Relhan Collection : 191 Haslingfield church. Hearse cloth of Sir Thomas Wendy, Knight of the Bath

Relhan, Richard, 1782-1844

Relhan Collection

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>1818</p><p>This drawing can be recognised as comparable to (<b>90</b>), the embroidered cloth of gold hearse cloth of Henry VII, in which case it would also be cloth of gold with the Wendy’s heraldic lions’ heads embroidered on it. It would have been used to cover Sir Thomas’ coffin and then be displayed in the church where it was still hanging 145 years later, draped over a rod as shown here in 1818. It is shown in 190 and 187 hanging in the church above Thomas Wendy’s memorial, folded over the rod, and is described as a banner. However, the pattern is clearly meant to be seen from either end and it is more likely to have been draped over the coffin before being displayed in the church as shown.</p><p>Military accoutrements shown <b>186-190</b> illustrate that a full heraldic funeral was accorded to Sir Thomas, after which it was not unusual to display the equipment in the church. Remnants of such equipment recorded by Relhan include <b>7b</b> Gt Abington, <b>50</b> and <b>53</b> Bourn, for Leyell and De la Warr, <b>111</b> Chesterton, <b>145</b> Fen Ditton, and there were more in Cole’s time. Thomas Wendy had an especially elaborate funeral which started in London and it looks from this drawing that this included a magnificent cloth of gold hearse cloth to cover the coffin.</p></p>