SHROTON. (St. Mary.)
[Communicated by Mr. Wallis Cash, who kindly supplied the photographs.]
Close helmet, of which the skull and reinforcing skull-piece are circa 1525; the visor and mezeil circa 1575; and the gorget plates circa 1620. Crested, a bull's head. Helmet is painted grey, mezeil is gilt, and has its spring catch preserved (Fig. 1610, a and b). Tradition. Associated with the monument to Sir John Freke, ob. 1633. The helmet was once secured to a pillar near the pulpit. It is now placed on the arch over the organ, which separates the side chapel on the north side from the chancel. In this chapel is a mural monument with inscription: "Sir Thomas Freke Kn̄t eldest sonne of Robert of Shroton Esquire . . . & Elizabeth onely childe of John Talor of Burton Esquire. . . . Hee in his 70^{th}. yeare 1633, she in her 74 yeare 1641." The monument was erected by the family in 1654 and bears numerous shields of arms, and among these are: Sa. two bars, in chief three mullets or.
Crest. A bull's head couped sa. armed, collared and chained or. (Freke.) STURMINSTER MARSHALL. (St. Mary.)
[Communicated by the Rev. G. C. Niven, M.A.]
Helmet, made for a funeral, XVIIth century. Tradition. None. It hangs in the north aisle. A helmet and a sword disappeared in 1860 from the church during its restoration. Some years later a helmet was found in a cottage near by, where it was being used as a coal scuttle, and this is the helmet in the church. WHITECHURCH CANONICORUM. (St. Candida.)
[Communicated by the Rev. G. C. Niven, M.A.]
Close helmet, late XVIth century or early XVIIth century. Tradition. Associated with the monument to Sir John Jeffery, Kt., ob. 1611, above which it is placed. WIMBORNE, The Minster. 1. Helm, with slight keel, a bellows visor hinged to skull on each side with pins, ringed at top for attachment to visor, in which there are holes near the top rib. Spring catch to visor preserved. A small plate covers the junction of visor and chin-piece. Weight, 14-1/2 lb. (vide ante, vol. ii, p. 157, Fig. 494). Tradition. The helmet now hangs over the tomb of John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset (Fig. 1611), ob. 1444. The helmet is, however, of a date considerably later in the XVth century than 1444. 2. Close helmet, late XVIth century, crested with a Cap of Maintenance (part of the crest is probably missing). Tradition. The helmet hangs over the tomb of Sir Edmund Uvedale in the chancel, ob. 1606 (Fig. 1612). Arms. Arg. a cross moline gu. (Uvedale.) Crest. On each side of a chapeau az. lined erm. an ostrich feather arg.
WINTERBORNE CAME. (St. Peter.)
[Communicated by Mr. C. J. Cornish-Browne.]
Close helmet, late XVIth century. There is an addition to the chin-piece (Fig. 1613).
Tradition. The helmet has always been associated with the tomb of Sir John Mellor, which bears his effigy and that of his dame.
Cf. "Dorset Field Club Proc.," xii, p. 50.
