Monuments in St. Oswald's Church

 

Sir Robert Walton and his wife Cecily

 

As a geologist with experience of working in the building restoration industry and a particular interest in building stone, my visit to St. Oswald’s church in Methley was of great interest, but the church is probably best known for its effigies and monuments. 

 

The effigy in the north wall of the nave

 

The oldest of these are a pair of effigies of a layman and a priest, both unknown, who are thought to have been responsible for building the church in the C14. Carved in dolomitic limestone from the Cadeby Formation, they were once part of the same monument but they were separated in 1901 and repositioned in niches with four centred ogee arches in the walls of the nave and south aisle. 

 

The effigy in the wall of the south aisle

 

In the Waterton Chapel, which was endowed by Sir Robert Walton on his death in 1424, but not built until 1484, the alabaster effigies of Sir Robert and his wife Cecily are placed on an elaborately carved tomb chest, which sits within a crocketed canopy with lion head headstops.

 

The monument to Robert Waterton

 

Pevsner describes the effigies as exceptionally finely carved and Sir Robert wears plate armour, with his feet resting upon a lion and his head on his helmet, which has a plume of feathers. He has a chain around his neck and about his waist is a richly jewelled belt, from which hangs a dagger. 

 

Sir Richard Walton and Lady Cecily

Lady Cecily wears a mantle fastened with cords, pointed slippers and a square headdress decorated with flowers and jewels. Her head is resting upon a cushion supported by angels and at her feet, there are two dogs wearing bells. 

 

Sir Richard Walton and Lady Cecily

On the south wall opposite, there is the alabaster chest tomb and effigy of Lord Welles, who died at the Battle of Towton in 1461, alongside his first wife Cecily. The figure of Lord Welles is clad in armour, with his head on his helmet and his feet upon a lion, which is part of his crest. 

 

The monument to Lord Welles

The detailing is again of extremely high quality, which includes a chain round his neck, a belt with jewels and the garter with its motto on his left leg and the coat of arms of the Welles, which is carved in relief on the surcoat that he is wearing over his armour. 

 

Lord Welles

Lady Cecily is wearing a mantle that is embroidered with the arms of the Welles family and a mitred headdress on her head, which is resting upon a cushion that is supported with angels. At her feet, there are two very small dogs, one of which is pulling her mantle with its teeth. 

 

Lady Cecily

In the north-west corner of the chapel is the reclining figure of Charles Savile (d.1741), in the guise of a Roman soldier, with his widow Alathea mourning beside him. Carved in white Carrara marble, it is the work of Peter Scheemakers, a Flemish sculptor who worked for most of his life in London and whose monument to William Shakespeare is his best known work. 

 

Charles Savile and his wife Alathea

In the south-west corner, another Carrara marble monument depicts John Savile (d.1778), the 1st Earl of Mexborough, in his peer’s robes sitting cross legged on a large chest tomb. The work is signed and dated 1780 by Joseph Wilton, who was a founder member of the Royal Academy of Arts and whose work includes many famous Britons in Westminster Abbey. 

 

John Savile

On the east wall of the chapel, there is a large Carrara marble wall monument to Sarah Countess of Mexborough (d.1821) by Richard Westmacott (The Younger), whose work includes a number of statues and the pediment friezes at the British Museum and the Royal Exchange. 

 

The monument to Sarah Countess of Mexborough

Moving down the south aisle, the tall alabaster chest tomb with black marble Ionic columns, which is now next to the south door, was originally in the Waterton Chapel. It commemorates Sir John Savile (d.1607), his son Sir Henry Savile (d.1632) and his second wife, Elizabeth Wentworth. 

 

The monument to John Savile, Henry Savile and Elizabeth Wentworth

 

The monument is thought possibly to be the work of the Flemish Maximilian Colt, a court sculptor to King James I, and the owl in the Savile heraldic crest on the front of the tomb was later adopted by the city of Leeds, when Sir John Savile was elected as its Member of Parliament.

 

The Savile heralic crest