Relhan Collection : 155 Ely Cathedral. Monument of Sir Mark Steward

Relhan, Richard, 1782-1844

Relhan Collection

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>Perhaps Relhan’s finest armorial depiction, including a 23-panelled shield at the top, accurately taken down and superbly coloured, making it the more surprising that is not signed and dated. The first line only of the long inscription across the entablature has been copied. Sir Mark Steward 1524-1604 was nephew of Robert Steward (<b>153</b>) and was another member of the powerful local family of Steward/ Styward, in Teversham (<b>309</b>). He was the 3rd son of Simeon Steward of Lakenheath and Stuntney and Joan, daughter and heir of Edward Besteney of Soham and part of this mighty clan. He studied at Cambridge but did not take a degree, entered the service of <a target='_blank' class='externalLink' href='https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/paulet-sir-william-1532-98'>Sir William Paulet</a>, 3rd Marquis of Winchester and sat in the 1589 Parliament for a Winchester borough, and later for Stockbridge, before becoming Sheriff of Hampshire. He retired to Stuntney where he had inherited an estate from an elder brother, which on Sir Mark’s death passed to his cousin Elizabeth and then to her son, <a target='_blank' class='externalLink' href='https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/CROMWELLOXXXX'>Oliver Cromwell.</a>Like Robert Steward, (<b>153</b>) he is in armour though he never had a military role. There are coats of arms in 2 panels below the figure and cherubs with more coats of arms are still shown above.</p><p>Hasler 1981 </p></p>