Advertisement

John Giffard

Advertisement

John Giffard

Birth
Devon, England
Death
1622 (aged 69–70)
Devon, England
Burial
Chittlehampton, North Devon District, Devon, England Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
Giffard Monument (1625)
Recumbent effigy of John Giffard (died 1622) of Brightley

This monument situated against the north wall of the north transept serves as a memorial to five generations of the Giffard family of Brightley, the principal manor within the parish of Chittlehampton. It was erected in 1625 by John Giffard (1602-1665), then a young man, shown kneeling at the bottom right, ostensibly as a monument to his grandfather John Giffard (died 1622), whose heir he was and who is represented by the main recumbent effigy. The young John's father Arthur Giffard (died 1616), who died during his own father's lifetime and thus never inherited Brightley, is shown kneeling opposite his son at the bottom left, praying before a book placed on a prie dieu. Two renaissance-style stone medallions showing faces in profile sculpted in relief are positioned above the recumbent effigy and, as is indicated by the heraldry, represent on the left Sir Roger Giffard (died 1547) who married Margaret Cobleigh, heiress of Brightley, and on the right his son John Giffard (1524-1623), who by his wife Mary Grenville, was the father of John Giffard (died 1622), the recumbent effigy below him.[24] On a panel directly above the recumbent effigy is an inscription in Latin, translated into English thus:

"Here lies John Giffard, Esquire, a man of outstanding piety, probity, prudence and providence, who from Honor his wife, from the family of Erle, received a most plentiful progeny. However with Arthur his firstborn having died with his father still living, he substituted for him as his heir John the son of Arthur. Thus with his family splendidly and successfully settled, with his sons and with the sons of his sons sufficiently provided for and with John his heir having been allied in marriage to the most select Joan from the illustrious stock of Wyndham of Somerset, already a seventy-year-old, he departed from the living. With his urn having been touched (2 Kings 13:21), those famous names once upon a time dead seemed as if to have risen up again: Roger Giffard, knight, sprung from the family of Halsbury, who had as his wife Margaret the daughter and heiress of John Cobleigh of Brightley; John Giffard, esquire, whom Mary was the wife (of), the daughter of Richard Grenville, knight; and of the greatest hope Arthur Giffard who received for his wife Agnes, the daughter of Thomas Leigh, esquire. John Giffard, his most sorrowful grandson, placed here this monument, a symbol of most pious observance".

Atop in Latin are the words translated as "The angels carried him into Abraham's bosom"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Giffard Monument (1625)
Recumbent effigy of John Giffard (died 1622) of Brightley

This monument situated against the north wall of the north transept serves as a memorial to five generations of the Giffard family of Brightley, the principal manor within the parish of Chittlehampton. It was erected in 1625 by John Giffard (1602-1665), then a young man, shown kneeling at the bottom right, ostensibly as a monument to his grandfather John Giffard (died 1622), whose heir he was and who is represented by the main recumbent effigy. The young John's father Arthur Giffard (died 1616), who died during his own father's lifetime and thus never inherited Brightley, is shown kneeling opposite his son at the bottom left, praying before a book placed on a prie dieu. Two renaissance-style stone medallions showing faces in profile sculpted in relief are positioned above the recumbent effigy and, as is indicated by the heraldry, represent on the left Sir Roger Giffard (died 1547) who married Margaret Cobleigh, heiress of Brightley, and on the right his son John Giffard (1524-1623), who by his wife Mary Grenville, was the father of John Giffard (died 1622), the recumbent effigy below him.[24] On a panel directly above the recumbent effigy is an inscription in Latin, translated into English thus:

"Here lies John Giffard, Esquire, a man of outstanding piety, probity, prudence and providence, who from Honor his wife, from the family of Erle, received a most plentiful progeny. However with Arthur his firstborn having died with his father still living, he substituted for him as his heir John the son of Arthur. Thus with his family splendidly and successfully settled, with his sons and with the sons of his sons sufficiently provided for and with John his heir having been allied in marriage to the most select Joan from the illustrious stock of Wyndham of Somerset, already a seventy-year-old, he departed from the living. With his urn having been touched (2 Kings 13:21), those famous names once upon a time dead seemed as if to have risen up again: Roger Giffard, knight, sprung from the family of Halsbury, who had as his wife Margaret the daughter and heiress of John Cobleigh of Brightley; John Giffard, esquire, whom Mary was the wife (of), the daughter of Richard Grenville, knight; and of the greatest hope Arthur Giffard who received for his wife Agnes, the daughter of Thomas Leigh, esquire. John Giffard, his most sorrowful grandson, placed here this monument, a symbol of most pious observance".

Atop in Latin are the words translated as "The angels carried him into Abraham's bosom"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Advertisement

  • Created by: Donna M L W
  • Added: Mar 27, 2017
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/177834670/john-giffard: accessed ), memorial page for John Giffard (1552–1622), Find a Grave Memorial ID 177834670, citing St. Hieritha's Churchyard, Chittlehampton, North Devon District, Devon, England; Maintained by Donna M L W (contributor 48594125).