page_title: Ralph Cheyne
section_title: Monument in Edington Priory Church
hierarchical_section_title: Ralph Cheyne / Monument in Edington Priory Church
caption_attribution_description: English: Edington Priory Church, Wiltshire, chantry chapel monument to Sir Ralph Cheyne (c.1337-1400) (alias Cheney), of Brooke, in the parish of Westbury in Wiltshire, thrice a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire and Deputy Justiciar of Ireland in 1373 and Lord Chancellor of Ireland 1383-4. He was Deputy Warden of the Cinque Ports
context_page_description: Sir Ralph Cheyne, of Brooke, in the parish of Westbury in Wiltshire, was three times a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire and was Deputy Justiciar of Ireland in 1373 and Lord Chancellor of Ireland 1383–4. He was Deputy Warden of the Cinque Ports.
context_section_description: The ledger stone on top is missing its original monumental brasses, but the stonework of the chantry chapel retains several relief sculptures of heraldic escutcheons, some held by angels. Also shown is the heraldic badge of a ship's rudder, later adopted by Robert Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby de Broke (c. 1452 – 1502) (the eventual heir of Brooke) visible on his chest tomb in Callington Church in Cornwall. Hamilton Rogers (1890) described the chantry chapel monument to Sir Ralph Cheney as follows:
  "The monument is under the second arch of the nave, west of the transept, in the south aisle. It consists of a high tomb with canopy, flanked by an entrance-doorway forming part of one composition, extending the whole breadth of the arch. This was originally one of the enclosing screens of a Chantry, the other two, east and west, dividing it from the aisle having been removed. In the wall of the aisle opposite the tomb, is a two-storied piscina, which was formerly within the area of the Chantry, and against the east division doubtless stood the antient altar. The cover-stone of the tomb is Purbeck marble, and on it are the indents of a knight and lady, but not of large size. The knight's head appears to have rested on a helmet with lambrequin, and an animal was at his feet. The lady in long robe and head on a cushion. Two shields were above their heads, and two more below their feet. There was no ledger-line. Below the tomb are traceried panels with shields in their centres, on them is carved these arms:—1: A rudder; 2: Four fusils in fess, each charged with an escallop (Cheney); 3: Four escallops, two and two (Erleigh?). These charges are exactly repeated on both sides. The canopy is of square form, flanked by buttresses pinnacled on their faces, and the groining within shews five fan-traceried pendants. At the east end is a large niche, the west is open. The doorway is surmounted by a rich ogee crocketted canopy with finial, and is panelled above. A continuous cornice surmounts both tomb and doorway, of vine foliage and mouldings, crested originally by the Tudor flower, only a part of which now remains. It is broken on each side by four angels holding shields. On the north side are two single angels supporting the arms of Cheney, at the west corner are two angels holding a larger shield quarterly of four, 1 and 4 Cheney; 2 and 3: A cross fleurie (Paveley). On the south side the single angels display the arms of Paveley, and the pair at the end Cheney impaling Paveley. Over the inner doorway the rudder is again carved—here at Edington its earliest appearance. In the churchyard, near the porch, is a large broken Purbeck marble stone, probably removed from the pavement of the Chantry 9 within. On it are the indents of a knight, and lady in horned head-dress, under an ogee crocketted canopy, flanked by pinnacles, evidently of contemporary date with the tomb. Above the figures are two shields, below their feet the space is powdered with scrolls, and a ledger-line enclosed the whole."
caption: Chantry chapel monument to Sir Ralph Cheney, Edington Priory Church
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