There are several monuments in memory of the Porte family. The oldest one is a brass in memory of Henry Porte, and Elizabeth his wife, and used to be on the floor of the chapel. It has been taken up, and used to block up a door on the north side of the chancel. Only the matrix of the brass of Henry is left, but his wife, clad in conventual dress adopted by widows, and his children, nine sons and eight daughters, remain. At the upper corners of the brass are two shields, one bearing a figure of our Lord, with the “orbs mundi” in His left hand, and the other the Blessed Virgin, and Child. Of the two shields at the bottom one bears the arms of Porte, the other has been taken away. Below, on a brass scroll, is an inscription:—
“Orate pro an̄abus Henrici Porte, et Elizabeth ūxis ejus, qui quidem Henricus obiit in festo Sc̄i Thomæ Marturis.
Anno Dn̄i M. V. duodecimo quorum an̄abus propitietur Deus.”
“Under the arche that is bytwene the chancell and the chapell, where I and my wyff had used commonly to knele,” so did Sir John Porte, justice of the King’s Bench, by will dated January 19th, 1527, order that his body should be buried. Over the grave a monument was erected, on which rest the effigies of Sir John, and his two wives, Jane, daughter and heiress of John Fitzherbert of Etwall, and Margaret, daughter of Sir Edward Trafford. The tomb has been much mutilated, the heads of Sir John and one of his wives have been knocked off. He wears his robes of office, with a collar and pendant. On the north side of the monument are shields bearing the arms of Porte impaling Fitzherbert, on the south Porte impaling the quartered coat of Trafford. The Porte motto, “Intende prospere,” is frequently repeated on the cornice above, and the various emblems of the Passion are carved among the other decorations of the monument. Built against the south wall of the chancel is “the comely and handsome tomb of pure marble” of Sir John Porte, Knt., son of Justice Porte by his first wife Jane. “Set and fixed, graven in brass,” are portraits of Sir John, his two wives, (Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Gifford, of Chillington, and Dorothy, daughter of Sir Anthony Fitzherbert), and his five children, two boys and three girls, all by his wife, Elizabeth.
Above the tomb, on a square slab, is a shield bearing the arms of Porte, surmounted by helmet and crest. On the tomb, at the top left-hand corner, a shield Porte, impaling quarterly of Gifford and Montgomery, in the right-hand corner Porte impaling quarterly of the two Fitzherbert coats. Below, set in three quatrefoils, are three shields, (1) Porte, (2) Porte impaling Gifford and Montgomery, (3) quarterly of four, Stanhope, Maloval, Longvillers, and Lexington impaling Porte and Montgomery.
Below the figure is the following inscription:—
“Under thys tombe lyeth buryed the Boodye of Syr John Porte Knyght sonne and heyre unto Syr John Porte one of the Justyces of ye Kyngs Benche at Westmynstʳ Elsebeth & Dorothe wyves to the same Sʳ John Porte the sonne whych sonne dyed the syrt day of June Anno Dni 1557.”
Etwall Hall came into lay hands after the dissolution of monasteries. It is a very plain building, built, or rather faced, with stone brought from the ruins of Tutbury Castle. Nothing worth seeing, but, for those who admire tapestry, there are two beautiful pieces. One representing a garden scene, with a pagoda-like building, columns, flowers, fruit and Cupids. At the bottom the goddess Diana and other figures. Another piece represents scenes in the life of King David: playing before Saul, Battle scene, Marriage with Bathsheba. The border consists of a series of figures, chiefly ladies, with dogs, fruit, and flowers.