I was able to pay a visit to the parish church of St Edmund & St Mary in the village of Ingatestone this week, having been encouraged by my previous trip to St Nicholas’ in nearby Ingrave which itself has a strong association with the descendants of the ever so resolute Petre (Peter) family. The Petre’s of old were keen recusants which, simply for clarification, were Catholics who after the Reformation remained loyal to their faith. These individuals were severely persecuted with fines, confiscations, imprisonment and even death for which the Recusancy Laws themselves were said to be enforced from the 16th century up into the late 18th century.

St Edmund and St Mary Church in Ingatestone

Though prominently situated between the chancel and south chapel is a magnificent monument commemorating Sir William Petre who was the paterfamilias and establisher of the family fortune. This memorial features fine effigies of Sir William and his wife Anne (with her ermine stole), lying upon rush matts atop a grand chest tomb that is emblazoned with heraldry. Hanging directly above the monument is an imposing achievement of arms belonging to Sir William, all held in place by 16th century ironwork which according to the accounts of Sir John Petre show that a Mr Baker, a painter of Chelmsford, was paid fifteen shillings for colouring ‘the yron worke of Sir William Petres tombe’.

The monument to Sir William and Anne Petre

Sir William himself was originally from Devonshire being the son of a farmer, he would be educated at Exeter College in Oxford and would soon be in service to the Boleyn family as a tutor to Anne Boleyn’s brother George. He would later be selected by Thomas Cromwell to undertake crucial administrative duties during the dissolution of the monasteries for which he was able to acquire the monastic land where Ingatestone Hall now stands. He was knighted and appointed as Secretary of State in 1543 and a Privy Councillor to Henry VIII in 1544 and surprisingly continued in these positions for the successive monarchs before retiring to Ingatestone in 1566 due to failing health where he would pass away in 1572.

Upon the death of Sir John 1st Lord Petre, son of the aforementioned Sir William and Anne Petre, in 1613, it was the intention of his heir Sir William 2nd Lord Petre to commemorate his legacy with the addition of a chapel within which would be housed a grand memorial. Just left of chancel stands this very chapel, sectioned off from the rest of the church with iron railings, for which it’s west wall is almost entirely occupied by a colossal monument to the 1st Lord Petre.

A grand monument commemorating two generations of the Petre family

Sir John, who aside from his appointments as a JP, High Sheriff, Deputy Lieutenant and Knight of the Shire, was made a peer of the realm by James I. Remarkably, he was a talented musician, owning a full set of musical instruments whilst also being a patron of the composer William Byrd, a fellow Roman Catholic who lived nearby at Stondon Massey. It’s said that on several occasions, Byrd brought a group of musicians to Ingatestone Hall to entertain at Christmas and even dedicated some of his compositions to the 1st Lord Petre.

Also within the church is a colourful wall monument to a Robert Petre who was the younger brother to Sir William Petre and followed a similar career in service to the successive monarchs. Though of more interest is a fabulous memorial bearing a relief portrait to a Captain John Troughton, with this particular monument thought to be the handiwork of one Epiphanius Evesham.

Captain Troughton was initially a servant to the 1st Lord Petre before embarking on a naval career which would see him commandeer the galleon ‘Elizabeth Bonaventure’ to intercept Spanish and Portuguese ships, a genuine privateer! He chose to be buried in Ingatestone alongside his former masters, which I’m sure reflects his fondness and admiration for his time spent in service of the Petre’s. In fact there are a number floor slabs within the church commemorating former stewards, chaplains and servants to the Petre’s which I’ve never really seen before in a church.

This blog is related to my project These Mortal Remains which is a contemporary photographic survey of unique and interesting funerary monuments across Greater London churches (as well as those of particular interest from my travels across the UK) which I intend to compile for a future book release. If you wish to see more content from this project and stay up to date then do follow my Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/these_mortal_remains/

Recusancy in essex

Poyntz for Posterity