Monoux, who, in the person of Sir Humphrey Monoux, Bart., held the lordship of Gonalston, when Thoroton wrote his account.
In Throsby's continuation of Thoroton (1797), is the following entry, appended to the account of Gunnolstone: "Here is a spital or chapel, an ill-looking place; of note only that the new incumbent of the living preaches here on his induction. It is without glass in the windows." "The Church," he proceeds to say, "which is dedicated to St. Lawrence, is neatly paved; one aisle, two bells. It is visible it has been much larger. The figures mentioned by Thoroton were removed, or rather destroyed, at the diminution of the Church, as usual. Thanks to friend Thoroton for preserving copies of them."
On examining the Church, I found, in the first place, that of all the painted glass mentioned by Thoroton, only two small pieces were remaining. These are in the upper part or head of a small early decorated window on the south side of the chancel. They give two coats of arms. One of these is "Azure, three hedgehogs or,"—for Heriz, (a canting charge, Hericius, hedgehog) according to Thoroton. On inquiry, I ascertained that the whole of the glass, with the above exception, had been removed towards the end of the last century, and appropriated to decorate some of the windows in the neighbouring church of Southwell. The present windows on the north side of the Church are made in the arches (now stopped up, but distinctly traceable), which formerly divided the nave from the north aisle. This diminution of the Church, as Throsby calls it, was effected by Sir Philip Monoux, Bart., in 1787. Having mentioned my desire to trace the history of the removal of the effigies, I was told there was a widow, eighty-four years of age, living in a neighbouring parish, who remembered having seen them in Gonalston Church. I had an interview with her, and she confirmed the report which I had heard, and even told me whereabouts in the Church the monuments were formerly placed. This so far valuable information, was afterwards repeated by a former resident in the parish, who also remembered having seen them when he was a boy, nearly seventy years ago.[1] I determined then to make a careful examination of the Church. My impression
- ↑ Mr. T. Hinde, of Goverton, who rendered me great assistance in the inquiries I made respecting these and other matters connected with Gonalston.
