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| Thomas of Tyndale | |
| An early 14th-century knight | |
| dressed in mail with his feet resting on a lion. |
The following is from Archæologia Æliana, 4th series VII, Mediæval Effigies in Northumberland, 1930, C H Hunter Blair, p.9–10:
IV. On its slab upon the floor, against the wall of the north aisle of the Chancel of the priory church of St Andrew.
Person: Thomas of Tyndale, d. before 1317.
Material: Fine grained carboniferous sandstone, legs and feet damaged and broken but otherwise in good condition.
Armour, etc.: Head, upon a single cushion, in mail coif with fillet. Mail hauberk with sleeves and mittens with fingers, hands joined in prayer. Mail expressed by interlacing rings. Sleeveless surcoat pleated in lozenges at the waist and falling, in bold folds over the raised right thigh, to about mid-calf, girt by a rather broad belt studded with oblong pieces of metal and buckled in front, the tag hanging low down. The legs and feet are in mail with leather knee-cops, the right leg crosses over the left, the feet armed with prick spurs rest upon a lion. On the left lower side kneels a mutilated little figure, in cloak with hood, probably representing a canon of the church.
Sword: Straight quillons, pommel broken off, attached to a broad sword belt studded with oblong and round discs of metal and buckled low down on the left side.
Shield: Long pointed and slightly concave held by its strap, over the right shoulder, studded like the sword belt.
Armorials: Carved in low relief upon the shield, [silver] on a fess [sable] three sheaves [gold].
1823: “Near the north door is a similar effigy, removed however from its table. It is habited like the last, steel to the teeth, with cuirass, shield, helm, and hauberk. His shield is or, on a fess azure, three garbs proper, the arms of the Aydens, of which family it is supposed this knight was a member. The name of Galfred de Ayden, alone, occurs early enough to deserve the distinction.” [A B Wright, 1823, p.92]
1888: drawn at N end of N transept aisle. “In the north transept lies a much battered effigy, representing a knight clad in chain mail, over which is a sleeveless surcoat. His sword hangs by a strap to his belt, but this is almost entirely broken away. He carries on his left arm a shield, which is suspended by a guige over his right shoulder. This shield bears the coat armour of the wearer: on a fess, three garbs. These arms have given rise to much controversy. There can be no doubt that they are the arms of the Tindals, who were lords of Devilstone. The feet rest against a lion, and against the right foot, which is thrown over the left, is the figure of an angel in supplication; but the head and shoulders have been broken off, and the figure now presents a singular appearance.” [Hodges 1888 pp.51–52]
1919: “The earlier of the two knightly effigies … probably represents Thomas de Devilstone, who gave the manor of North Milburn to Hexham Priory, and died in 1297. He is seen clad in chain mail, over which is a sleeveless surcoat. The long sword hangs by a strap to a waist-belt. On the left arm is a shield suspended over the right shoulder by a guige. The shield bears the arms, ‘on a fess, three garbs’. The feet are resting on a lion, and against the right foot, which lies over the left, is the figure of an angel in supplication, the head and shoulders of which are gone.” [Hodges & Gibson 1919 p.71]
1935: North side of 2nd bay from west of north Chancel aisle [Hadcock 1935 plan].
Pre-June 2008 it had been on a plinth [HEXAB6188] on the south side of the north chancel aisle.
The PCC reaffirmed a resolution passed in 2005 for the raising of the recumbent effigies onto plinths now that we had been awarded a grant of £32,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to undertake this work and to provide interpretation and children's education about them. [ANV 76a June 2007 p.10]
June 2008: Effigies: mount on stone bases [Vetter UK] [HEXAB9018.1]
25/01/2023: Recollection form by Kathy Edmonds, Hedon, E Yorks: “Our visit today was to see the effigy of Thomas de Tyndale on behalf of my brother-in-law David Pearce, Cleethorpes, Lincs … Thomas de Tyndale was 20th great-grandfather of David Pearce.”
CND: CNAF6