Many monuments of this type in local churches
I WAS interested in the article on the Two Sisters of Prestwold (Wednesday, June 10).
Our local churches contain many monuments of this type and what is generally not known is most were carved within 20 miles of the location where they are now to be found.
The stone used was alabaster, found in very few places.
In the 14th to 15th century the main source was a quarry in Chellaston south of Derby and a little later (16th century onwards), the quarry and mine at Fauld near Tutbury Staffs came to dominate.
With the carriage of heavy stone a problem, the carvers (known as kervers) congregated along the Trent valley, at Nottingham, Chellaston itself and in
Burton on Trent.
The date of the sister’s monument in Prestwold is uncertain. The tomb chest showing beadsmen (those employed to pray for the departed) dates it to before the reformation of 1536 and in style probably on or before 1520.
At this time carving workshops in Nottingham and Chellaston were either closed or in sharp decline making the workshop which carved the sister’s monument, in Burton on Trent.
The most prolific carvers on Horninglow Street were Henry Harpur (active 1490 to 1529) and William Moorecock ( active 1490 to 1510) but Richard Parker began work there in 1522 (and carved until 1570). One of these three is almost certain to be the originator.
The closest monument to that of the sisters is the one in North Aston, Oxford dating from the 1490s but with different arcading (niches which hold the bedesmen) indicating that the sister’s monument is later than the 1490s.
The North Aston monument is certainly a Harper/Moorecock work.
Philip White of the Wolds Historical Organisation wrote a detailed analysis called Two Unknown Ladies of Prestwold.
Ray State Ratcliffe on Soar