Arms. Gu. a chevron erm. betw. three bulls' heads cabossed arg. armed or. (Bullock.) Crest. Five Lochaber axes, handles or, blades ppr. bound with an escarf gu. tassels or.
Cf. De Cosson and Burges, "Helmets and Mail," p. 88. HALSTEAD. (St. Andrew.)
[Communicated by the Rev. T. H. Curling, the vicar.]
An oak shield bearing the Bourchier arms, arg. a cross engrailed gu. betw. four water bougets sa. (incorrectly coloured on the shield). Tradition. Associated with the tomb of John Bourchier, K.G., ob. 1400. According to tradition the shield was originally suspended over the tomb of John de Bourchier, ob. 1328. Cf. "R. C. on Hist. Mon." (Essex), i, p. xxxiii (illustrated); p. 151 (illustration of tomb). HATFIELD PEVEREL. (St. Andrew.)
[Communicated by Miss Hope.]
1. Helmet, XVIIth century, crested, a demi-lion holding a rudder. 2. Gauntlets. 3. Sword. 4. One spur. 5. Coat of arms (said to have disappeared recently). Tradition. This complete achievement is associated with the tomb of Sir Edward Alleyn, ob. 1635, or with the burial of Sir Edmund Alleyn, ob. 1656. Arms. Sa., a cross potent or. (Alleyn.) Crest. A demi lion gu. supporting a rudder sa.
HEDINGHAM, CASTLE. (St. Nicholas.)
1. Helm, circa 1513, with crest, a blue boar (vide ante, vol. ii, p. 140, Fig. 480).
2. "Cap of mail," sword, spurs, gauntlet, and banners, which are no longer in the church.
Tradition. The achievements of John, 15th Earl of Oxford, ob. 1539, whose altar tomb (which is also that of Elizabeth Trussell, his wife) is in the chancel, but this position is not the original one. On one panel of the tomb is portrayed a knight in fluted armour.
Crest. A boar passant, az., armed or. (Vere.)
Cf. "R. C. on Hist. Mon." (Essex), i, p. 50 (tomb illustrated); "N. and Q.," 5th series, x, p. 130; Inman, "Hist. of Essex," 1770, ii, p. 120; "Excursions through Essex," 1819, ii, p. 183.
The Baron de Cosson in a letter of the 11th of July 1921 wrote about this helm: "It was in 1879 or so that it was for sale in London, I think at Wright's in Wardour Street, who had been commissioned to part with it, and I went to see it with my friend William Burges. £100 was the price asked for it. It was purchased soon after by Signor Ressman, then an attaché at the Italian Embassy in London, who formed a fine collection of ancient arms and armour. Much later, in fact shortly before he died (1899), he ceded it to Carrand in exchange for the German tilting helm, formerly in the Meyrick Collection (ante, vol. ii, Fig. 459, p. 118), which is now also in the Bargello in the Ressman bequest. After Ressman's death, with other papers of his on arms, I was given the description of this helm, which was with it when it was for sale in London. It was there stated that it came from Castle Hedingham and was supposed to have belonged to John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford. Hedingham Castle was the chief seat of the de Vere family, John, the 13th Earl, espousing the cause of Henry, Earl of Richmond, commanded the archers at Bosworth and restored by Henry VII and Henry VIII to all the family honours. He died 1512. My note says that the arms of de Vere are painted above the decorations above the front of the helm, and a large 'O' is to be seen on either side above the scrollwork. The outline of this painting is still visible for where the paint was the surface is very slightly rusted. I think that there is much reason to believe that the attribution given to the helm is correct."
HEMPSTEAD. (St. Andrew.)
Close helmet, period Charles I, believed to be funerary; crested, a hand holding a crescent (Fig. 1616).
Tradition. Associated with the monument to Sir William Harvey, ob. 1719. There are monuments to Sir William Harvey, the great physician, ob. 1657; Eliab Harvey, ob. 1661; Sir Eliab Harvey, ob. 1698; his sons, Eliab, ob. 1681, Matthew, ob. 1692.
Crest. A dexter hand couped at the wrist and erect ppr. over it a crescent reversed arg. (Harvey.)
Cf. "R. C. on Hist. Mon." (Essex), i, p. 159.
