Sir John Gage

I went over to West Firle at the foot of the Downs this morning for a wander. I was intrigued to see that the pews and much of the floor of St Peter's Church had been removed so that new tiles can be laid. The vestry and Gage chapel were still accessible though and this is where the tomb of Sir John Gage (died 1556) and his wife Philippa lies, with its elaborately carved alabaster effigies. The curtain divides the tomb from the altar. Sir John, wearing his Order of the Garter, has his feet on a ram from the Gage crest. He was the Constable of the Tower of London and Lord Chamberlain to Henry VIII.