The Strife of the Roses and Days of the Tudors in the West. W. H. Hamilton Rogers
coloured decoration is somewhat softened by Time, it is otherwise but little mutilated, and displays all its antient splendour almost unimpaired.
EFFIGIES OF SIR FULKE AND LADY ELIZABETH GREVILLE
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On a black marble table are their effigies in alabaster, richly painted and gilded. Sir Fulke, bare-headed, is in full armour, two chains around the breast, from the lower depends a Maltese cross (or star) of five arms, sword and miséricorde, feet in broad sabbatons puffed at the toes, and resting on a lion—rings on his fingers, head reclining on a helmet, with crest a greyhound's head couped at the shoulders sable, collared or. Lady Elizabeth wears a close fitting cap, hair parted in the centre and brought across the brow, ruff, three small chains around the neck, gown with collar, sleeves having dependant lappets, and putted, knotted and slashed at the shoulders, with robe over fastened across the breast with cordon and tassels. Her head rests on double cushions, rings are on her fingers, and from her girdle, suspended by a chain, a gold pomander or pix, with double rose ornament on the lid. By her left foot is a little dog, sable and collared. The effigies are in a fine state of preservation, and around the edge of the table this inscription:—
Here lyeth the bodyes of s ffoulke grevile knyght & lady Elizabeth his wefe the doughter & heire of edward willoughbye esquyre the sone & heyre of Robert willoughbye knyght lord of broke & lady Elizabeth one of the doughters & coheyres of the lord beauchamps of powycke whiche s ffoulke dyed the x day of november a'no d'ni Mo do lix and the seid lady Elizabeth hys wyff deperted the day of in the yere of or lord god Mo do lx of whose soules god have mercy amen
On the sides of the tomb below are a series of small figures, and an elaborate heraldic display, which claims special notice. Under the knight are seven figures: 1, a knight in full armour, bareheaded, sword, and chain round neck; 2 and 3, two ladies, with black hair, chains round their necks, their gowns red, lined with black. On the other side of the large shield, four figures: 4 and 5, two ladies with black hair, gold chains, and black gowns lined with red; 6, apparently a chrism child, with hood and clothes wound round in red, laced across the chest, knees, and ankles with a black band; 7, another lady clothed as 1 and 2. Under the cornice eight small shields:—1. Sable, a cross engrailed or (Ufford).—2. Gules, a cross moline or (Bec).—3. Gules, a cross fleurie or (Latimer).—4. Sable, a fess between three fleurs-de-lys or.—5. Gules, four fusils in fess or,[9] each charged with an escallop sable (Cheney).—6. Gules, three mullets pierced, or.—7. Azure, a cross fleurettée or (Paveley?).—8. Gules, a lion rampant or. Below them inscribed in the centre,
Arma Edwardi grevile de milcote militis.
under the inscription a large escutcheon quarterly of four—1 and 4. Gules, a fess between six martlets or.—2 and 3. Or, on a fess azure, three fleurs-de-lys of the first. Round the shield on a blue riband,
DONA PACIENCIA DIEN ME
On the other side under the lady are eight figures: 1 and 2, are ladies in gilded caps and cuffs, black gowns lined with red, and sleeves similar to those worn by Lady Greville; 3, a chrism child habited exactly as that on the opposite side; 4, a lady clad similar to the first two. On the other side of the central shield, four ladies apparelled as the other three, their gowns red lined with black. All the figures stand on little pedestals and have their hands raised in prayer. Under the cornice eight small shields: 1. Sable, a fret or (Maltravers).—2. Azure, two bars gemells or (Cifrewast).—3. Per fess gules and azure, three crescents or (D'Aumarle).—4. Gules, a saltier vaire, between twelve billets or (Champernowne).—5. Or, on a bend sable, three horse-shoes of the first (Ferrers).—6. Azure, an eagle displayed or (Bigbury).—7. Gules, a fess between six martlets or/—8. Or, on a fess azure, three fleurs-de-lys of the first. Inscribed below them in the centre,
Arma Robert Willoughbye domina de broke.
Under the inscription a large escutcheon quarterly of eighteen:—1. Sable, a cross engrailed or (Ufford).—2. Gules, a cross moline or (Bec).—3. Gules, a cross fleurie or (Latimer).—4. Sable, a fess between three fleurs-de-lys or.—5. Cheney.—6. Gules, three mullets pierced or.—7. Azure, a cross fleurettée or (Paveley?)—8. Gules, a lion rampant or.−9. Or, a cross fleurie gules.—10. Or, three bars gules.—11. Or, a chevron gules, within a bordure engrailed sable (Stafford).—12. Or, six lioncels rampant gules, three and three.—13. Maltravers.—14. Cifrewast.—15. D'Aumarle.—16. Champernowne.—17. FERRERS.—18. Bigbury.—Around the shield the riband of the Garter with motto,
HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE
At the head of the tomb, four small shields[10] on the cornice:—1. Sable, on a cross within a bordure both engrailed or, nine pellets of the first (Greville).—2. Erminois, a fess checquy or and azure. 3. Quarterly per fess dancetté, 1 and 4 or, 2 and 3 azure, in the dexter chief a crescent gules.—4. Greville. Below them inscribed in the centre,
Arma Fulconis grevile militis & domini Elizabeth uxoris eius.
under, a large escutcheon supported by nude alabaster figures of boys—baron, quarterly of four charged as the shields on the cornice above, impaling femme, quarterly of twenty, eighteen of the charges as on the large shield below the lady, and 19. Gules, a fess between six martlets or.—20. Or, on a fess azure, three fleurs-de-lys of the first. Around the shield on a blue riband the motto as under the knight.
At the foot of the tomb, four shields on the cornice:—1. Or, a cross moline gules.—2. Or, three bars gules.—3. Stafford.—4. Or, six lioncels rampant gules, three and three. Inscribed below them,
Arma Richardi d'ni de bello Campo baronis de powick et d'ni de Alcester.
Underneath are two shields and a lozenge—one above two. On the first, quarterly of four, as under the knight; on the second, quarterly of four as baron at the head of the tomb, in the fess point a mullet for difference. On the lozenge twenty quarterings as femme—as at the head of the tomb.
Twisted pillars occur at the corners of the tomb, and on each side of the large escutcheons, and the whole composition is in a remarkably good state of preservation.
Fulke, the eldest son of Lady Elizabeth, was a most accomplished man, and the great friend and biographer of that "mirror of knighthood," Sir Philip Sidney. He married Ann, daughter of Ralph Nevill, fourth Earl of Westmoreland who died in 1549. By her he left one son Fulke, and one daughter Margaret, married to Sir Richard Verney of Compton-Mordak, Warwickshire. Sir Fulke died in 1606.
Sir Fulke, the grandson of Lady Elizabeth, was really the heir through her to the barony of Broke, but at that time, it did not appear to be a point clear in law, that after an honour had been for some time in abeyance in the female line, it could be afterward claimed by the heir. He was greatly in favour at the Court of Elizabeth, who rewarded him liberally, and he obtained from king James I., in the second year of his reign, a grant of Warwick Castle and its dependencies, then in a ruinous state, which he gradually re-edified and restored at great cost, and, January 29, in the eighteenth year of the same reign was advanced to the title of Baron Brooke, of Beauchamp's-Court, a dignity further enhanced to an Earldom of the same name 7 July, 1746, followed by that of the Earldom of Warwick 13 Nov., 1759. Sir Fulke, the first Lord Brooke, was unfortunately murdered at his house in London, by one Haywood his servant, who hearing Lord Brooke had not included him for a legacy in his will, as he had his other servants, Lord Brooke not considering him entitled to it, resented the omission, and after angry expostulations, stabbed him in the back, in his bedchamber. The assassin then rushed into another chamber, locked the door, and destroyed himself. Lord Brooke lingered a few days, and expired 30 Sep., 1638.
It was to the descendants of Margaret Greville, sister to Sir Fulke the first Lord Brooke, and grand-daughter of the Lady