R.I.P.

I had an easy day today as I woke with a headache, something of an occupational hazard these days. I took a stroll over to the church later to inspect the medieval tomb of one of the village notables. There is some debate over who the identity but it is probably Sir John de Rye who fought with Simon de Montfort against Henry III. The description below is rather more detailed than I could manage!

But Gosberton's greatest monumental treasure is
a knightly figure reposing in a deep recess sheltered by
an ogee arch with deep-cut mouldings and a superbly-
crocketed canopy capped by a large finiai ; having also
a crocketed pinnacle on either side, and spandrils filled
with censing angels. The head, which is pillowed upon two cushions
the upper placed diagonally upon the other, is covered
by a hood of chain-mail, or coifde mailles as it was called,
which is bound by a fillet. A hawberk, or mail shirt
protects the body and arms, descending to a little above
the knee, the hands being encased in gloves of mail, the
legs and feet in chausses or stockings. The knee-plates
will also be observed : they were called genouilleres and
consisted of either steel or a hard species of leather
termed cuir-bouilli. A sleeveless surcoat of linen or cloth
depended from the shoulders reaching beyond the
knees, slit upwards at the front and fastened by a girdle
at the waist. On the sinister arm is a shield rounded
to the body, upon which has in modern times been
painted a red cross, intended doubtless to be realistic,
but as a matter of fact entirely out of place. This has
been omitted in our illustration. A guige or strap
passing over the dexter shoulder held it in position. A
large cross-hilted sword in a somewhat plain scabbard
is attached to a belt passing round the hips. The feet
fastened to which were long pryck spurs, rest upon a
lion. The legs are crossed ; but the old idea that this
posture indicated some connection with the crusades
has long since been exploded. The attitude is essen-
tially English. Some who are known to have been to
the crusades are not thus represented in effigy, while
numbers who certainly did not join in the crusades are
found with legs disposed in this manner upon their
tombs.