximately so, we have the earliest example of complete plate in existence in England. There are, however, certain points about the armour delineated which lend themselves to the supposition that the brass was executed some ten or more years later, viz. the absence of any hauberk; the development of the fan-shaped coudières; the position of the misericorde and the sword-belt, &c. The distinction probably belongs to the Ferrers brass.
The brass of Sir John de Leventhorpe, 1433, at Sawbridgeworth Church, Herts ([Fig. 251]), is interesting as showing the development of the lowermost tace into the subsequent tuilles of the Tabard Period. In this effigy the lame in question is divided into two tuilles which still have the same width, and partake of the nature of taces; each tuille is suspended by two buckles. This is one of the earliest representations of this feature in England.