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Image of Sponne coat of arms
St Lawrence Church, Towcester

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Archdeacon Sponne's Tomb - more information
The tomb is made of clunch, a soft chalk stone. Clunch can be cut with saws or worked with wood- working tools so was often used for decorative carving. The tomb top length is 275cm and the width 114cm. The whole tomb measures 190cm in height. There is a shield on both long sides, one of which is made of alabaster and not the original. Marks around the top show where a brass fillet would have originally been fixed.
Image Sponne's Tomb, Towcester
Image Sponne's Tomb, Towcester
Image Sponne's Tomb, Towcester


Cadaver, full-length, lying on a shroud, knotted at the top
Image Sponne's Tomb, Towcester
Image Sponne's Tomb, Towcester
Image Sponne's Tomb, Towcester



The tomb is described by Father J Bertram, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, 13th July 2006

"Effigy of clunch, with head and hands in wood. Effigy dressed in academic costume: a long red cassock, with fringed cuffs revealing shirt underneath; tabard also red, with broad white fringe, split sleeves; cape also red, fringed, with deep pink furred hood, black pileus on head; face and hands naturalistically coloured; head resting on two cushions, the top one blue, the lower one pink, with tassels.

The Effigy lies on a flat bed made up of several small slabs, held together with iron clamps, seriously cracked along the centre line; it has a moulded edge with a chamfered recess for a brass inscription, for which rivets remain on the north, west and south sides only; at each corner is a carved spray of oak-leaves with acorns, in the centre of the north, west and south sides is a shield, of alabaster of the north, of clunch elsewhere, all originally bearing the arms of Sponne (gules, over a fess ermines, a pale ermine). On the underside mouldings are set sprays of oak-leaves, with two lions’ masks on the long sides, nothing at the east end.

The slabs rest on an arcade of three arches on each side, one at each end, the spandrels and cusps on the outsides carved with oak leaves, painted gold and green, except at the east end which is blank. On the insides the spandrels are carved with oak leaves and rosettes. On the outside of each shaft is a buttress, including at the east end, painted green and red. The whole rests on a moulded plinth.

Within the tomb is a cadaver, full-length, lying on a shroud, knotted at the top; there are no remaining traces of paintings on the underside of the cover slab.

Within the indent for the brass inscription can be seen assembly marks for the elements making up the cover slab. There are also many scratches and initials, particularly on the south side, where can be read in Italic handwriting Josh Philip 1603.

The tomb was originally in the centre of the south chapel, surrounded by iron railings. Some repairs were done, presumably when it was moved, including patches to the effigy, probably the alabaster shield on the north side, and a new head and hands: the wooden originals were later re-discovered and returned.

According to Bridges (I, 276) there was a painted board with an inscription at his feet to replace the lost brass one."

Restoration of Sponnes Tomb

Conservation was undertaken between 1981 and 1993 by the conservator Miss Anna Hulbert. A radiocarbon dating undertaken by English Heritage on two cores from the head of the effigy confirmed that the hands and head were the originals of c.1448. The wooden head and hands were discovered in a box in the Vicarage.

Image Sponne's Tomb, Towcester
Image Sponne's Tomb, Towcester
Image of Sponne's Tomb, Towcester
Foot of tomb Head and hands in wood Italic handwriting Josh Philip 1603.
Image Sponne's Tomb, Towcester
Image Sponne's Tomb, Towcester
Image Sponne's Tomb, Towcester
Carved spray of oak-leaves with acorns Original clunch coat of arms Two lions’ masks on the long sides, symbolic for courage, strength and the Resurrection