Ralph Fitzherbert
Encyclopedia
Ralph Fitzherbert was Lord of the manor of Norbury, Derbyshire
. His effigy
in his suit of armour at Norbury church are reproduced in the Victoria and Albert Museum
, in contemporary armour.
and other lands at Foston
and Church Broughton
in exchange for Norbury. The Fitzherberts held it until 1872. Norbury had been rented by Fitzherberts ancestors since 1125 on a yearly rent of 100 shillings.
Fitzherbert married Elizabeth Marshall
who was an heiress to Upton
in Leicestershire. Elizabeth had a number of children: Margaret, Dorothy (who married Thomas Comberford), John (died 1531), Henry (died before 1532), Thomas (died 1532), Richard, William, and Anthony. So many of his sons died young, that it was his sixth son, Anthony, who eventually succeeded him as Lord of the manor of Norbury. The seven sons are shown as figures on the side of Ralph's memorial. They are not shown in the order of their birth. First is shown Richard, who became a knight of Rhodes, and then Thomas, who was the rector of Norbury from 1500 to 1518 and precentor of Lichfield Cathedral
. The third figure is thought to be John, who was the heir and is thought to have commissioned the memorials for his parents and his grandfather in Nottingham Alabaster
. The fourth to be shown is Henry, with a purse, who was a mercer in London
. The final three are thought to include William, prebendary of Hereford Cathedral
and Lincoln Cathedral
and Chancellor of Lichfield
as well being rector of Wrington
in Somerset
, and Anthony, who was the most notable. Anthony and William were boys when their mother's will, dated 14 October 1490, was read. Under the terms of that will, John was required to pay five pounds a year to cover Anthony's studies. This investment led to him being a leading and eminent English judge.
Both Ralph's and Elizabeth's wills are still available, and her will states that she "should be buried in the church of Saint Barloke before the image of Saint Nicholas and beside the body of her husband, Ralph Fitzherbert."
The memorial to Fitzherbert in Norbury church is well regarded, and is thought to have been made at the same time as the matching memorial to Nicholas Fitzherbert from Chellaston
alabaster. Ralph's feet rest on a lion; next to it and under Ralph's shoe crouches the small figure of a bedesman. The bearded bedesman is telling his rosary
for the souls of the departed. Ralph bears the Yorkist livery collar
of alternating suns and roses, with the White Boar
livery badge of Richard III
as a pendant. Since the destruction of the effigy of Ralph Neville
(d. 1484) at Brancepeth
, this is the only surviving representation of a boar pendant, although a number of actual examples have been excavated (See Dunstable Swan Jewel
). Fitzherbert died two years before Richard III lost his crown and life in the nearby Battle of Bosworth.
The armour
portrayed on the effigy of Ralph Fitzherbert has been reproduced as a fully functional suit of plate
The sculptures themselves were copied in the 19th century as plaster casts which are held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum
in London.
).
Norbury, Derbyshire
Norbury is a village in Derbyshire, England. It is located north of Rocester, on the B5033 road and the River Dove . The hamlet has links with George Eliot's family, the Evans...
. His effigy
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
in his suit of armour at Norbury church are reproduced in the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
, in contemporary armour.
Biography
Fitzherbert was born to Nicholas Fitzherbert and his wife Alice. In 1442 Nicholas Fitzherbert and his son and heir, Ralph, gave all their lands at OsmastonOsmaston
Osmaston may refer to:Placenames*Osmaston, Derby, England** where Osmaston Hall was*Osmaston, Derbyshire Dales** where Osmaston Manor wasPeople* Bertram Beresford Osmaston CIE...
and other lands at Foston
Foston
Foston is the name of places in various parts of England:*Foston, Derbyshire*Foston on the Wolds, East Riding of Yorkshire*Foston, Leicestershire *Foston, Lincolnshire*Foston, North YorkshireFoston is also a surname and may be:...
and Church Broughton
Church Broughton
Church Broughton is a village and civil parish located in Derbyshire, just ten miles to the west of Derby. There is a church , a Methodist chapel and Church Broughton Primary School. Pupils from the school would then move on to John Port School in Etwall....
in exchange for Norbury. The Fitzherberts held it until 1872. Norbury had been rented by Fitzherberts ancestors since 1125 on a yearly rent of 100 shillings.
Elizabeth Marshall
Elizabeth Marshall is a Canadian politician and member of the Senate.From 2003 to 2010, she represented the riding of Topsail in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador...
who was an heiress to Upton
Upton, Leicestershire
Upton, is a small hamlet on the Leicestershire and Warwickshire border west of Shenton and south-east of Sibson.The local area is predominately agricultural. Upton is a ribbon development with a mixture of Georgian, Victorian and more modern properties along Main Road. There is a caravan park and...
in Leicestershire. Elizabeth had a number of children: Margaret, Dorothy (who married Thomas Comberford), John (died 1531), Henry (died before 1532), Thomas (died 1532), Richard, William, and Anthony. So many of his sons died young, that it was his sixth son, Anthony, who eventually succeeded him as Lord of the manor of Norbury. The seven sons are shown as figures on the side of Ralph's memorial. They are not shown in the order of their birth. First is shown Richard, who became a knight of Rhodes, and then Thomas, who was the rector of Norbury from 1500 to 1518 and precentor of Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It is the only medieval English cathedral with three spires. The Diocese of Lichfield covers all of Staffordshire, much of Shropshire and part of the Black Country and West Midlands...
. The third figure is thought to be John, who was the heir and is thought to have commissioned the memorials for his parents and his grandfather in Nottingham Alabaster
Nottingham Alabaster
Nottingham alabaster is a term used to refer to the English sculpture industry, mostly of relatively small religious carvings, which flourished from the fourteenth century until the early sixteenth century...
. The fourth to be shown is Henry, with a purse, who was a mercer in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The final three are thought to include William, prebendary of Hereford Cathedral
Hereford Cathedral
The current Hereford Cathedral, located at Hereford in England, dates from 1079. Its most famous treasure is Mappa Mundi, a mediæval map of the world dating from the 13th century. The cathedral is a Grade I listed building.-Origins:...
and Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
and Chancellor of Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
as well being rector of Wrington
Wrington
Wrington is a village and civil parish in North Somerset, England. It lies in the valley of the Congresbury Yeo river about east of Weston-super-Mare and south-east of Yatton. It is both a civil parish, with a population of 2,896, and an ecclesiastical parish...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, and Anthony, who was the most notable. Anthony and William were boys when their mother's will, dated 14 October 1490, was read. Under the terms of that will, John was required to pay five pounds a year to cover Anthony's studies. This investment led to him being a leading and eminent English judge.
The memorial to Fitzherbert in Norbury church is well regarded, and is thought to have been made at the same time as the matching memorial to Nicholas Fitzherbert from Chellaston
Chellaston
Chellaston is a suburb of the City of Derby, which is in the East Midlands in England in the United Kingdom. It is on a natural hill, and has recently expanded due to several new housing estates....
alabaster. Ralph's feet rest on a lion; next to it and under Ralph's shoe crouches the small figure of a bedesman. The bearded bedesman is telling his rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
for the souls of the departed. Ralph bears the Yorkist livery collar
Livery collar
A livery collar or chain of office is a collar or heavy chain, usually of gold, worn as insignia of office or a mark of fealty or other association in Europe from the Middle Ages onwards....
of alternating suns and roses, with the White Boar
White boar
The White Boar was the personal device or badge of the English King Richard III of England , and is an early instance of the use of boars in heraldry....
livery badge of Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
as a pendant. Since the destruction of the effigy of Ralph Neville
Ralph Neville
Ralph Neville was a medieval clergyman and politician who served as Bishop of Chichester, Keeper of the Great Seal and Lord Chancellor of England...
(d. 1484) at Brancepeth
Brancepeth
Brancepeth is a village and civil parish in County Durham, in England. It is situated about from Durham on the A690 road between Durham and Weardale. Brancepeth Castle was until 1570 the fortress of the Neville Earls of Westmorland. The castle was extensively modified and rebuilt in the 19th century...
, this is the only surviving representation of a boar pendant, although a number of actual examples have been excavated (See Dunstable Swan Jewel
Dunstable Swan Jewel
The Dunstable Swan Jewel is a gold and enamel brooch in the form of a swan made in England or France in about 1400 and now in the British Museum...
). Fitzherbert died two years before Richard III lost his crown and life in the nearby Battle of Bosworth.
The armour
Armour
Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat, or from damage caused by a potentially dangerous environment or action...
portrayed on the effigy of Ralph Fitzherbert has been reproduced as a fully functional suit of plate
The sculptures themselves were copied in the 19th century as plaster casts which are held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
in London.
Catholicism
The bedesman illustrates Fitzherbert's beliefs and these continued in his family in his descendants at Padley (see his great grandson Nicholas FitzherbertNicholas Fitzherbert
Nicholas Fitzherbert was an English recusant gentleman who served as secretary to Cardinal William Allen and was found guilty of treason due to his Catholicism. He was the second son of John Fitzherbert of Padley, Derbyshire. Fitzherbert was the grandson of the judge Sir Anthony Fitzherbert , and...
).