Lumley Chapel

There is an abundance of magnificent funerary monuments in England. Yesterday I went to Cheam and saw some corkers.

St Dunstan’s is the Cheam parish church, built in 1864 to replace a medieval church. Pevsner doesn’t mince his words commenting succinctly “large and dull”. All that remains of the old church is the east end of the chancel, now known as Lumley Chapel and here’s its story, told by local historian Andrew Skelton.

”The Lumley Chapel was formerly the chancel of the medieval parish church of the old Surrey village of Cheam, owned at the Norman Conquest by the Archbishop and monks of Canterbury. The dedication to St Dunstan (Archbishop AD 960 – 988) is of pre-Conquest date. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries (1538) Cheam was acquired by Henry Fitzalan, 12th Earl of Arundel, passing on his death to his son-in-law, John, Lord Lumley, who is buried in the Chapel with his two wives. His heirs retained ownership into the 18th century.” (The Lumley Chapel, booklet by Andrew Skelton)

Look in and there is no indication of anything exceptional. The stained glass with the Lumley and Arundel Arms and the altar both date from 1954, although the window itself dates from the 15th century. If you look closely there is a slab set into the floor with two iron rings that gives access to a vault below.

It is only on entering that the interior is dominated by chest tombs for John Lumley’s wives: Jane Fitzalan on the south wall and Elizabeth Darcy on the north wall.

“Jane Lumley’s monument … is by far the most ornate and emotional. Above the tomb chest the figure of Lady Lumley, carved in alabaster in high relief, kneels, facing east, within a classical architectural surround supporting a scrolly achievement bearing green popinjays (for Lumley) and, at the top, a silver horse holding a sprig of oak leaves (for Arundel). Central to the achievement is an incised stone oval, probably of onyx … depicting the slaying of a monster.” (The Lumley Chapel, booklet by Andrew Skelton)

Note the frieze decorated with garlands of fruit, including pomegranates. The ceiling is a plastered barrel vault decorated with ribs and pendants.

 

 

The two panels at the base of the tomb depict Lady Lumley’s young kneeling children who like their mother are set against architectural backgrounds showing arches, windows and a pedimented doorway. Through one opening an obelisk is visible known to have been in the garden at Nonsuch Palace leading one to suppose that all this delightful detail is based on the interiors there. Jane Lumley died in 1578 and detailed coloured drawings for her tomb were made in 1590.

“Nonsuch Palace, near Cheam, was perhaps the grandest of Henry VIII’s building projects. It was built on the site of Cuddington, near Ewell, the church and village having been destroyed and compensation paid, to create a suitable site. Work started on 22 April 1538 … The palace was incomplete when Henry VIII died in 1547. In 1556 Queen Mary sold it to Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel, who completed it.” (Wikipedia)

A recumbent, life-sized effigy of Elizabeth, the second wife of John Lumley, lies on a recessed tomb chest of black marble with attached fluted Ionic pilasters in white marble and a central armorial display.

As on Jane Lumley’s tomb, her richly decorated garments are finely carved and decorated.

The memorial to John Lumley himself is more restrained, comprising a central panel bearing a lengthy Latin inscription flanked by grey marble Corinthian columns.

The rest of the chapel is crammed with memorials that otherwise would have been lost when the medieval church was demolished. Here are some of them and some brasses, the oldest late 14th century.