Elvaston St. Bartholomew
(204)
" At Elvaston in Derbyshire, about this time (January 1642), Sir John Gell's Souldiers (after the Plunder of the Lady Stanhope's House) demolished a Costly Monument, newly made for Sir John Stanhope; entred the Vault, wherein many of his Ancestors lay Interred; and Triumphing over the Dead, thrust their Swords into the Coffins."*
The four sons of John Stanhope, of Elvaston, grandson of Sir John Stanhope of this monument, were—John, who died young; Thomas, who succeeded to the estates, but died without issue in 1730; Charles, who succeeded his brother, but also died issueless; and William, the heir of his brother Charles, who was created Earl of Harrington in 1729.
Against the north wall of the nave is a monument to Charles, third Earl of Harrington, 1829. The basement of the tower is separated from the church by a carved oak screen, on which is inscribed:— "Voluntary memorial to Charles, fourth Earl of Harrington, born A.D. 1779, died March 3d, 1851." The east window of the chancel is filled with Munich glass to the memory of Jane, Countess of Harrington, 1854. On the south side of the chancel is a beautifully-executed recumbent figure, by Westmacott, of Algernon Russell Gayleard Stanhope, who died in 1847, aged nine years. Within the Stanhope pew, at the east end of the south aisle, is the marble effigy of Leicester Fitzgerald Charles, fifth Earl of Harrington, who died in 1862. Against the north chancel wall is a large brass of Seymour Sydney Hyde, sixth Earl of Harrington, in academicals. He died in 1866. before attaining his majority.
An ornamental stone tablet, with the date "1821" at the top, against the north wall of the nave, has the following inscription:—
" William Piggen Cittizen and Plaisterer of London dyed the Vth Day of Iune A° 1621 who by will gave 250li to buy lands. And the profitts thereof yearely to be distributed amongst the poore of the three townes belonging to this parish of Elvason by the churchwardens & some of his nearest kindred here inhabiting & xli more hee gave as a stocke forever & the yearely profitts thereof to remaine to the disposers of the said poores mony to be spent on a drincking att the distributing thereof ; withall wch mony there is a howse & land boughte in divers feoffees names scituate in the towne and parish of Spoonedon in this countye of Darbye."
To this inscription is added one stating that this estate was sold in 1821, and the money laid out in the purchase of another estate at Cossington, in Leicestershire.
On the south side of the chancel arch, on a brass plate is a joint bequest to the poor of Askwell, Elvaston, and S. Peter's,
* Dugdale's Late Troubles in England, p. 559.
29 February 2004