manor. Next year plaintiff alleged an error, but was unsuccessful. The suit, however, went on with varying fortunes.

John de Whitmore was mayor of Chester for four years from 1370 till his death on 29 Sept., 1374. He was buried in Trinity Church in Chester, and a tomb with a sculptured effigy stood over his grave. Originally the tomb was in the Lady Chapel on the south side of the church, but evil days came and for many years the effigy lay buried in the vault under Dr. W. M. Thackeray's pew in the church. At the present time only a broken figure remains, which lies upon the floor of the church opposite the south door; both it and the slab are broken above the ankles; the sword also is broken. The hands are joined in prayer, and the head rests upon a cushion; the helm appears to have a flat rather than a conical top; the feet rest upon a lion couchant, the surcoat and shield are fretty. The church however is so dark that an accurate description is impossible.

On the wall above the effigy is a tablet bearing the arms, Whitmore impaling Haselwall, the chief of the latter being depicted as party per pale, with the motto "Either for ever," and this inscription beneath:

"Here lies John Whitmo. . | he was Mayor of this City 4 years Successively | King Edward the 3rd | Then raigning."

"

Beneath the above are a skull and crossbones. It is much to be regretted that the effigy of this old warriorcitizen and mayor should have been so evilly entreated and that it now lies broken and neglected. Certainly it is little to the credit of local patriotism. The writer understands, however, that the present rector has the matter in hand.

It is fortunate that seventeenth century descriptions

1L. M. Farrall," Holy Trinity Ch., Chester," in Chester Arch. Soc. Transactions, N.S. xxi, 152.

exist, though they are not so exact as could de desired. Though the effigy is not noticed in Weever's Funeral Monuments, Dingley1 gives an illustration with the inscription. He shows the effigy resting upon an altar tomb enclosed by railings; the figure is in armour, the legs uncrossed and resting upon some kind of animal; and the head is protected by a conical bascinet resting upon (apparently) a tilting helm. A shield is drawn in the margin, blasoned: Argent fretty Azure; while a note states that William Whitmore of Leighton bore Vert, fretty Or. Part of an inscription is given round the edge of the slab upon which the figure rests; the full inscription, in Lombardic capitals, differing from the portion shown in the illustration and otherwise incorrect, is added below with the date MCCCCLXXIV-a hundred years too late: +HIC IACET [DNUS ?] IOHES2 WHITMOR,. . QUI OBIIT iii. OCTOBRIS ANNO DOMINI MCCCCLXXIV CUIUS AIE ET OIUM FIDELIUM DEFUNCTORUM PROPICIETUR DEUS. AMEN.

Harleian MS. 2151, f.117, 117d, gives the following ac

count:

Holy Trenity church within the citty of Chester, Año 1600 & 1663."

Under a window in the chappell on the south side [of] the chancell is this monumt of a man in Armore with an escochion by his side & crosse legged, with this inscription about the edge of it." Beneath the above is a sketch of a figure upon an altar tomb, so rude as to convey no information save that the shield upon the left arm, which is more carefully drawn, is clearly fretty. The whole of the inscription along the edge of the slab is given below the sketch:

HIC: JACET: IOHES: DE WYTHMOR: QUI OBIJT iii KL:

OCTOB: ANO: D'O: M CCCC: LXIIII."

1 History from Marble, by Thomas Dingley, gent. (Camden Soc. 97, p. ccccvi). The book was compiled in the reign of Charles II.

2 IOHES is shown on the sketch of the tomb but DNVS on the inscription below; the former is correct, KL' is omitted before October, and the date has a c too many.

The effigy is several times noticed in the Journal of the Chester Archæological Society, and a description with an illustration given:-1

"

The pointed bascinet with a camail or mail covering for the neck and shoulders. . . thighs, arms and legs covered with closefitting plate armour showing the mail beneath at the joints, steel gauntlets and sollerets."

A note on the Whitmore arms will be found at the end of this chapter.

After John de Whitmore's death, Ralph de Vernon continued his suit for Thurstaston against his widow Cecily, who was all along the principal defendant. She afterwards (before 1386) married one Gilbert Trussell, and the suit was continued against Gilbert and Cecily in 1389.4 In 1393 John de Whitemore and Edmund his brother-these were Cecily's sons-were pardoned for acquiring the manor of Thurstaston, for their lives, from Gilbert Trussell and Cecily his wife.5 Gilbert was mayor of Chester in 1391 and 1392,6 and entries on the Recognizance Rolls show his connexion with the city." Cecily died before 18 April, 1396, when the writ of diem clausit extremum for her was issued.8 Gilbert Trussell died 18 Oct., 1401.9 He was illegitimate,10 and though four times married left no issue to inherit his acquisitions. His first wife (1363 on) was Ellen daughter and heir of John son of John de Muccleston, lord of Muccleston in Staffordshire,11

1

Effigy in Holy Trinity, Chester," by Stephen Williams, N.s. ví, 42.

2 Chester Plea R. 74, m. 1 (addition of 1376); 80, m. 11. John son and heir

of Robert de Berneston was tenant of the excepted bovate of land in 1377.

Ibid. 81, m. 34d; 89, m. 14d.

4 Ibid. 92, m. 32.

5 Cal. Patent R. 1391-96, p. 267.

7

Chester Plea R. 95, m. 5.

Dep. Keeper's Rep. xxxvi, App. 515.

8 Chester Recog. R. 69, m. 4d.

Chester Inq. p.m., file 20, 3 Hen. IV, n. 3.

10 Ibid. file 26, 11 Henry IV, n. 5.

11 Wm. Salt Soc. xiii, 27.

E