Thursday, 15 November 2007

A Cheshire Hatchment?

I have received an enquiry about the hatchment illustrated below. The enquirer is convinced that this hatchment is Brooke and informs me that the hatchment is over the vault of Peter Brooke (buried at Prestbury in 1806). I am not convinced this is Brooke but it is early days yet.

There are a number of armigerous Brooke's and the majority bear a Brock (badger) for a crest; certainly this is the case for the majority of the Cheshire Brookes. There is record in BGA of a Brooke family originating from Weston, Buckinghamshire using a crest of six ostrich feathers (one gold the others black ) issuing out of a gold coronet but this family uses a quite different coat of arms to the Cheshire Brooke family and does not use this motto.




I have not seen the tomb mentioned but have checked Raymond Richards Old Cheshire Churches and he says that in Prestbury Church there is a Monument to Reginald LEGH of Adlington d.1482 in the chancel, a Wall tablet, north chancel wall, of Sir Edward WARREN, with depiction of the knight head resting on his crest. In the Worth chapel there is a monument to Jasper WORTH d.1572 and his wife Alice, with arms of WORTH, DRAYCOTT & DOWNES. The Worth chapel is in the south eastern chapel. There was a LEGH chapel, from which the chancel came, it was made in 1740 for the LEGHs of Adlington. LEGH and VENABLES arms WORTH or TYTHERTON chapel dedicated to St Nicholas. LEGH & VENABLES arms over the door of the LEGH chapel. No mention is made of Brooke in this Church but the Arms of Brooke can be seen in the following:

CHURCH MINSHULL has armorial glass in window in 1572 now all gone recorded by Sampson ERDSWICK, named achievements of MAISTERSON, BOSTOCK, MASSEY. Etc. Hatchment of BROOKE (Thos. B lord of manor) d.1820. Thos BROOK was MP Newton. BROOKE impaling (Margaret daug of) Sir Robt CUNLIFFE bart of Saighton.

ROSTHERNE has a Chapel of the EGERTON's of Tatton along with memorials of local families. In chancel helmet and gauntlets hang. Tomb of Charlotte Lucy Beatrice EGERTON d.1845 by Richd WESTMACOTT jr around which are many monuments of the EGERTONs. Windows to the VENABLES, CHOLMONDELEY, LEGH, BROOKE etc.

The hatchment clearly shows a crest of ostrich feathers with the motto In Hoc Signo Vinces. I have checked Fairbairns and noted that the families using this motto include Aiscough, Arran, Berrie, Berry, Booth, Burke, Glasham, Gore, Ironside, Macadam, M’Carlie, M’Kerlie, O’Donel, O’Donnel, Newling, Stanhope, Taafe, Taylor, Turney and Webb.

Booth is a Cheshire name but no Booth uses ostrich feathers. None of the above except Burke uses ostrich feathers.

I can find no mention of this in the Cheshire volume of Hatchments of Britain (Summers and Titterton),

1 comment:

  1. i would like to know more of the LEGH family of Lyme Park I would appreciate anything that you would be able to share with me thank you

    ReplyDelete

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.

College of Arms Newsletter April 2024

 The latest College of Arms Newsletter for April 2024 is now online .

Popular Posts