THE HERALDIC SCREENS OF MIDDLEWICH

Transcription

1 THE HERALDIC SCREENS OF MIDDLEWICH Introduction In his monumental work Old Cheshire Churches, Raymond Richards described the heraldic screens in the church of St Michael and All Angels, Middlewich, Cheshire, as the 'piece de resistance'. i These two Jacobean oak screens, which are unique in this county and perhaps in the country, may be found tucked away in a room at the base of the church tower. They contain a treasure of local heraldry and are of much value to the student of local history and genealogy, but are presently in a poor condition. The screens are a series of emblazoned panels forming an heraldic frieze. It is thought that originally they enclosed the north-east chapel which was once known as the Kinderton Chapel - the place of worship of the 'Barons of Kinderton'. This family were of Norman origin: their name stems from a settlement of that name situated half-way along the road between Paris and Rouen. The family's progenitor, Gilbert, appears in the Domesday Survey and was probably the original recipient of the 'barony' which was one of eight created by Hugh 'Lupus', the first Norman Earl of Chester. Although the smallest 'barony', it survived the longest, with members of the same family using the title for six hundred years: the last of the line, Peter Venables, died on l9 January 1679 leaving an only daughter from whom descend a family who were elevated to the peerage as the Barons Venables-Vernon. ii The two screens, which both bear the date 1632, were commissioned by Peter Venables ( ), to celebrate his two marriages, those of his father, and his family's history. Peter, the twenty-first baron, figured in the political scene of the day: he served as a Member of Parliament for the county and in 1643 was appointed Sheriff of Cheshire; during the Civil War he actively supported the Royalist cause. Peter Venables seems to have had a particular interest in local history, genealogy and heraldry for he was patron of King's Vale Royal of England (1656), which included the first topographical work on Cheshire written by William Smith, Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms, in 1585; he also commissioned the execution of eleven plates, illustrating 520 escutcheons of Cheshire families, after the maner of the Alphabeth, that appeared in Vale Royal. iii The heraldic work was probably carried out by either Randle I Holme of Chester ( ), who was a deputy herald of the College of Arms in Cheshire, Lancashire and North Wales, or his son, Randle II ( ) who was deputy herald in succession to his father and an active genealogist. St Michael s church, with the help of Middlewich Heritage Trust, has so far received 7,700 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for an exciting Venables Screen conservation project. This project is part of Phase 2 of the Church s Restoration Project. Made possible by money from the National Lottery, the project focuses on the two oak screens painted with heraldic shields. This HLF funded project will produce a Conservation Management Plan which is required before any restoration work on the screens is undertaken. On 17 May 2017, the screens were assessed by a conservator and a timber specialist who have reported on the state of the screens and made recommendations for their future. For the first time in centuries the reverse of the screens was revealed. Further blazons have been seen and recorded. Clearly at one time these screens were in a position where they could be observed from both sides. It is somewhat unfortunate, though not surprising, that some of the colours have either faded or become discoloured - white, tarnished with age and layers of varnish, appears yellow and also it is difficult to differentiate between blue, red, green and black tinctures with most appearing as black. Added to this, it appears that at some time attempts have been made to re-draw charges and to touch-up the colours incorrectly. These facts pose problems, but they do not hamper investigation

2 Approval on further funding is now awaited so that the next step can begin. This will involve the dismantling of the screens and their shipment to suitable premises for the cleaning and conservation work to be undertaken. The Conservation Plan will also determine their eventual siting in the body of the church after restoration. In describing the screens as they appear today, I have given white/silver (argent), which has become yellowed, and blue (azure) and black (sable), which due to varnish and dirt have become confused, as they ought to appear and hopefully will appear once cleaned. Where colours are wrong due to a lack of knowledge by the painter, due reference has been made. The following terms might be useful in reading this paper: Argent: silver, normally represented as white. Azure: blue Bar: a narrow horizontal band Bend: a diagonal band Bendlet: a narrow diagonal band Canton: a square in top left corner of the shield Chevron: an inverted V shape Chief: the top section of the shield Ermine: the appearance of the fur white with black flecks. Fess: a horizontal band Fitchy: pointed Garb: a wheatsheaf Gules: red Impaled: placed side by side Martlet: a mythical leg-less bird Or: gold, normally represented as yellow Pheon: an arrow head Pile: a triangular shape, normally pointing downwards Proper: of natural colouring Sable: black Saltire: a diagonal cross Vert: green I am indebted to John Currie of Middlewich for permission to use his silhouettes of the screens

3 The Arrangement of the Screens The arrangement of the screens as they are today. Tablet H has fallen back. (Courtesy of John Currie) The top illustration represents the screen positioned on the south wall of the tower which from hereon will be called the Venables Screen. The lower illustration the relevant identifying letter. It has now become clear that the faces of each screen display the quartered arms relating to the two marriages of both Peter Venables and his father, Thomas Venables. The son on one side, the father on the other. In the case of the Baron s Screen, tablet I is a later painting and the reverse is blank. Tablet H was in position when I first wrote about the screens but is no longer visible today having fallen back onto the shelf. It is highly likely that the individual tablets were in a different order than we see today. Having been dismantled at various times in their history they have been rebuilt in a different fashion. Extra pieces of ornate supports were found on the shelf behind the screens which might suggest a different configuration. The screens are large. The shields on the Venables Screen measure 14 high by 12 wide set in frames which are 40 (B) and 49 (D) wide: the overall height is about 5 feet. The side panels on the Barons Screen are 31 high by 26 wide. The central tablet on the Barons Screen (G) is

4 64 high by 53½ wide and this is surmounted by a plaque and a round tablet making the overall height 90. The overall length of each screen is about 15 feet. The Venables Screen The first screen may be found on the south wall of the vestry. It commemorated the two marriages of Peter Venables' father, Thomas ( ). His first wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Brereton of Brereton; a marriage not only of two neighbouring families, but of two of the most important and influential families in the county. Thomas was betrothed to Elizabeth when aged ten years and eventually the couple had a son, Thomas (who pre-deceased his father) and two daughters. Following Elizabeth s death in July 1591, Thomas married Anne, daughter of Sir Cotton Gargrave of Nostell Priory, Yorkshire, and had three more children: Peter (who commissioned the screens) and two daughters. Anne died in 1634 having remarried Sir Edward Bushell of Worcestershire. iv Sir Cotton Gargrave, a Member of Parliament, was son of Sir Thomas Gargrave, Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1583, and also a Member of Parliament and Speaker of the House of Commons. He married twice and had sons Thomas Gargrave; Sir Richard Gargrave of Nostell Priory, MP; Anne Venables; Mary, a maid of honour to Quenn Anne of Denmark; Elizabeth Fenwick; Frances Tempest, and Priscilla Holt. v Sir Cotton died on 16 June 1588, aged 40. The frieze of heraldic panels starts with a small round tablet (marked A on the diagram) which displays the basic arms of the Venables family Azure, two bars, argent - impaling that of the Breretons - Argent, two bars, sable. The second tablet, ( B ) a shield, is contained within a frame which is constructed so as to represent the gable end of the building to symbolise the house of Venables of Kinderton: on this frame the date 'ANO.DNI 1632' is carved. Here the full achievement of arms of the two allied families is shown: in respect of each family there are seven 'quarters'. Whilst the Brereton quarterings are in the proper order, those of Venables, when compared to the description given in the Visitation of Cheshire of 1580 are somewhat confused. vi Given what has already been said about white, blue and black tinctures, the tablet for Venables depicts the following: 1. Azure, two bars, argent. [Venables] 2. Argent, three piles wavy, sable. [Eccleston, Lancashire] 3. Gules, three ostrich feathers erect, argent. [Griggs] 4. Argent, a cross flory, between four martlets, gules. [Golborne of Golborne] 5. Vert, a wyvern, argent. [An augmentation] 6. Argent, a bend between three pellets, sable. [Coton of Ridware, Staffs.] 7. Azure, an eagle displayed, argent. [Ridware] The reasons for the Eccleston (Egleston) and Griggs quarters are unclear. The Golborne coat comes from the marriage of Roger Venables, second son of Sir Hugh, to Elizabeth, heiress of that family. From their marriage the barony eventually descended when the main line of the Barons of Kinderton died out. The next quarter is the augmenation of honour attributed to the legend of the dragon confirmed, along with the crest, in 1560 by the College of Arms. The field of this quarter ought to be green (vert), not black (sable) and the dragon ought to be shown pierced by an arrow. Quarters six and seven relate to Sir William Venables marriage to Eleanor coheiress of the Cotton family of Ridware, Staffordshire. vii

5 The Brereton quarters shown are: 1. Argent, two bars, sable. [Brereton] 2. Gules, three pheons, argent. [Malpas] 3. Argent, a cross flory, azure. [Malpas] 4. Argent, a lion rampant, gules, between three pheons, sable. [Egerton] 5. Or, two ravens, sable. [Corbet] 6. Ermine, three chevrons, gules, on a canton of the second a lion passant, or. [Orreby] 7. Gules, two lions passant, or, a label of three points, or. [Strange] There is severe discolouration: it appears that ermine has been used as a background to the Orreby coat, which has more chevrons that it should. The final quarter fails to show the label across the top. Apart from this the display is similar to the official record in the Visitation of Cheshire The bar of the frame above the shield bears three crests in small rectangular panels. The left hand has a bear s head with a gold (it ought to be red) muzzle issuing out of a gold coronet: this is the crest of the Brereton family. The centre panel shows the Venables crest of the wyvern devouring a child, on a blue and white wreath. The right-hand panel has what seems to be a bird, either silver or gold in colour, with its wings raised standing on a wreath of silver or gold and black, but the reason for this is not yet apparent; it might represent the crest of the Gargrave family which was a falcon rising. The next tablet, ( C ) another roundel, contains the simple coat of arms of Venables impaling Argent, lozengy, sable, on a bend of the second, three crescents of the first, for Gargrave, to represent Thomas' second marriage. Next ( D ), once again, there is a shield containing an achievement of arms for each family conjoined, and set within a 'house-shaped' frame, endorsed with the name 'PEETER VENABLES. The

6 shield, although containing a similar number of 'quarters', is of larger dimensions to symbolise the fact that this union is that of his parents. Again, there are some doubts as to the accuracy of the heraldic display on this escutcheon. The Venables side is as before. According to Anne s funeral certificate, the Gargrave arms ought to show viii : 1. Argent, lozengy, sable, on a bend of the second, three crescents of the first. 2. Argent, on a chief indented, gules, three crosses crosslet fitchy or. [Gargrave] 3. Gules, a cock on an escallop, or. 4. Argent, a chevron between three mullets, sable. 5. Sable, three lions passant in bend between two bendlets engrailed, argent. [Browne of Surrey] 6. Sable, a cross flory between four annulets of the second. The first two quarters are associated with the Gargrave family; the colours shown on the second are incorrect. Number three is Gules a dunghill cock perched on an escallop, or, if the background were blue it would be for Otterburn of Otterburn, Yorkshire, therefore it is possible that Randle Holme, in recording the funeral certificate for Anne, was wrong. The fourth quarter has not been identified. The next has been wrongly overpainted, and should have three lions passant on the diagonal with silver engrailed bends alongside is for the Browne family of Wakefield and the marriage of Agnes daughter of Robert Brown to William Gargrave about the time of King Henry VII. The last quarter, which should show a silver cross against either a black field, with four rings cannot be identified. As with tablet B there is a bar with three small panels but at the time of visiting these were so dirty that no features could be ascertained, though they are likely to be the same. Mounted on the top of each 'house' frame, as though perched on a roof, is the Venables crest a wyvern, with wings endorsed, argent, devouring a child. It is said that this dramatic crest arises from a local legend concerning the brave adventure of an early member of the family. According to the family many centuries ago, a terrible dragon lived in Moston, near Warmingham, which devoured everyone it laid hands on. A Thomas Venables, regardless of his own life, set out to slay the dragon and managed to do so by shooting it with an arrow just as it was eating a child. The story, which certainly has a familiar patriotic ring about it, also gave rise to the inclusion of an 'augmentation of honour' amongst the Venables quarterings. Dragons Pool, Moston, and Dragons Lane, Warmingham, refer to this fanciful story. But, perhaps there was a dangerous murderer or paeodophile in the area who was summarily dealt with by the baron! To medieval man such a person would be an evil monster a dragon. Heraldically,

7 a wyvern is depicted this is a species of dragon which has only two legs, whereas a dragon would have four. According to the grant made by Lawrence Dalton, Norroy King of Arms, on 30 October 1560, the family had always used the wyvern crest, and perhaps the wyvern coat of arms too, but they wanted official recognition of them. ix The following quarter was granted as an augmentation of honour to the family s coat of arms: Vert, a dragon silver scaled and pierced through the body with an arrow Gold hedded and fethered Silver. For a crest they received permission to use: Upon t helme a dragon silver scaled and pierced through the body with an arrow Gold hedded and fethered Silver, devowringe a child chernell heired Gold, sett on a wyar, or wyslon, Silver banded Blue, on a wreath Silver, Blewe and Red. (See Appendix 3) Although this grant mentions the monster being pierced by an arrow this fact is not mentioned in the Visitation of Cheshire There is a more plausible reason for the crest. The Venables family possessed lands in Moston, Tetton and Warmingham. The Warmingham family, anciently bore Vert, a wyvern passant volant, argent, devouring a child, and are also ascribed Vert, a wyvern passant volant, or. The Moston family of Moston, in the same parish, had Gules, a wyvern passant volant, or, and some authorities say, vert, a dragon, argent, armed gules. If these ancient arms are in any way correct it suggests a familial connection between the early Warmingham and Moston families. The wyvern crest and the quartering, mentioned above, may, therefore, have been adopted as a result of an early, now unknown, marriage to an heiress of one of these families, and therefore allude to lordship over the townships of Warmingham and Moston. In fact, the manor of Moston was granted to William Venables and his wife Blanche, in 1405, by a man named Welch, probably acting as a trustee, though the reasons why are not known. x In Peter Venables Book of Arms the arms of Moston and Warmingham are given as illustrated here: the Moston coat having the green (vert) background and Warmingham the red (gules). The Reverse of the Venables Screen Tablet A rev has the impaled arms of Venables and Gargrave. Tablet B rev is different. This has the impaled coats of Venables and Wilbraham representing Peter Venables marriage to Mary, daughter of Sir Richard Wilbraham of Woodhey, by whom he had a son and heir, Thomas, born in Mary seems to have died a few years later. The Venables side shows: 1. Azure, two bars, argent. [Venables] 2. Argent, three piles wavy, sable. [Eccleston, Lancashire] 3. Gules, three ostrich feathers erect, argent. [Griggs] 4. Argent, a cross flory, between four martlets, gules. [Golborne of Golborne] 5. Sable, a wyvern, argent. [An augmentation] 6. Argent, a bend between three pellets, sable. [Coton of Ridware, Staffs.] 7. Azure, an eagle displayed, argent. [Ridware] The Wilbraham side has:

8 1. Argent, three bends wavy, azure. [Wilbraham] 2. Azure, two bars argent, on a canton sable a wolf s head erased of the first. [Wilbraham] 3. Argent a cross patonce, between four martlets gules, a label of five points, gules. [Golborne of Woodhey] 4. Argent, on a bend sable three cross-cosslets, or. [Crossley] These arms are as recorded in the Visitation of Cheshire, The bar of the frame above the shield appears to be plain, though this needs to be confirmed when the screens are taken down for renervation. Tablet C rev shows the impaled basic arms of the families of Venables and Cholmondeley. This commemorates the union about 1625 of these two wealthy families through Peter Venables marriage to Frances, sister to Sir Robert Cholmondeley, baronet (later Lord Cholmondeley, Earl of Leinster), by whom he had four sons and two daughters. The bar of the frame above the shield contains similar crests to that on tablet B. Between them is inscribed VENABLES ANO:DNI 1632 Likewise, tablet D rev commemorates the Cholmondeley marriage with full sets of quarterings see tablet E below for details. A proper assessment of the reverse can only be undertaken once the screens are removed. The Baron s Screen This screen, now positioned against the north wall of the vestry is arguably the more important because of the large central tablet and the information it portrays. The first panel on this screen ( E ) shows the impaled achievements of arms of the families of Venables and Cholmondeley. The shield of arms is set against a background of swirling mantling and has an ornate appearance. Of the impaled coat, the Venables side has twelve sections: 1. Azure, two bars, argent [Venables] 2. Argent, three piles wavy, sable. [Eccleston, Lancashire] 3. Gules, three ostrich feathers erect, argent. [Griggs]

9 4. Argent, a cross flory, between four martlets, gules. [Golborne of Golborne] 5. Sable, a wyvern, argent, pierced by an arrow. [An augmentation or Warmingham] 6. Argent, a bend between three pellets, sable. [Coton of Ridware, Staffs.] 7. Azure, an eagle displayed, argent. [Ridware] 8. Gules, three swords, argent, hilts and pommels, or. 9. Azure, five eagles displayed, or, a canton ermine. [Fitz-Thomas] 10. Argent, three martlets, gules. [Furnival] 11. Sable, three owls, or. [Thurcaston] 12. Azure, two bars, argent. [Venables] It is difficult to account for all these quarters. Numbers 1 to 7 have been mentioned earlier. Numbers 7 11 inclusive may have come from the Coton of Ridware marriage, because, so far as I know, they do not relate to any marriages directly into the Venables family. The Cholmondeley quarterings number seventeen. 1. Gules, in chief two esquires helmets, argent, and in base a garb, or. [Cholmondeley] 2. Argent, a fess gules, and in chief three martlets, azure. [Cheney] 3. Argent, a chevron between three capons, gules. [Capenhurst] 4. Quarterly, argent and gules, in the second and third a fret, or. [Dutton] 5. Argent, on a bend sable three estoiles, or. [Thornton] 6. Or, a saltire, sable. [Helsby] 7. Vert, a cross engrailed, ermine. [Kingsley] 8. Azure, a chevron between three garbs, or. [Hatton] 9. Azure, an estoile of six points issuing from the horns of a crescent, argent. [Minshull] 10. Azure, two bars, argent, on a lozenge, argent, a lion s head erased, sable. [Dorman] 11. Azure, two bars, argent, on a canton sable, a chevron argent charged with a wolf s head between two mullets of the first [Hill of London] 12. Argent, a greyhound courant, sable. [Holford] 13. Argent, a chevron between three text Ts, sable. [Toft] 14. Argent, three bulls heads cabossed, sable. [Bulkeley] 15. Argent, a boar passant, sable. 16. Argent, two bars, gules. [Mainwaring] 17. Azure, a garb, or. [Grosvenor] In the Visitations of 1580 and 1633 the number of quarterings given are nine and eleven respectively and accord with those displayed. The martlets in the Cheney quarter ought to be red (gules); the diagonal on number 5 should be red; the chevron on number 8 should be charged with a red crescent, and the

10 tinctures of number 14 ought to be reversed, i.e. a black (sable) background with silver heads. The lozenge in the centre of Number 10 should be black (sable) and the lion s head gold (or). Number 11 might be Hill of London who bore Azure, two bars, argent, on a canton sable, a chevron of the second charged with a griffin s head erased of the third, between two mullets gules. Sir Rowland Hill, knighted by King Henry VIII, was the first Protestant Lord Mayor of London: a Shropshire man he owned property in Cheshire, including the manor of Darnhall. How he is connected to the Cholmondeleys has not been ascertained. Quarter 16 [Mainwaring] - the bars are shown black but ought to be red (gules). Alongside this tablet there occurs a small round tablet (F) showing the impaling of the simple coat of arms of Cholmondeley, gules, in chief two helmets, argent, and in base a garb, or, with that of Venables, which is similar to C rev. The large, central tablet ( G ) is the main feature of the whole display. It records twenty-three marriages, spanning about four centuries, by showing the basic Venables coat impaled with that of the allied family. Starting with a mid-thirteenth century marriage to a member of the Penninton family of Lancashire, it continues, generation by generation, until the marriage of Peter's eldest son, Thomas, to Grace, daughter of Sir John Fenwick of Wallington, Northumberland. As Thomas was born about 1625, his marriage must have been arranged when still a child, unless added later. On a couple of occasions, it seems that the order of the shields is mistaken, but, nevertheless, this tablet is, effectively, an heraldic family tree. This main tablet is surmounted by a tablet with an inscription indicating that Peter Venables commissioned the screens and the date The arms that appear are: 1. Argent, a fess fusilly, sable. [Peninton (Pennington) of Lancashire]. This marriage of Sir Roger Venables and Alice Peninton was circa Quarterly, argent and gules, in the second and third a fret, or. [Dutton]. Marriage of Sir William II and Margaret Dutton, circa Or, on a fess, azure, three garbs, or. [Vernon]. Sir Hugh II and Agatha Vernon circa Quarterly, argent and gules, in the second and third a fret, or. [Dutton alias Warburton]. William III and his first wife Agnes Dutton, circa Argent, two chevronels, gules, on a canton of the second, a cross crosslet fitchy, argent. [Mobberley]. Sir Hugh III and his first wife, Elizabeth Mobberley, circa Argent, on a bend sable, three buckles of the first. [Houghton]. Sir Hugh III s second wife, Katherine Houghton, circa Fretty, argent and sable, a canton gules. [Vernon]. William III s second wife, Maud Vernon, circa For some reason the arms of the Vernons of Haddon, Derbyshire, are given here, whereas it ought to be Vernon of Shipbrook, Cheshire, as above. 8. Argent, a lion rampant gules, between three pheons, sable. [Egerton]. John Venables marriage to Isabel Egerton, circa Azure, a chevron between three cotton hanks, azure. [Cotton]. Hugh IV s first marriage to Margery Cotton, circa Argent, three chevronels, gules. [Langton]. Sir Richard marriage to Isabel Langton, circa Argent, two bendlets wavy, sable. [Ratcliffe]. Hugh V s marriage to Cecily Radclyf (Radcliffe), circa Argent, a fleur-de-lys sable between three moors heads proper. [Troutbeck]. Sir Hugh VII and Elizabeth Troutbeck, circa a Or, a cross engrailed, preparty gules and sable. [Brooke]. Sir Hugh IV s marriage to Ellen Brooke, circa Argent, on a bend azure, three bucks heads cabossed, or. [Stanley]. Thomas Venables marriage to Margery Stanley of Hooton, circa Argent, on a bend azure, three bucks heads cabossed, or, with a crescent for difference. [Stanley]. Thomas II s marriage to Cicely Stanley of Weever, circa

11 16. Azure, and eagle displayed argent. [Cotton of Ridware]. William VI s second marriage to Elinor Cotton of Ridware, circa Details from the Central tablet ( G ) showing only escutcheons of the related families. The basic Venables coat of arms is top left and on the tablet this appears alongside the other coats of arms (i.e. the arms are impaled ) but they have been omitted for clarity

12 17. Azure, a garb, or. [Grosvenor]. William VI s first marriage to Katherine Grosvenor, circa Argent, a bend engrailed, azure, between two bucks heads sable. [Needham]. Thomas III s marriage to Maude Needham, circa Argent, two bars, sable. [Brereton]. Thomas IV s first marriage to Elizabeth Brereton in 1552/ Lozengy, argent and sable, on a bend of the second, three crescents of the first. [Gargrave]. Thomas IV s second marriage to Anne Gargrave on 15 July Argent, three bendlets wavy, azure. [Wilbraham of Woodhey]. Peter s first marriage to Mary Wilbraham, circa Gules, in chief two esquire s helmets, argent, and in base a garb, or. [Cholmondeley]. Peter s second marriage to Frances Cholmondeley, circa Per fess, argent and gules, six martlets counter changed. [Fenwick]. Thomas V s marriage to Grace Fenwick, circa In ascertaining the above dates of marriage it has been assumed that, in some cases, marriage contracts were often made when the participants were still children. The next tablet ( H ) has now fallen back onto the shelf and cannot be seen from below. It is another small round tablet illustrating the impaled arms of Venables and Wilbraham, argent three bends, wavy, azure. Lastly, there stands a panel ( I ) with the painting of an armorial achievement, which must have been completed after This final panel shows the arms of George Venables-Vernon, of Sudbury, who, by Letters Patent dated 12 May 1762, was created Lord Vernon, Baron of Kinderton. Born in 1686, he was son to Henry Vernon of Sudbury, Derbyshire, and a grandson of Mary Venables, Peter's sister and heir. As this tablet is 'modern', it is worth considering what was illustrated in There can be little doubt that the frieze pattern shown on the Venables Screen was repeated - large panels, displaying full 'quartered coats of arms' of marriages, alternating with small round tablets showing the basic family arms of the same marriages. Therefore, this last panel would have shown the quartered arms of Venables impaling the quartered arms of the Wilbraham, thus fully commemorating Peter's two marriages. The arms of George Venables-Vernon on being elevated to the peerage as Baron Vernon in

13 The Reverse of the Baron s Screen Tablet E rev contains the full achievement of arms of the Gargrave marriage. The shield is surmounted by a helmet and as with the front side the shield of arms is set against a background of swirling mantling and has an ornate appearance. The twelve Venables quarterings are as those on the front side. The Gargrave quarterings are the same six as shown on tablet D. Beneath the shield is a scroll with the words VENABLES and GARGRAVE Tablet F rev shows the basic arms of Venables and Brereton on a roundel as tablet A. Tablet G rev is a repeat of the front side. Tablet H rev shows the arms of Venables and Gargrave impaled on a roundel as tablet C. The reverse of tablet I is blank. This is surprising given the nature of the other tablets. Has it been overpainted for some reason? Is there a paint layer underneath? A proper assessment of the reverse can only be undertaken once the screens are removed. Conclusion Each screen was made to be viewed from both sides. Each screen displayed the arms of the marriages of the father and son, Thomas and Peter Venables. The array of small oval shaped tablets is confusing. On the Venables screen one would expect A to be Venables/Brereton backed by Venables/Wilbraham, whereas it shows Venables/Gargrave, and C is as expected Venables/Gargrave backed by Venables/Cholmondeley. On the Baron s screen F is as expected with Venables/Cholmondeley backed by Venables/Brereton, and H likewise with Venables/Gargrave backed by Venables/Wilbraham. There ought to be two sets of each marriage, whereas there is only one of Venables/Wilbraham. Also, a single oval tablet ought to have on one side a marriage of Thomas backed by a marriage of Peter, however tablet A has Thomas marriages on both sides. These facts suggest there may have been other similar tablets now missing. The screens, when positioned in the body of the church, probably under arches of the Kinderton Chapel, would have been viewed from both sides. They will have been somewhat longer judging by the spare pieces of strapwork stored at the rear of the Barons Screen. When the screens were moved to the tower it would seem that they were reduced in size to fit along the north and south walls of the room. If all goes to plan it will be pleasing to see the heraldic friezes placed in a prominent position in the body of the church, where they can be viewed by visitors from both sides. It has been agreed that repainting in bold colours, gilded and silvered in the same way that many monuments in English parish churches have been treated, is not the best way forward. Instead, the colours will be left as they are, apart from cleaning. Sample cleaning has already indicated the vibrance of the paintwork that can be revealed. It is hoped that interpretation boards with illustrations will be provided. Thus, the Heraldic Screens of Middlewich will be a glorious reminder of a local family that had a significant place in Cheshire history and of a time when symbolism, in the form of heraldry, was so important

14 APPENDIX ONE COATS OF ARMS FROM OTHER SOURCES The shields shown in this appendix are reproduced from the Cheshire Heraldry web-site (cheshireheraldry.org.uk) with the kind permission of their creator Martin Goldstraw. The arms of Brereton in the Visitation of Cheshire, 1580 The arms of Wilbraham of Woodhey in the Visitation of Cheshire The arms on the screen show an additional first quarter of Azure, three bendlets wavy, argent. The arms of Cholmondeley of Cholmondeley in the Visitation of Cheshire The second quarter does not appear on the screens, instead a different Cheney coat is given

15 APPENDIX THREE COAT OF ARMS, 1560 (British Library, Harl. MSS 1116)

16 APPENDIX THREE MODELS OF SCREEN LAYOUTS A model of the original display with pieces re-instated or relocated. Some of the pieces remain lying behind the screens (Courtesy of John Currie)

17 Another version of how the original display may have appeared. (Courtesy of John Currie) i Richards, R., Old Cheshire Churches (revised ed. l913), pp ii Ormerod, G., The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester (2nd ed. revised by T. Helsby, (1882), vol. III, pp iii King, D., Vale Royal (1656). iv Rylands, J.P. (ed.), Cheshire and Lancashire Funeral Certificates; A.D to 1678, Record Society (1882), p. 55 v Howard, J.J. (ed.), Miscellania Genealogica et Heraldica (1868), p.228 vi Rylands, J.P. (ed.), The Visitation of Cheshire 1580, Harleian Society (1882) vii In the Visitation, the Venables arms are given as: 1. Azure, two bars, argent. [Venables] 2. Argent, a cross flory, between four martlets, gules. [Golborne of Golborne] 3. Vert, a wyvern, argent. [An augmentation] 4. Argent, three piles wavy, sable. [Eccleston, Lancashire] 5. Azure, an eagle displayed, argent. [Coton of Ridware, Staffs.] 6. Azure, two bars, argent. viii Rylands, op cit. ix Ormerod, p.236. British Library, Harleian MSS 139, f. 139; Harleian MSS 1119 x Ormerod, p. 231,