The Tomb of John De Pitchford is a 13th-century carved

effigy An effigy is a sculptural representation, often life-size, of a specific person or a prototypical figure. The term is mostly used for the makeshift dummies used for symbolic punishment in political protests and for the figures burned in certain ...

and tomb chest in St Michael and All Angels’ Church,

Pitchford Pitchford is a small village in the English county of Shropshire. It is located between Cantlop and Acton Burnell and stands on an affluent of the River Severn. Pitchford takes its name from a bituminous spring/pitch in the village, located nea ...

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

, England.Fryer (1921), p. 14 Although little record survives of John De Pitchford's life apart from that he died in 1285. He is assumed to have been either a knight or sheriff.Tummers (1980), p. 21Fryer (1921), p. 54 His monument is positioned in the chancel of the church, and is made from solid

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

, making it one of only three extant 13th-century English tombs retaining their original wooden elements.Tummers (1980), p. 30The other two are in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

and

Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Church of England, Anglican cathedral in the city of Salisbury, England. The cathedral is regarded as one of the leading examples of Early English architecture, ...

. See Tummers (1980), p. 30

Description

De Pitchford's head rests on a flat and shallow cushion, and is dressed in garments that include a knee length

surcoat A surcoat or surcote is an outer garment that was commonly worn in the Middle Ages by soldiers. It was worn over armor to show insignia and help identify what side the soldier was on. In the battlefield the surcoat was also helpful with keeping ...

.Tummers (1980), pp. 70—71 He holds a sword but his shield is now missing (the remnants of its holding strap can be seen on his left side).Tummers (1980), p. 76 The animal at his feet may be either a lion or a dog. The effigy rests on an oblong chest whose sides are lined with

niche Niche may refer to: Science *Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development and growth *Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species *Niche differentiation, in ec ...

s containing three-foiled

arch An arch is a curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th millennium BC, but stru ...

es, within which are

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and genealo ...

shields seemingly hanging on hooks from the arches. As traces of paint have been found on it, the wood may have originally been painted with bright colours.Tummers (1980), p. 17

References

Sources

* Fryer, Alfred Cooper. ''Wooden Monumental Effigies In England And Wales''. London: ''Archaeologia'' or ''Miscellaneous Tracts relating to Antiquity'', 1909, republished 1924 * Tummers, H.A.
Early Secular Effigies in England: The Thirteenth Century
'. Leiden: Brill Archive, 1980. {{coord, 52.6343, -2.6994, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Buildings and structures completed in the 13th century Tombs in the United Kingdom Tomb effigies