Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/448

 294 PEOCEEDINGS AT MEETINGS OF covered buried in the earth, not enclosed in a vault. The head of the coffin was immediately under the stone of Magister Braydforde, the feet extending to the Warren stone. A very stout wooden coffin had, evidently, surrounded the leaden one ; four massive handles of iron, tliickly plated with silver, were found ; the wood was in a state of powder ; the leaden coffin was entire, but compressed by the pressure of the surrounding earth. The lid was carefully cut off, and the coffin was found full of brown sawdust, probably cedar wood. The sawdust was removed, and a tall, slender body, enveloped in a linen shroud, was exposed ; the outline of the face was eminently beautiful. Whether it was Braydforde's, or the (lieadless) individual to whose memory the brass monument of De Warren was erected, it is difficidt to decide : it may have been a more modern interment. Yet it is not probable that, in the last century, such an expensive coffin would have been made use of, and no vault made, nor any monument placed over it. Hermetically sealed, as it were, the body might possibly have been in the state we found it for centuries ; its preservation is attributed to the complete exclusion of atmo- splieric air. The head being bare, adds to the probability of its being Jolin Braydeford's ; on the other hand, the head may have been sliaved during the malady that occasioned the death of the person." This circumstance certainly appears to confirm the opinion of its having been the body of the priest. Of the persons commemorated by the other brasses, I can obtain no sufficient description. Neale, in his " Views of Churches," has given a drawing of Ledbiuy Church. He describes it as " a large building, in an early style of architecture, but, having undergone many alterations, it has lost much of its original character. Neale mentions the existence of the brass ; but prints the name as John Haywood, instead of Hayward. With reference to the memorial of Thomas Caple, there seems little doubt that it belongs to a member of the family of Caple, of How Caple, thus mentioned by Duncumb : — "* " How Caple is not enumerated in Domesday Sm-vey, and was, probably, much covered with wood at that time. Soon after, this manor, which, in an Harleian MS., is said to be ' paravaUe to that of Eosse,' and also the patronage of the Church, were in the possession of a family, who, as usual, took the name of Caple from their property. Of these, Dominus Walterus de Caple presented to the rectory in 1279. He was succeeded by another Walter, who was knighted, and exercised the patronage in 1289. John de Hue Caple was a minor in the year 1329 ; Hichard de Hue Caple was so also in 1352, but presented to this church of How Capel ten years after this date, and again in 1388. In 1396, William, son of Kichard, was, in pos- session ; it then contained one knight's fee, and was held under the Bishop of Hereford. Richard married Alice, and had issue, Thomas, who was living A.r>. 1450, and left a son, George, who married one of the Scudamorc family." It is this Thomas Caple, I think, commemorated by the brass, although there is no other evidence than the date of 1450, as above, and that on the tomb, of 1490, as the time of his decease. That the family burial place was ■^ History of Ilcrcfordsliirc, vol. ii., 354.