HACKNEY. (St. John.)
Helmet, XVIIth century, with spike (Fig. 1677).
This helmet was formerly hanging in the old church, now pulled down. It is now suspended in the south vestibule at the west end of the present church, near the staircase leading to the gallery.
Tradition. None.
The funeral of Francis Tyssen, Lord of the Manor of Hackney, took place at the old parish church on 11 November 1716. The funeral cost £2,000. By order of the Earl of Suffolk, Deputy Earl Marshal, the following notice appeared in the Gazette of 23 November 1716: "The corps of Francis Thyssen . . . was carried in great procession with four of the King's trumpets, etc., with a led horse in a velvet caparison and all the trophies proper to a gentleman on that occasion to Hackney. . . . This is therefore to satisfy the public, that application having been made to His Majesty's servants, officers of arms, to direct and marshal the said funeral, they were ready to consent thereto. But the manner in which the body was set forth and also a led horse, trumpets, guidons and six pennons with a coach of state being insisted upon (all of which far exceeded the quality of the deceased, he being only a private gentleman) the said officers refused to give their attendance at the said funeral, altho' of right they ought to have borne the trophies proper to the degree of the defunct; notwithstanding which, the same were carried by improper persons in so very irregular and unjustifiable a manner, that not any one was carried in its right place; which licentious liberty taken of late years by ignorant pretenders to marshal and set forth funerals of the nobility, gentry, and others etc." (Lyson, "Environs of London," ii, p. 504).
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Fig. 1676. Chelsea
MIDDLE TEMPLE.[1]
In the Hall are: (1) Seventeen breast- and backplates (some of the finest peascod form) with pauldrons and other parts of arm-pieces, thirty-eight morions, cabassets, and steel caps, fourteen matchlock muskets, three shields, two pikes, all of Elizabethan date, and one halberd of the XVIIth century. (2) A Henry VIII mitten gauntlet.
In the middle of the XIXth century the Inn added other pieces, including: (a) a demi-suit of Milanese make; (b) a breast- and backplate of Charles I period; (c) breast- and backplate of James I period; (d) five halberds; (e) two rapiers of the XVIth and XVIIth centuries; (f) swords of the XVIth century; (g) a hunting sword, XVIIth century; (h) a pair of pistols, Charles I period.
One of the cabassets is engraved with the story of Mucius Scaevola above a scroll with the letters "MVCIO," and with this cabasset must have been associated one of the shields, engraved with the same subject and partly gilt.
One of the head pieces is a burgonet of about 1590, with the skull-piece of two parts; it has been described as of Flemish make. It is engraved with a design of branches of briar, rooted in a heart, supported by two hands issuant from clouds. The briar blossoms with heraldic roses, and amongst the branches are figures of goats, owls, snails, etc. There is also a breastplate with similar design, which bears in addition these escutcheons: (a) a demi-lion crowned issuant from water (Zealand); (b) a lion rampant, ensigned with a coronet, and above an open dexter hand issuant from a cloud (Guelders); (c) a lion rampant. Below these
- ↑ See Footnote (1) ante, p. 207.
