Monument to Sir Anthony Browne
| Browse information by: Location Makers General Information Classification Object Parts Object Condition History References Photographs |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright for Photograph: Creative Commons |
Location
| Street: | Petworth Road |
| Town: | Easebourne |
| Parish: | Easebourne |
| Council: | Chichester District Council |
| County: | West Sussex |
| Postcode: | GU29 |
| Location on Google Map | |
| Object setting: | Inside building |
| and in: | Religious |
| Access is: | Public |
| Location note: | Priory Church of St. Mary - in a Chapel at the east end of the south aisle |
| In the AZ book: | West Sussex |
| Page: | 59 |
| Grid reference: | K7 |
| The A-Z books used are A-Z East Sussex and A-Z West Sussex (Editions 1A 2005). Geographers' A-Z Map Company Ltd. Sevenoaks. | |
| OS Reference: | SU895225 |
| Previous location: | The Montague Chapel, The Montague Chapel, St. Mary Magdalene & St. Denys, Parish Church of Midhurst (moved 1851) |
back to top | |
Makers
| Name : | Garret Johnson |
| Role: | Sculptor |
| Qualify: | attributed to |
back to top | |
General Information
| Commissioned by: | The Montague Family |
| Work is: | Extant |
| Owner custodian: | Priory Church of St. Mary |
| Description: | A large sarcophagus with two recumbent effigies of the two wives of Sir Anthony Browne. The figures wear mantles and kirtles. At the front of the sarcophagus are three inscribed panels. To each side of the sarcophagus are the remains of a series of kneeling effigies of their eight children Atop the sarcophagus are three semicircular arches supporting a slab on which kneels the figure of Sir Anthony Browne in front of a cuboid structure that holds an inscribed plate to the front. The bearded figure wears a ruff and the mantle and collar of the Order of the Garter over armour. |
| Inscription: | HERE LYETH YE BODYE OF YE RIGHT HONORABLE ANTHONIE BROWNE VICOVNT MOVNTAGVE CHIEFE STANDARDBEARER OF ENGLAND & KNIGHT OF YE HONORABLE ORDER OF YE GARTER WHEREOF HE WAS ANCIENST AT HIS DEATH & ONE OF YE HONORABLE PRIVYE COVNCELL TO QVEEN MARIE WHO AS HE WAS NOBLYE DESCENDED FROM YE LADYE LVCYE HIS GRANDMOTHER ONE OF YE DAVGHTERS & CO= HEYRES OF LORD IHON NEVILL MARQVES MOVN= TAGVE SO HE WAS PERFECTLY ADORNED WITH ALL YE VIRVES OF TRVE NOBILITYE & IN YE 66 YERE OF HIS AGE HE ENDED HIS LYFE AT HIS HOWSE AT HORSLEY IN SVRREY YE 19 OF OCTOBER 1522 & IN YE 34 YERE OF YE RAIGNE OF OVRE MOST SOVERAIGNE LADY *Q* ELIZABETH Front of sarcophagus, inset lead letters into left hand plaque: HERE LYETH YE BODIE OF YE LADYE IANE RATCLIFFE ONE OF YE DAVGHTERS OF ROBART EARL OF SVSSEX WHO ENDED HER LYFE AT COWDRY Ao Do 1552 YE 22 OF IVLYE & WAS OF YE AGE OF 20 YEARES & YE FIRST WYFFE OF ANTHONY VICOVNT MOVNTAGVE HERE BVRYED BY WHOME HE HAD ISSVE ONE SONNE ANTHONY BROWNE ESQVIER DECEASED & HERE LIKEWISE BVRIED WHICH ANTHONY WAS FATHER VNTO AN THONY VICOVNT MOVNTAGVE NOW LIVINGE * HE HAD ALSO BY HER ONE DAVGHTER MARYE BROWNE YET LIVINGE WHO WAS MARIED FIRST TO HENRY WRYTHEOSTEY EARLE OF SOVTHAMPTON & AFTER TO SR THOMAS HENEAGE KNIGHT VICE-CHAMBERLAN TO *Q* ELIZA = BETH & ONE OF YE HONORABLE PRIVIE COVNCELL Front of sarcophagus, inset lead letters into middle plaque: THIS HONORABLE MAN IN YE YERE 1553 WAS IMPLOVED BY Q MARIE IN AN HONORABLE AMBASSAGE TO ROME WITH DOCTOR THYRL= BIE BISSHOPE OF ELYE WHICH HE PERFORMED TO HIS GREATE HONOR & COMMENDATION & YE SECONDE YERE AFTER HE SERVED Q MARIE AS HER MAIESTIES LIVETENANT OF YE ENGLISH FORCES AT YE SIEGE OF ST. QVINTINES* IN YE YERE 1559 Q ELYZABETH SENT HIM AMBASSADOVR INTO SPAINE TO KINGE PHILIPP & LKEWISE 1565 & 1566 TO YE DVCHES OF PARMA THEN REGENT OF YE LOWE COVNTRIES ALL WHICH HE EFFECTED BOTH WISELYE & HONORABLYE TO YE SERVICE OF GOD HIS PRINCE & COVNTRIE Front of sarcophagus, inset lead letters into right hand plaque: ANTHONY VICOVNT MOVNTAGVE TOOK TO HIS SECONDE WYFFE MAGDALEN DACRE ONE OF YE DAVGHTERS OF WILLIAM DACRE KNIGHT LORD DACRE, GRAYSTOCK & GYLESLAND, & LORD WARDEN OF YE WEST MARCHES OF ENGLAND FOR ANEMPSTE SCOTELANDE, BY WHOME HE HAD ISSVE *5* SONNES PHILIPP WILLIAM SR. GEORGE BROWNE KNIGHT, THOMAS & HENRYE & *3* DAVGHTERS, ELIZABETH MABELL, & IANE WHEROF PHILIPP WILLIAM THOMAS & MABELL DEPARTED THIS LYFF BEFORE THEIR FATHER Brass inscribed plaque with painted letters, affixed to the wall to the right of the tomb: THE MONVMENT IN MEMORY OF SIR ANTHONY BROWNE FIRST VISCOVNT MOVNTAGVE K.G. WHO DIED 19TH. OCTOBER 1592 AGED 65. FORMERLY STOOD OVER THE FAMILY VAVLT IN THE CHANCEL OF THE PARISH CHVRCH OF MIDHVRST. WHENCE IT WAS REMOVED IN THE YEAR 1851 TO THE POSITION IN THIS CHVRCH WHERE IT NOW STANDS. THE MONVMENT IS SVRMOVNTED BY THE SCVLPTVRED FIGVRES OF SIR ANTHONY & HIS TWO WIVES THE LADY IANE REDCLIFFE [DAVGHTER OF ROBERT EARL OF SVSSEX] WHO DIED AT COWDRAY 22ND. IVLY 1552. & MAGDALEN DACRE [DAVGHTER OF WILLIAM LORD DACRE.] THIS TABLET WAS PLACED IN EASEBOVRNE CHVRCH IN THE YEAR 1883 BY IOHN POYNTZ EARL SPENCER K.G. LORD LIEVTENANT OF IRELAND GRANDSON OF THE HONBLE. ELIZABETH MARY POYNTZ WHO DIED 30TH. DECR. 1830. SHE WAS THE ONLY SISTER OF GEORGE SAMVEL 8TH. VISCOVNT MOVNTAGVE WHO DIED IN 1793. + |
back to top | |
Classification
| Categories: | Funerary, Free Standing, Composite, Commemorative, Animal, Sculptural |
| Object type1: | Sculpture |
| Object type2: | Statue |
| Subject type1: | Figurative |
| Subject subtype1: | Group |
| Subject type2: | Portrait |
| Subject subtype1: | Group |
back to top | |
Object Parts
| Part 1: | Whole monument |
| Material: | Marble and alabaster |
| Height (cm): | 345 |
| Width (cm): | 300 |
| Depth (cm): | 195 |
| Part 2: | Sarcophagus |
| Material: | Marble and alabaster |
| Height (cm): | 123 |
| Width (cm): | 275 |
| Depth (cm): | 190 |
back to top | |
Object Condition
| Overall condition: | Good |
| Risk assessment: | No known risk |
| Condition 1 of type: | Surface |
| Condition 1: | Abrasions, cracks, splits |
| Condition 2: | Corrosion, Deterioration |
| More details: | Painted surfaces wearing away in places. Cracks to some areas all over the monument. |
| Condition 2 of type: | Structural |
| Condition 1: | Broken or missing parts |
| More details: | Small statue on right of sarcophagus missing head, hands and the corner of the base. Ram at the foot of recumbent figures – collar chain chipped, nose damaged. Small statue to back of kneeling figure broken in half. |
| Condition 3 of type: | Vandalism |
| Condition 1: | Structural damage |
| More details: | The monument was moved from Midhurst Parish Church in 1851, simply to make more room, during which it was severely damaged. The tomb was not originally a mural tomb but was surrounded by iron railings and a large obelisk stood at each corner. The plinth was also severely reduced and the placement of the three figures altered. The emblazoned shields and the small kneeling figures of the children were also severely damaged. |
| Date of on-site inspection: | 02/04/2008 |
back to top | |
History
| History: | 'The marble and alabaster monument of Anthony, Viscount Montague (died 1592) and his two wives occupies the east end of this building, whither it was removed from Midhurst (and its structure considerably altered) in 1851. It is in two stages; the eastern, the higher, has three semicircular arches supporting a slab on which, before a cubical block bearing his epitaph, kneels the effigy of the viscount, bareheaded, bearded, and wearing a ruff and the mantle and collar of the Order of the Garter over armour of the tasset period. On the lower stage, west of this, rest the effigies of his two wives, Jane Ratcliffe and Margaret Dacre, in mantles and kirtles; on the front of this stage, which is in the form of a chest tomb, are their epitaphs; at each end are small kneeling effigies of their descendants, some headless'.
('Easebourne', A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 4: The Rape of Chichester (1953), pp. 47-53. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41695. Date accessed: 06 April 2008) 'Viscount Montague died in 1592, and was buried in Midhurst Church, where an elaborate tomb of marble and alabaster, with kneeling figure, of himself and recumbent effigies of his two wives was set up to his memory. This beautiful monument was removed in the year 1851, on account of increased accommodation being required in the church, to Easebourne Church, where it was placed in a chapel at the east end of the south aisle, and where it can now be seen in a fairly good state of preservation, although most of the small kneeling figures surrounding the tomb (supposed to represent the eight children of the Viscount) are irreparably injured.' (http://www.user.dccnet.com/s.brown/familytree/BROWNE-Montague&Monteagle.htm) The glory of the church is the tomb of the man who built this place, a little faded now but a marvellous sight in the days before they brought it home from Midhurst. Sir Anthony Browne was Chief Standard-Bearer of England, and was made Lord Montague by Queen Elizabeth, who was his guest for a week at Cowdray. He kneels on a marble monument 30 feet round, two wives below him and six children in the panels, with a mass of painted arms and tasselled cushions and little cherubs, and Sir Anthony above it all in gilded armour wearing a chain. Close by Sir Anthony are two beautiful white figures, one by Chantrey. They face each other, William Stephan Poyntz and his wife, she with her hands at her breast, a sorrowful figure, as if remembering that she sat with him one day a window at Bognor and saw their two sons drown. It was Waterloo year, when they were the owners of Cowdray. She was the only sister of the last Lord Montague and she was buried here in a coffin made from a tree in Cowdray Park. (http://www.yeoldesussexpages.com/churches/monument/easebmon.htm) |
back to top | |
References
back to top |
Photographs
Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
back to top | |