East Sussex Church Monuments - 1530 to 1830 - Archive of Photographs
by Professor Nigel Llewellyn

(4) ALFRISTON, St. Andrew

A large 14th-century church, Decorated into Perpendicular - Nairn & Pevsner (396); for a plan, see SNQ (III 12); for views see BL Add. MS 5678 f.233; 5676 f.72; 5671 f.62; in 1686 some of the paving was missing (Ford 53). No mural monuments were erected on the church walls, perhaps avoiding the mediaeval wall paintings; the walls were bare by 1825 (see Ade's drawing ESRO ACC 340). The early 18th century Vincent hatchment was not matched by monuments - a lack noted in Gent's Mag 1767, see Gomme (181), perhaps due to the absence in Alfriston of a dominant family (sensible suggestion in the Church Guide). However, there is an important set of ledgers, some now hard to access, and 4B offers a rare chance to gauge a ledger's thickness. The parish clerk, James Richardson, recorded the inscriptions in 1865, see Richardson (SAC 17 240-4). Horsfield (Sussex I 330-2) cites no M.I.s here.

4A Ledger for John BROOKE, d. 1680

-  North transept floor, West end, against North wall, partly obscured by furnishings.

-  63(W) x 120(L)~Very worn.

-  M.I. (4 lines) in upper 30% of freestone slab; head to East.

4B Ledger for Thomas CHOWNE, d. 1724

-  North transept floor, centre, South of 4C-D.

-  86(W) x 167(L)~Fine; damaged North edge.

-  M.I. (5 lines, engraved) in upper 40% of polished black slab; head to West.

4C Ledger for Phebe CHOWNE, d. 1713

-  North transept floor, centre, North of 4B.

-  86(W) x 169(L)~Good.

-  M.I. (11 lines, engraved) in upper 60% of polished black slab; head to West.

-  Phebe Chowne d. 17 Dec 1713, aet 31; youngest daughter and co-heir of William Westbrook, Esq., Ferring; and wife of Thomas Chowne, Esq.,

4D Ledger for Thomas CHOWNE, d. 1688

-  North transept floor, centre, North of 4B-C.

-  93(W) x 182(L)~Very worn; pitted; corners damaged; restored (cement).

-  M.I. (13 lines, Latin, engraved) in upper 60% of black slab; head to West.

-  Thomas Chowne, armiger, d. 19 Jul 1688, aet 46; his wife Elizabeth d. Oct 1688, aet 38; their son, also Thomas Chowne.

4E Ledger for William GYLES, d. 1719

-  South transept floor, South-East corner, partly obscured by furnishings.

-  82(W) x 148(L)~Worn; damaged (East side).

-  M.I. (5 lines, engraved) in upper 50% of polished black slab; head to South.

-  William Gyles, Gent., d. 4 Jan 1719, aet 76.

4F Ledger for [J]ohn BROOKE, d. 1680 [?]

-  South transept floor, South side, to left of 4G, partly obscured by furnishings.

-  90(W) x 190(L)~Very worn.

-  M.I. (engraved) in upper 50% of polished, pink, freestone slab; head to West.

4G Ledger for William BATCHELOR, d. 1783

-  South transept floor, South side, left of 4F, East end obscured by furnishings.

-  90(W) x 190(L)~Very worn.

-  M.I. (7 lines, engraved) in polished, pink, freestone slab; head to West; fleurs-de-lys in corners.

4H Ledger for William GYLES, Jnr., d. 1724

-  South transept floor, South wall, towards South-West corner.

-  112(W) x 194(L)~Worn.

-  M.I. (6 lines, engraved) in upper 50% of large, polished, black slab; head to West.

-  William Gyles, d. 3 Sep 1724, aet 39; eldest son of William Gyles, Senior.

4I Ledger for Ann BROOKE, d. 1673

-  South transept floor, against South wall, South-West corner.

-  63(W) x 147(L)~Worn; edges fine.

-  M.I. (8 lines, engraved) in upper 50% of pink, shelly, freestone slab; head to North.

-  Ann Brooke, d. 1 Apr 1673, aet 47; her husband, John Brooke.

4J Ledger for [Ja]mes BROOKE, d. 1667

-  South transept floor, against South wall, in far South-East corner, partly obscured by furnishings and plumbing.

-  52(W) x 147(L)~Worn; cracked.

-  M.I. (engraved) in upper 30% of polished, pinkish, shelly, freestone slab; head to North.