THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
105
At the church the party was received by the rector, the Rev. Lewis N. Prance,
who gave an interesting account of the numerous fine monuments to the Smyth
or Smijth family contained in it. The manor was one of the fifty-five lordships
granted by the Conqueror to Suene, of Essex, who lived at Rayleigh Castle. It
passed subsequently through many owners, before it came into the possession of
Sir Thomas Smith, about 1548, and it still remains in that family, the present
owner being Sir Wm. Bowyer Smijth, Bart., and it is much to be regretted that
he does not live at the hall. The church is in the park, and is dedicated to St.
Michael: It is comparatively modern, the old church having been struck with
lightning and burnt down in 1611. The monuments are drawn and described in
Mr. Chancellor's magnificent book, "Ancient Sepulchral Monuments of Essex,"
1890.
One curious feature still remains in this church. From the roof of the nave
hang some decayed garlands of flowers, with several pairs of gloves or mittens.
These have been used at the burial of maidens (probably of the Smijth family),
and remind us pleasantly of the old customs of the past, when on the death of a
virgin, a chaplet or garland of white flowers and ribands was carried in and
placed on the coffin ; and this was afterwards hung up over the seat she had
been used to occupy, and appended to it were gloves or paper cut in to that form
Mr. Crouch had seen these some years ago in the north, in Cheshire and Derby-
shire, and mention is made of them in parish registers, "a garland was hung up
in the church," etc. Mr. Crouch also quoted the following from one of the
Percy ballads :—
"A garlande fresh and faire,
Of lilies white was made,
In token of virginitie,
And on her coffin laid.
"Six maidens all in white,
They bore her to the ground;
The bells did ringe in solemn sorte,
It was a doleful sound."
It is right to mention, however, that some little difference of opinion obtained
among the ecclesiologists present, Mr. Prance inclining to the opinion that the
garlands appertained to bridals and not to burials, inasmuch as he found on
taking them down that the ribbons were of various colours, and he thought that
the relics would be more correctly named coronals. In support of this opinion
he quoted the sayings of an old man of the parish who was living when he first
came into the rectory, and who described their use at village weddings, the bride
hanging her gloves upon the garland.
Mr. Crouch was not inclined to accept this statement as conclusive in the
absence of further evidence, for in an old poem called "Corydon's Doleful Knell,"
we read that:—
"A garland shall be framed
By art and nature's skill,
Of sundry-coloured flowers,
In token of good will.
"And sundry-coloured ribands
On it I will bestow ;
But chiefly black and yellowe,
With her to grave shall goe."
Mr. Chalkley Gould also read some notes on the use of garlands at funerals,
which will be found printed among the "Notes" on page 99 ante.
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