Effigies of Sir Ralph Green & his wife Katherine, St Peter's Church, Lowick, Northamptonshire, England

St Peter's Church, Lowick. Northamptonshire
Fine alabaster tomb of Sir Ralph Green died 1417 and his wife Katherine
There is a contact note still in existence for this tomb dated 1419. The delivery date was Easter 1420 and the price ?40 to be paid in 5 equal installments. The carvers were Thomas Prentys and Robert Sutton from the village of Chellaston in Derbyshire where the quarries were.

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Northamptonshire, Lowick
CONTRACT_ Feb 4th 1418/9. An indenture between Katherine late wife of Ralph Greene esq, William Oldwyncle and William Marshall, clerks,on one part and Thomas Prentys and Robert Sutton of Chellaston in the co.of Derby,carvers, on the other part, witnessing that the said carvers have covenanted and agreed to make and carve well, honestly and profitably, a tomb of stone called alabaster, good, fine and pure containing to length 9ft and to breadth 4ft 2inch. upon which tomb shall be made 2 images of alabaster, the one of an esq armed at all points containing in length 7ft with a helm under his head and a bear at his feet, and the other image shall on the counterfeit of a lady, lying in her open surcoat with 2 angels holding a pillow under her head with 2 little dogs at her feet. The one of the said images holding the other by the hand, with 2 tabernacles called gablettes at their heads which tombe shall contain at the sides with the ledgerment 3 ft on which side shall be images of angels holding shields according to the devise of the said Katherine, William and William. And also the said breadth with pendants and knots and a crest of faytes and other work pertaining to such a tomb, the which images, tomb and arch shall be proportioned gilded, painted and arrayed with colours well and sufficiently in the pure hones and profitable manner that pertains to such work. And all the said works shall be presently done and performed in all points in manner of aforesaid and set up and raised by the said Thomas and Robert in the parish of Lowick at the costs and peril of the said Thomas and Robert between now and the feast of Easter in the year of grace 1420. For doing and performing which works the sculptors are to receive ?40 sterling in 4 portions, the last to be paid when everything is finished according to contract" - makers marks
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Tomb of Sir Ralph Greene (d. 1417) and his wife Katherine

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Ralph Greene
1417
St Peter's Church, Lowick, Northamptonshire, England

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GREEN, Ralph (c.1379-1417), of Drayton, Northants.

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effigy ... of Ralph Greene (d. 1417) and his wife Katherine at Lowick (Northamptonshire). The contract for its manufacture survives showing that it was ordered in 1419 by Katherine Greene from Thomas Prentys and Robert Sutton of Chellaston (Derbyshire)

Sir Edmund and Lady Joan de Thorp
All Saints, Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk
An adornment of this otherwise rather run-of-the-mill church is the fabulous alabaster memorial to Sir Edmund Thorp and his wife Joan. He died at the siege of Louviers in Normandy in 1417. Both of them wear the collar of S's.

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Museum number 1883,0714.645
Description Effigies of Sir Edmund de Thorpe and Lady, in Ashwelthorpe Church. Norfolk, study for plate 112 of Stothard's 'The Monumental Effigies of Great Britain', published by Mrs Anna Eliza Bray, 1817-32, one of a large group of studies for this volume; both turned to front, with hands held in attitude of prayer, female figure at left, with hair confined by a fret, and resting feet on two dogs, male figure at r, wearing armour, and surcoat bearing arms of Thorpe and Baynard, and resting head on a helmet and feet on a dog
Graphite and brush and grey ink
Drawn by: Charles Alfred Stothard
School/style British
Date 1787-1821
Materials paper
Technique drawn term details
Dimensions Height: 252 millimetres Width: 188 millimetres
Inscribed: "Plate 1" Verso inscribed: "Sir Edmund de Thorpe & Lady Ashwelthorpe Norfolk" On backing sheet numbered: "114"
Location Not on display (British Unmounted Roy PV)
Acquisition name Bequeathed by: Anna Eliza Bray
Acquisition date 1883
Department Prints & Drawings
Registration number 1883,0714.645

A brief history of Sir Edmund from "Burkes Extinct Peerage"
EDMUND (DE THORPE), LORD THORPE, son and heir, was never summoned to parliament, but was knight of the shire for Norfolk 1397-98 and 1407. He was Commer. of array, Mar 1392, to enquire into the wastage of lands,1400, and de walliis et Fossatis, 1408, all in Norfolk. Being retained to stay with the king for life, he was granted a pension of 50 marks p.a. 7 Jan 1392/3, increased to 100 marks by Henry IV, 22 Nov. and 6 Dec. 1399, out of the issues of the town of Kings Lynn, and was confirmed by Henry V, 30 Sep 1413. In Spr 1399 he has protection, going with Richard II on his disastrous journey to Ireland. Having accompanied Henry V to France in 1417 (with 10 Lances and 33 archers), he was appointed Commr. of Array there, 27 Oct 1417, and a Commr. to redress infractions of truce between the king and Duke of Burgundy, 28 Apr 1418.
He is said to have married, Firstly, 6 Oct 1368, Margaret, daughter of Richard DE LA RIVERE. He then married? Secondly, between 28 July 1387 and 3 March 1387/8, Joan widow of Roger (DE SCALES), 4th Lord Scales (who died 25 Dec 1386), daughter of John DE NORTHWOOD She died 3 Jan 1414/5 and was buried as Ashwellthorpe. Will dated 29 Sep 1414,pr. 21 Apr 1415. he is said to have died at the Siege of Louviers (June 1418) in Normandy and he certainly died . s.p.m. before 31 Aug 1422 (i.e in the lifetime of Henry V) being buried at Ashwellthorpe ( His effigy there in full armour, and that of his wife, of white alabaster, lie under a wooden canopy, The arms quartered on his tomb, including Thorpe, Baynard, Northwood, Clifton, Barrey, Kerdeston and Calthorp). At his death the barony of Thorpe (of the assumption that it existed) fell, according to modern doctrine, into abeyance between his 2 daughters and coheirs by his 2nd wife :- (i) Joan, married Firstly Sir Robert ECHINGHAM, and Secondly, Sir John CLIFTON, of Old Buckingham, Norfolk, who died 1447. She survived him, but died s.p.s. (ii) Isabel, married Philip TYLNEY and died 10 Nov 1436, being buried at Ashwellthorpe.

The de Thorp Tomb, Ashwellthorpe
The alabaster tomb bearing the effigies of Sir Edmund de Thorp and his second wife Joan – daughter of Sir Robert de Northwood and widow of Lord Scales – lies within All Saints Church, Ashwellthorpe. Lords of the Manor, the de Thorp family – by children, marriages, kinsmen – passed on this manorial lordship right through to the mid-20th Century.
Sir Edmund was the son of another Sir Edmund de Thorp and his wife Joan nee Baynard. Sir Edmund was killed in 1418 during the siege of the castle in Louvier, Normandy, where he had been one of King Henry V's men and his body was brought back to Ashwellthorpe for burial in his Chapel. He had the Chapel – Thorp Chapel – added to the north of the Chancel in 1393 to become his eventual burial place. This pre-Reformation tomb is one of only two remaining in Norfolk and lies between the Chancel and Thorp Chapel. Originally under a wooden canopy, the white alabaster effigies lie on the alabaster tomb chest; Sir Edmund in full armour with his helm[et] under his head, his wife lying beside him, a pillow under her head supported by Angels. The west end of the tomb chest is now of stone rather than alabaster and over three centuries, graffiti of names and initials have been carved into the alabaster.
The recent problems with the tomb's foundations have seen it slipping into a void and, without repair work, it could have crumbled and broken up. Restoration in 1967, funded by the Pilgrim Trust, resulted in a thorough cleaning of the tomb and the repainting of the eight heraldic shields around its base. As Humphrey tells us above, funds have been raised and repair work is about to start with stability and restoration completed by Easter 2007.