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| Sir Gilbert de Umfreville | |
| 1245 – 1307 | |
| A member of the Anglo-Norman family | |
| which built nearby Prudhoe Castle. |
The arms are, gules, a cinquefoil between 8 croslets 3, 2, 2, 1.
The following is from Archæologia Æliana, 4th series VII, Mediæval Effigies in Northumberland, 1930, C H Hunter Blair, p.8–9:
III. On its slab, lying on the floor in the south aisle of the Chancel.
Person: Sir Gilbert Umfrevifle, d.1307.
Material: Fine hard grained carboniferous sandstone. Much worn and mutilated. The remains of the irons which carried the hearse are at the four corners of the slab. On its chamfered edge, on the left hand side, carved in relief are four running animals: three can be deciphered, namely a hare, a rabbit and a dog; at the head of the slab is a salmon. On the right hand side are a number of roundels; the foot is broken away.
Armour, etc: Head, upon two cushions, the lower square, the upper lozenge-shaped, in mail coif with fillet. Mail hauberk with sleeves and mittens fastened by points at wrists. Mail indicated by interlaced rings. Long sleeveless surcoat pleated from shoulders to below the waist and falling nearly to the ankles, narrow girdle around waist buckled in front and tag hanging down below belt. Legs and feet in mail with leather knee-cops, the feet broken off, foot rest destroyed. The hands are joined in prayer.
Sword: Straight quillons and round pommel, attached to a rather narrow belt around the hips buckled at the left side by the interlaced thong method.
Shield: Partly broken, long, pointed and lightly concave.
Armorials: Carved in relief upon the shield [gules] crusilly and a cinquefoil [gold].
1823: ‘In the south aisle of the choir are two table monuments. From one the effigy has been removed, and on the other is the recumbent figure of a knight of the holy banner {The attitude of a crusader, in armour—the legs crossed—could only be assumed by persons born in the Holy Land, by a knight who had fought, or who had made preparation to fight, for the cross; or at farthest by the son or immediate descendant. of one “whose sword had opened a way to the Holy Land.” The latest monuments of this kind must be dated as early as the 14th century.} This is supposed to be a member of the baronial family of Umfranville. The arms are, gules, a cinquefoil between 8 crosslets 3, 2, 3. The person here represented is probably Richard de Humfranvil, who gave to the canons of Hexham one toft and eight acres of land in Prudhoe, and whose family were all great benefactors to the church. He died 11th Henry III. AD 1227.’ [A B Wright, 1823 pp91–92]
It would have been placed in the Umfraville chapel, now disappeared.
1888: drawn on S side of S chancel aisle but then actually in N transept aisle: “A similarly attired effigy has been moved out of the south aisle of the choir, its original position, to the north transept. It bears the Umfreville arms, and has been assigned, with every probability, to Gilbert de Umfreville, who died in 1307. There are clear indications that this figure has been covered by an iron hearse, as some of the pins for fastening it remain.” [Hodges 1888 p.52]
1919: “The other is no doubt that of Sir Gilbert de Umfreville, Lord of Prudhoe, who died in 1307. The costume is the same as the earlier effigy [HEXAB1043], but of superior workmanship. The sword has a large pommel, and hangs from a plain belt. The shield bears the arms cut in relief, ‘gules, a cinquefoil within eight crosses patonce or’. The slab on which the effigy lies has a broad chamfer, which at the head, feet, and sinister side is charged with a number of small animals, but the dexter side has ball flowers, a very rare ornament in Northumberland and Durham. The iron pins which remain in the slab show that the tomb was covered with a hearse.” [Hodges & Gibson 1919 pp.71–72]
1921: ‘… in the second bay from the east of the south aisle of the choir … The slab on which the effigy lies is ornamented with the “ball flower”, and small figures of animals supposed to allude to the Umfreville's office of exterminating the wolves and foxes in the valley of the river Rede.’[Hodges, rev. Gibson 1921 p.71]
The PCC reaffirmed a resolution passed in 2005 for the raising of the recumbent effigies onto plinths now that we had been awarded a grant of £32,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to undertake this work and to provide interpretation and children's education about them. [ANV 76a June 2007 p.10]
[From Oxford DNB article: “Umfraville, Gilbert de, seventh earl of Angus (1244?–1307), baron” by Fiona Watson]: “His wife was Elizabeth, third daughter of Alexander Comyn, earl of Buchan, and Elizabeth de Quincy. Gilbert and Elizabeth were buried in a magnificent tomb in Hexham Priory, where their effigies can still be seen.” Could Elizabeth's effigy be HEXAB1044.1? See photograph HEXAB9019.26
1935: south side of 5th bay from west of south chancel aisle [Hadcock 1935 plan no.17]
June 2008: Effigies: mount on stone bases [Vetter UK] [HEXAB9018.1]
CND: CSAF2 but effigy/tomb is now on modern stone plinth just of Sir Gilbert de Umfreville (excluding wife); NCH3 193