Over the bank holiday weekend I paid a visit to All Saints Church in Ashover, Derbyshire to look at the effigies of Thomas Babington and Edith Fitzherbert.
The Babingtons and Fitzherberts were both Derbyshire gentry families, the Babingtons serving as the High Sheriffs of the county and the Fitzherberts as knights and MPs. As befitting their status, Thomas and Elizabeth have memorial effigies in alabaster, with detailed carving depicting both of them in their finery at prayer and surrounded by miniatures of their children.
Along with other effigies in this style and status, such as those of Edith’s parents in Norbury, most of the children are each show with individual clothing and accessories, though some duplicates are thought to representative of children who died.
One set of miniatures portrays two of their sons, John as a knight, his armour covered by a tabard and a black cloak of the Knights of Rhodes, and Thomas as a priest in robes and a holding a book.
Returning to Thomas and Edith themselves, unusually both effigies are painted, though clearly modern coatings over the original. Though this would have been common when new (many effigies still have traces of paint in the recesses), these effigies serve as a reminder of how bright, even garish, the medieval world would have been.
The details of the couples dress accessories are particularly interesting. In addition to the long gowns of the period, both are wearing jewellery and decorative pieces. Thomas has a chain collar, rings, a decorated purse/pouch and the remains of a sword or dagger.
Edith meanwhile has rings and a decorated hanging chain belt or girdle, possibly ending in a scented pomander, the height of fashion for the time.
Additionally, Thomas and Edith possibly appear twice on their own memorial, as two miniatures kneeling before images of saints (Catherine holding her wheel and a bishop, possibly Thomas Becket) seem to be wearing almost identical clothing.
Other wonderful details include the lion Thomas is resting his feet upon and the tiny dog biting at the bottom of Edith’s gown, a recurring theme apparently in this kind of effigy.
