An History of Birmingham (1783) eBook

William Hutton
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 295 pages of information about An History of Birmingham (1783).

An History of Birmingham (1783) eBook

William Hutton
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 295 pages of information about An History of Birmingham (1783).
1.   Astley.                     10.   Freville.
2.   Sumeri.                     11.   Ancient Birmingham.
3.   Ancient Birmingham.         12.   Knell.
4.   Ancient Birmingham,         13.   Fitz-Warrer.
the 2nd house.               14.   Montalt.
5.   Seagreve.                   15.   Modern Birmingham.
6.   Modern Birmingham.          16.   Hampden.
7.   Ancient and modern          17.   Burdet. 
Birmingham,                  18.   Montalt.
quartered.                   19.   Modern Birmingham.
8.   Peshale quartering          20.   Beauchamp. 
Bottetort.                   21.   Ferrers.
9.   Birmingham quartering       22.   Latimere. 
Wyrley.

These twenty-two coats are now reduced to three, which are,

Number two, in the east window of the chancel, which is or, two lions passant azure, the arms of the family of Someri, Lords of Dudley-castle, and superior Lords of Birmingham; which having been extinct about 450 years, the coat of arms must have been there at least during that period.

Number three, in the south window of the chancel, azure, a bend lozenge of five points, or, the ancient arms of the family of Birmingham, which perhaps is upwards of 400 years old, as that coat was not used after the days of Edward the First, except in quarterings.

And number ten, in the north window, or, a cross, indented gules; also, five fleurs de lis, the ancient arms of Freville, Lords of Tamworth, whose ancestor, Marmion, received a grant of that castle from William the Conqueror, and whose descendant, Lord Viscount Townshend, is the present proprietor.  Perhaps this coat hath been there 400 years, for the male line of the Freville family, was extinct in the reign of Henry the Fourth.

Under the south window of the chancel, by the door, are two monuments a-breast, of white marble, much injured by the hand of rude time, and more by that of the ruder boys.  The left figure, which is very ancient, I take to be William de Birmingham, who was made prisoner by the French, at the siege of Bellegard, in the 25th of Edward the First, 1297.  He wears a short mantle, which was the dress of that time, a sword, expressive of the military order, and he also bears a shield with the bend lozenge, which seems never to have been borne after the above date.

The right hand figure, next the wall, is visibly marked with a much older date, perhaps about the conquest.  The effigy does not appear in a military character, neither did the Lords of that period.  The value of these ancient relicts have long claimed the care of the wardens, to preserve them from the injurious hand of the boys, and the foot of the window cleaner, by securing them with a pallisade.  Even Westminster abbey, famous for departed glory, cannot produce a monument of equal antiquity.

At the foot of these, is another of the same materials, belonging to one of the Marrows, Lords of Birmingham.

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An History of Birmingham (1783) from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.