Richard Assheton of Middleton Richard Assheton or Ashton of Middleton ( 1483 – 1549 ) was an English soldier . Richard ' s grandfather was Sir Ralph Assheton who was knighted by the Duke of Gloucester at the capture of Berwick ( 1482 ) and married Margaret Barton the heiress of Middleton . Richard ' s father was Sir Richard Assheton ( d . 28 April 1507 ) and mother , Isobel Talbot . Flodden and the Flodden windows . Richard raised a company of archers to fight at the battle of Flodden in 1513 from Middleton , near Manchester . An heraldic visitation in 1533 by Clarenceux King of Arms Thomas Benolt noted that Richard had captured the courtier John Forman , sergeant porter to James IV of Scotland and Alexander Burnett , Sheriff of Aberdeen , at Flodden . John Forman was taken to Berwick upon Tweed where he identified the body of James IV of Scotland . Richard continued the rebuilding the parish church of St . Leonard ' s at Middleton . He commissioned the " Flodden Windows " depicting himself and his wife , and seventeen captains of the archers , and the priest Henry Taylor who blessed them before the battle , commemorating them each by name in stained glass . The window is one of the oldest war memorials in England , second in date to All Souls College , Oxford , founded in 1438 with the provision that its fellows should pray for those killed in the French wars . The main inscription on the glass was , as described in 1845 ; " Orate pro bono statu Richardi Assheton et eorum qui hanc fenestra ( m ) fieri fecerunt quoru ( m ) no ( m ) ina et imagines ut supra ostendatur . Anno d ( omi ) ni , MCCCCC ( X ) V " , meaning " Pray for the wellbeing of Richard Assheton and those whose names and images they caused to be made in the window shown above , 1515 . " As there was no " X " in the painted date , it has been argued that the window dates from the decade before Flodden , and commemorates a religious confraternity of archers . The legible names included ; Henricus Taylyer , Richard Kylw ( or Wyld ) , Hughe Chetham , James Gerrarde , John Pylkyngton , Philipe Werburton , William ( Ste ) le , John Scolefede , Wylliam ( — ) , James Taylier , Roger Blomeley , Crystofer Smythe , Henry Whitaker , Robart Prestwyche , and Richard Bexwicke . The window is described in a 17th - century poem " Iter Lancastrense " by Richard James , c . 1636 ; Now go we to the church of Middleton < br > To find out there some glory of our own < br > At charge of those good men who went out far < br > In suite of brave Ashton to the warre < br > There stands a painted window , where I weene < br > The show of their departure may be seene < br > The Lord and Ladye first in skarlett ; then < br > One neere attending of ye chiefest men < br > Their garments long , his short and bliew , behinde < br > The chaplaine of ye warfare you may finde < br > In robe of ye same colour , for to say < br > Before an altar praiers of ye daye < br > On bended knees ; him follow neighbours bould < br > Whoe doe bent bowes on their left shoulders hould < br > Their girdle sheaft with arrowes ; as the squire < br > So are they all , court mantells in attire < br > Of blewe ; like Greeks in Trojan warre , their haire < br > In curles long dangling makes ye semblance faire < br > And sterne ; each hath his name , and people tell < br > That on ye same lands now their children dwell < br > As yet so called . Originally there was more than one window , with Richard and his wife shown separately , since 1847 the remaining glass forms one window . The window was restored again in 2012 . Family . Richard married Anne Foulshurst , daughter of Sir Robert Foulshurst of Crewe , their son was Richard Assheton of Middleton who married firstly Anne Strickland , and secondly Anne Lady Bellingham . The Asshetons of Great Lever , Lancashire were Richard ' s cousins . Two were members of parliament ; Richard Assheton of Whalley and Downham , Lancashire , and his half brother Ralph Assheton of Great Lever at Middleton , who was Member of Parliament for Liverpool in 1553 .