XXI.—On the sculptured alabaster tablets called Saint John's Heads

W.H. St. John Hope

doi:10.1017/S0261340900007669

XXI.—On the sculptured alabaster tablets called Saint John's Heads

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 January 2012

W.H. St. John Hope

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Scattered up and down England in museums, churches, and private collections, are a number of small sculptured tablets or panels of alabaster, of which the principal feature is a head lying on a dish or charger, generally flanked by figures of saints and sometimes with other accessories.

These tablets have been more or less a puzzle to antiquaries for a long time, and various conjectures have been put forward as to the meaning of the subjects represented.

Type: Research Article
Information: Archaeologia , Volume 52 , Issue 2 , 1890 , pp. 669 - 708

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261340900007669 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1890

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^{page 370 note a} Vol. iv. part ii. page 461.

^{page 370 note b} It is also engraved in Fosbroke's Encyclopedia of Antiquities, published in 1825, but is there described as representing the Syrian legend of the head of Christ, a theory put forth by Dr. Meyrick in 1824.

^{page 370 note c} Part i. 397.

^{page 370 note d} Part ii. 209.

^{page 370 note c} Gentleman's Magazine for 1824, part ii. 292, 293.

^{page 371 note a} Bury Wills and Inventories (Camden Society), 255.

^{page 371 note b} Archaeological Journal, xii. 184Google Scholar.

^{page 371 note c} Archaeological Journal, xxix. 93Google Scholar.

^{page 371 note d} Since the present paper was written Dr. Cox has expressed to me his entire concurrence with my explanation of these sculptures.

^{page 372 note a} Memoires de la Société des Antiquaires de Picardie, x, 254Google Scholar.

^{page 372 note b} 1419. In primis habemus faciem beati Johannis Baptiste incastratam in pelvi argentea munita per ora lapidibus preciosis. videlicet, saphiris. smaragdis. granatis. thopasionibus et pellis. et in summitate faciei subtus cristallum sunt lapides incastrati saphiri et smaragdi et quinque grosse pelle. Item super dictam faciem est facies hominis de argento in qua sunt multi anuli infixi de auro et monilia sunt etiam alii plures lapides preciosi inter quos est unus grossus saphirus in fronte dicte faciei. et in dextera parte faciei ipsius est unus magnus camaheu cum facie hominis ligata ad modum Sarracenorum.— Mémoires de la Soeiété des Antiquaires de Picardie, x. 277Google Scholar.

^{page 672 note c} 1535. Ung vaissel d'or de viij carres a quatre pietz avec le couverchcl tout dor donne et offert a lhonneur de Dieu et monseig. St. Jeh. Baptiste par deffunt de bonne memorie le Roy Loys xj de ce nom pesant ensemble 1 marcz x unches.

^{page 674 note a} Traité historiqite du chef de S. Jean Baptiste (Paris, 1665), 135Google Scholar.

^{page 674 note b} Mémoires de la Société des Antiquaires de Picardie, ix. 161Google Scholar.

^{page 674 note c} Ibid. ix. 228.

^{page 674 note d} See Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, 2nd S. vi. 245Google Scholar.

^{page 675 note a} 1327. Inventory of the cathedral church of Exeter. Decem cervicalia, unde quatuor debilia, umim coopertum ex altera parte cum panno de samito, broudata cum capite Sancti Johannis et quinque scutis.—Oliver, Lives of the bishops of Exeter, 314.

^{page 675 note b} Test. Ebor. v. 237Google Scholar.

^{page 675 note c} Ib. iv. 244.

^{page 675 note d} Trans. London and Middæ. Arch. Soc. iv. 357Google Scholar.

^{page 675 note e} MS.

^{page 676 note a} One of these is doubtless the “litle Cup of Agath with a hed lying in it ” among the effects of Thomas Cromwell, earl of Essex, about 1540. Misc. Gen. et Herald., iv. 5Google Scholar.

^{page 676 note b} Harl. MS. 1419 A. f. 133.

^{page 676 note c} A Collection of Inventories and other records of the Royal Wardrobe, etc. (Edinburgh, 1815) p. 66Google Scholar.

^{page 676 note d} Test. Ebor. ii. 19Google Scholar.

^{page 676 note e} Ecclesiologist, xx. 313Google Scholar. Probably the St. John's head was fixed up in the old chapel, as it is not mentioned elsewhere in the inventories.

^{page 677 note a} Napier, Historical notices of Swyncombe and Ewelme, 128.

^{page 677 note b} Test. Ebor. iii. 163Google Scholar.

^{page 677 note c} Ibid. iii. 202.

^{page 677 note d} Records of the Borough of Nottingham, iii. 22Google Scholar.

^{page 677 note e} Ibid. iii. 72.

^{page 677 note f} Rochester wills (Somerset House), vii. f. 305.

^{page 677 note g} Test Ebor. v. 195Google Scholar.

^{page 677 note h} Proceedings Soc. Antiq. Lond. 2nd S. v. 297.

^{page 677 note i} Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic (Henry VIII.), x. 213Google Scholar.

^{page 677 note k} Archaeologia, xliii. 246Google Scholar.

^{page 677 note l} Rochester wills (Somerset House).

^{page 677 note m} Lancashire and Cheshire wills (Chetham Soc. xxxiii.), 112.

^{page 678 note a} Appendix, 255.

^{page 678 note b} Bury Wills and Inventories, (Camden Soc. 49), 115, 116.

^{page 678 note c} Hingeston-Randolph, Register of Edmund Stafford (bishop of Exeter), 483.

^{page 678 note d} Test. Ebor. ii. 23Google Scholar.

^{page 679 note a} Hist. MSS. Commn., Appendix to the 6th Report, 488.

^{page 679 note b} Records of the Borough of Nottingham, iii. 18Google Scholar.

^{page 679 note c} Ibid. iii. 28.

^{page 679 note d} Ibid. iii. 499.

^{page 680 note a} Records of the Borough of Nottingham, iii. 180Google Scholar.

^{page 680 note b} Ibid. iii. 182.

^{page 680 note c} Other Nottingham “alablastermen ” and imagemakers, though not mentioned in connection with St. John's heads, were: Nicholas Godeman (1479), John Lingard 1495), Walter Hylton (1496), Thomas Hill (1499 and 1502), and Richard Starky (1529).

^{page 682 note a} Archaeolojia, xli. 350Google Scholar.

^{page 685 note a} These do not show in the engraving.

^{page 685 note b} Vicar of Findern, Derbyshire.

^{page 686 note a} There are some slight indications of this having been once coloured blue.

^{page 686 note b} A chroniolithographed representation of this panel will also be found in the Journal of the Derbyshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, vol. viii.

^{page 688 note a} Western Underwood, Olney.

^{page 693 note a} Part ii. p. 292.

^{page 694 note a} Part i. page 397.

^{page 694 note b} Part i. page 397.

^{page 694 note c} Part ii. page 209.

^{page 697 note a} These dimensions are from the engraving given by Nichols, which appears to be full size.

^{page 697 note b} Minute Book, xxiii. 177.

^{page 697 note c} Vol. iv. part ii. page 461.

^{page 698 note a} Viol ii. page 683.

^{page 698 note b} Part i. page 397.

^{page 698 note c} This example has since teen acquired by the British Museum.

^{page 700 note a} Evry Wills and Inventories (Camden Society, 49), 255.

^{page 700 note b} Lake House, Salisbury.

^{page 704 note a} Milner, , The History civil and ecclesiastical, and Surrey of the Antiquities of Winchester (Winchester, 1809), ii. 208Google Scholar.

^{page 706 note a} 2nd S. vi. 510.

^{page 706 note b} Journal of the British Archaeological Association, i. 203Google Scholar.

^{page 706 note c} Nichols, Royal Wills, 115.

^{page 706 note d} Oliver, Lives of the Bishops of Exeter, 329.

^{page 706 note e} Ibid. 360.

^{page 707 note a} Watson, History of Halifax, 207, 331.

^{page 707 note b} History of Norfolk, viii. 179Google Scholar.

^{page 707 note c} Norfolk Archaeology, vii. 353Google Scholar.

^{page 708 note a} This hospital of course continued to exist, and most fortunately was not suppressed with the gild in 1547. It was remodelled in after times, and still flourishes for the benefit of the pcor of York.

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XXI.—On the sculptured alabaster tablets called Saint John's Heads

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