page_title: Arthur Bassett (died 1586)
section_title: Death and burial
hierarchical_section_title: Arthur Bassett (died 1586) / Death and burial
caption_attribution_description: English: Tombs in St Mary's parish church, Atherington, Devon. In the foreground is the chest tomb of Sir Arthur Basset (1541–86) of Umberleigh and his wife Elizabeth Chichester, daughter of Sir John Chichester (died 1569) of Raleigh. The slate slab on top shows the arms of Basset impaling Chichester.
context_page_description: Sir Arthur Bassett was a member of the prominent west-country Basset family and was MP for Barnstaple in 1563 and Devon in 1572. He served as JP for Devon from 1569 to his death and as Sheriff of Devon in 1574–5. He was knighted in 1575. He had been appointed deputy warden of Stannaries by 1580.
context_section_description: Bassett died of Gaol Fever in 1586 whilst serving in his judicial role at the notorious Lent Black Assize of Exeter from 14 March 1586. Eight other judges or Justices of the Peace also died of the same fever. In his will dated 18 October 1585 he asked to be buried "honestly and decently" beside his wife. He died before 7 April 1586. His curiously small chest tomb with inscribed slate top slab exists in Atherington Church, which was historically within the manor of Umberleigh. It is likely that his burial took place in the Umberleigh Chapel, now a ruin, which stood next to the manor house of Umberleigh. All the tombs and monuments were removed from there to Atherington Church in about 1820, and thus Sir Arthur's slab probably sits on a modern base. The surface of the slate has largely flaked off, but the central escutcheon showing the arms of Bassett impaling Chichester is still visible, with part of the inscription in a ledger line around the perimeter, and some verse beneath the shield:
  "Here lie ye bodies of ye Right Worshipful and Worthy Knight, Sir Arthur Bassett and Elianora his wife, daughter of Sir John Chichester of Rawleigh... the 2nd April 1586. The latter buried the 10th July 1585... behind them 5 sonnes and 2 daughters. Requiescant in pace" ("May they rest in peace")" Below is the impaled shield, below which is the following verse:
  "He that is three in one and one in three,
  
  First made us two, then one, this one were wee,
  
  One love, one life we lived, one year, one death
  
  Rocked us asleepe by borrowing but our breath.
  
  Grave the bed that holds us both, the stone
  
  (That) hides us covert, the bed is one,
  
  One Heaven contains our souls, one trumpte one day,
  
  (Will) raise our bodies from this bed of clay.
  
  Death which useth others to dissever,
  
  (Hath) once united us forever"
caption: Small chest tomb (foreground) in Atherington Church, Devon, of Sir Arthur Basset (1541-1586) of Umberleigh and his wife Eleanor Chichester
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