Inscription recording the Benefaction of Thomas Hotofte,
1495
This eight line English inscription plate (146mm x 635mm),
(Fig 1*. ) produced by a London workshop, was formerly
secured to the vestry or tower wall as recorded when Rev.
James Blomfield published `A Statement of the Charities
and other Bequests to the parish of Orsett, Essex; with a
short account of its Antiquities and other matters' in
1864 and so remained until it was affixed to the south
nave wall following the fire which took place in 1927.
The inscription reads:
`This is the last will and testament of Thomas Hotofte
of Orssett Decessed made in y` yere of owre /Lorde God a
- 1495 - I will & bequethe to ye parishinars of
Orssett a psett of land cawled Gould/well beyng in ye
pryshe of Horndo that I bowghte of my mother among other
land now taken/ away by order of Lawe as bie his land
will more at large will apere whiche land cawled Gould/well
I give to bere owte the comon fyne of Orssett for ever. I
will the Churchewardens for the/tyme beyng shall make
yerely acounte before the prishiners of Orssett
aforesayde for the/yerely proffitt of all ye sayd Land
cawled Gouldwell to ye behofe of ye sayd prishnars of/Orssett
this done pformed & kepte I will shawle injoye it ye
sayd Gouldwell for evermore'.
Thomas Hotofte of Orsett and Knebworth, Hertford-shire
was a most generous benefactor and was respon-sible for
the first recorded charity in the parish. Hotofte, as the
inscription records, left forty acres of land called
Gouldwell in the parish of Horndon-on-the-Hill to the
churchwardens of Orsett to pay annually the common fine
of 20s of which the profits were to be accounted for to
the parishioners. The Hotofte family also made the north
chancel into a chantry which was endowed by a yearly
payment of £7 16s 8d.
The following description relates to the civilian that
Palin suggests could be the memorial to Thomas Hotofte.
Martin Stuchfield has described the reverse of this brass:
"Following removal of this brass on 24th July
1991 it was discovered that this memorial was palimpsest,
that is to say composed of previously used metal. The
reverse of the male effigy has revealed the upper portion
of a larger civilian, probably produced by a London
workshop, c1480. The figure is depicted inclined towards
his wife in an attitude of prayer. The hair, majority of
the face and a belt buckle are clearly discernible. (Fig
2*. ) A further fragment (40mm x 26mm) may constitute
wasted material emanating from an armoured effigy. The
reverse of the scroll, also produced by a London
workshop, c1480, bears the following text from Job 19.v.25
which seems to have been made narrower for reuse: '(N)ovissi(m)o
die de t(er)ra Surrectur(us) Sum' (Fig 3*. )
Due to deterioration of the stone the remaining
elements of this brass have been rebated into a hardwood
board together with the outlines indicating the lost
representation of the Holy Trinity and foot inscription.
This board was mounted onto the south wall of the north
chapel adjacent to a separate board containing resin
facsimiles of the newly discovered reverse engraving on 7th
March, 1992.
Other Orsett brasses
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