260
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
Geoffrey Lukyn sold it in the same year to Rowland Rampston, from
whom it apparently passed to his son Robert. To this Robert there was
a fine brass in old Chingford Church, now lost, but the Society of Anti-
quaries possesses a rubbing of it, and the matrix still remains in the Church.
It depicts him in his uniform of Yeoman of the Guard, with his second
wife ; the Blencowe arms above her head and at their feet the
inscription :—
Here vnder lyethe bvried the bodie/
of Robert Rampston, gent., who/
departed this mortall life the third/
daie of August 1585. And Margaret/
his wife departed this mortall life/
the 29 daye of October 1590./
Above the altar tomb which bore this brass, on the south wall of the
chancel, was another inscription plate, now also lost, but known by ex-
tant rubbings, which gave further particulars, viz. :—
Ther lyeth under this stone next this
place the Body of Rob'. Rampston
gent., who was a Yoman of ye Chamber
to K.E. [that is King Edward] the VI,
Q.M. [Queen Mary] and the Q[ueen's] Matie
that nowe is and that in his life tyme
gave VIII yerly to VIII parish in Essex
to the Relef of the Poore and by his Testam
gave xxij yerly for ever to the poore of
xj parishe x in Essex and one in Midd.
and to V prysons in London and Southwarke
Whereof to this parishe where he
dwelt he gave i i yerly to ye poor
thereof whiche said Robt. R. had two
wives Margarett died the . . . . day of . . .
the said R. R. died the iij day of August
1585. Christus mihi vita mors lucrum.
The ten Essex parishes to which he left money were Chingford,
Waltham Holy Cross, Walthamstow, Chigwell, Woodford, Loughton,
Wanstead, East Ham, West Ham, and Leyton. Brass inscriptions re-
cording this benefaction remain in the churches of Waltham, Walthamstow,
Chigwell, Woodford, East Ham, and Leyton. The name of Robert Ramp-
ston's first wife is unknown ; his second was the widow of one Blencowe.
There were apparently no children by either wife. The brasses were
evidently laid down in Margaret's lifetime, spaces being left in the earlier
one for the date of her demise, which were not filled in after that event.
Robert Rampston left his manors in Chingford to Rowland Rampston, son
of his brother John. This Rowland Rampston was of Great Parndon,
where there is a brass to his memory in the chancel of the church, which
tells us that he :—
'' departed this life in the faithe of Christ and in an
assured hope of a happie resurrection, the Xth day of
September, 1598."