Culture, General Things, Church Monuments Books, Monumental Effigies of Great Britain, Effigy of Sir Robert Grushill and Lady

THERE is a monument in Hoveringham Church, Nottinghamshire, to Sir Robert Goushill, or Grushill, and his Lady, Elizabeth, widow of Thomas Mowbray (that Duke of Norfolk who was banished by Richard the Second), daughter and heiress of Richard Earl of Arundel^a. We do not, however, think, in this single instance, that the drawing has been rightly appropriated on the face of the plate. The male figure evidently represents a Knight of the Garter, and it does not appear that Sir Robert Grushill was of that noble order. Unfortunately, Mr. Stothard omitted to write at the back of his drawing the name of the monument from which it was taken. After his death, one of his antiquarian friends informed his widow that it represented Sir Robert Grushill. The erroneous information was adopted for lettering the etching; and in supplying the notices for the different Effigies we have in vain endeavoured to rectify the mistake. We would not, however, by omitting the subject, deprive the collection laid before the public, of so elegant a specimen of costume, recorded by Mr. C. Stothards pencil, and faithfully etched by Mr. C. J. Smith. The Lady wears a crescent-horned head-dress, rich fret, and a coronet; the Knight, a costly wreath, in front of which is a spreadeagle, and his feet seem to rest on a bird of the same kind. In front of the basinet are the letters IHS. His head rests on his helmet, furnished with a mantelet and panache. He has the collar of SS round his neck. The gussets and brassarts of his armour are elegantly fluted. Below the cuirass, or plastron, is a clearly defined example of the piece of armour to which Mr. Stothard has alluded in one of his letters, under the name of "pance," "bark" or "barde preu." The tassets are, as usual, appended by straps; by which contrivance the free motion of the thigh was allowed. On the left knee is the garter; and over the greaves, below the knee, we think are indented lambrequins of leather or cloth.

Note a. See Thoroton's Nottinghamshire, by Throsby, vol. III. p. 62, where it is stated that, under Sir Robert Grushiil's head is a Moor's head crowned, which disagrees with the figure before us.

Robert Goushill: Before August 1401 he and Elizabeth Fitzalan Duchess Norfolk were married. She the daughter of Richard Fitzalan 9th Earl of Surrey 4th or 11th Earl of Arundel and Elizabeth Bohun Countess Arundel and Surrey.