Reblogged from A Medieval Potpourri @sparkypus.com
14th century monument to Sir Thomas de Berkeley of Coberley (1289-d.1365) and his wife Joan Lady de Berkeley nee Archer d. 1369. The small monument besides the Berkeley monument is that commemorating a heart burial belonging to an unknown female. St Giles’ Church, Coberley, Gloucestershire. Photo C B Newham Church Monuments Society
The large monument in Coberley Church shown above commemorates Sir Thomas de Berkeley (1289-d.1365) and his wife Joan Lady de Berkeley (d.1369). Joan remarried after Thomas’ death and would therefore have died elsewhere, possibly at Pauntley, the family home of her second husband William Whittington, so possibly the tomb and effigies may have been commissioned prior to Sir Thomas’ death. Alternatively it’s also possible Joan may have requested burial next to her first husband and the monument was then commissioned by their son, another Thomas (1351-1405). However moving on – Sir Thomas – depicted in armour and who fought at the Battle of Crecy on the 26 August 1346 – was the son of Sir Giles de Berkeley (1240-1294) who fought in the Crusades. Joan was the daughter and heir of Geoffrey Archer of Stoke Orchard also known as Stoke Archer. You could be forgiven for thinking that the photo shows the monuments to a family – the parents on a joint tomb and a separate monument commemorating their small, unnamed daughter and indeed you would not be alone as its erroneously stated in numerous accounts that this is the case. This would be understandable bearing in mind that there are examples of childrens effigies from that period showing them wearing adult dress as is the figure in the effigy. See for example the children of Edward III and his queen Philippa of Hainault who were interred in the Chapel of Edward the Confessor in Westminster Abbey. Their effigies display them in the adult fashions of the time despite the fact that William of Windsor who was born in 1348 did not make it to his first birthday and his sister Blanche of the Tower, born in 1342 also lived for only a short while.
William of Windsor and Blanche of the Tower. Children of Edward III and Philippa of Hainalt. St Edward the Confessor’s chapel, Westminster Abbey. Photo Westminster Abbey.org.
However the small effigy in St Giles’ Church is that of an adult female commemorating the burial of her heart. The clue, as well as the size of the effigy, is that her right hand is pulling aside her bodice and pointing to her heart while the left holds what appears to be a glove, rather than the usual hands clasped together in prayer.
The effigy of the unknown lady. 14th century heart burial. Could this heart have once belonged to the wife of Sir Giles de Berkeley whose heart was interred in St Giles church, Coberley. Photo C B Newham Church Monuments Society
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