Wall monument to Sir Heneage Finch (1580-1631)
Monument
1632 (carved)
1632 (carved)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This monument to Sir Heneage Finch (1580–1631), Speaker of the House of Commons, is recorded in the account book of the sculptor Nicholas Stone, who agreed to carry out the work for £50. Heneage Finch’s parents, Sir Moyle and Lady Elizabeth Finch, are commemorated in a large table-top tomb also in the collection (Museum no. A.186-1969). Other monuments to members of the Finch family once in St Mary's Church, Eastwell, Kent, are now housed in the V&A. The church sadly fell into disrepair and collapsed in the 1960s, but the monuments were rescued and brought to the Museum at that date. In addition two busts of great-grandsons of Sir Moyle and Lady Finch, Daniel Finch and his brother, Canon Edward Finch, are also displayed in the V&A.
Nicholas Stone (born about 1587, died 1647) was the most important English sculptor of the first half of the 17th century. He trained in The Netherlands, in the workshop of Hendrik de Keyser (1565-1621) in Amsterdam, from about 1607. He married de Keyser's daughter and returned to London in 1613. Although Stone was also active as an architect (he was appointed Master Mason and Architect at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, in 1626), he is best remembered for the fine marble and alabaster tombs he erected during the 1620s and 1630s. He appears to have stopped work with the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642, and the sculptural tradition in Britain generally was not revived again until the late 17th century.
The Latin inscription can be translated as follows:
‘To Heneage Finch, the radiant knight who served London as Recorder for
decades, Member of Parliament, and under King Charles Speaker of the House of Commons.
To Moyle and Elizabeth Finch, the latter having survived her husband, and elevated the titles of the Viscountess of Maidstone and Countess of Winchilsea.
To the best son, husband, employer and friend, from Elizabeth his second wife. Who came from the ancient family of Cradock. One of two daughters, having survived her husband by two years, two months and seven days.
He most serenely gave up his soul into the hands of his Saviour when he was taken away by the dropsy on the 5 September 1631.
He lived fifty years eleven months and five days.
Francis his brother, and heir (together with Thomas Twisden his brother-in-law) erected this small monument with enormous sorrow and grief.
Alas, you (O Lord who will never die) have assigned too hastily this burial amongst those still living.
Renowned virtue never denies death nor does measured faith, unsurpassed zeal and gracious justice.
Among those who were best versed in religious text, you were second to none in virtue.
Taken into the heavens by the Lord, how envious are we who survive. They will hardly see your equal on earth in future times’.
A gold box thought to have been owned by Heneage Finch is also in the Museum's collections: M.61-1990.
Nicholas Stone (born about 1587, died 1647) was the most important English sculptor of the first half of the 17th century. He trained in The Netherlands, in the workshop of Hendrik de Keyser (1565-1621) in Amsterdam, from about 1607. He married de Keyser's daughter and returned to London in 1613. Although Stone was also active as an architect (he was appointed Master Mason and Architect at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, in 1626), he is best remembered for the fine marble and alabaster tombs he erected during the 1620s and 1630s. He appears to have stopped work with the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642, and the sculptural tradition in Britain generally was not revived again until the late 17th century.
The Latin inscription can be translated as follows:
‘To Heneage Finch, the radiant knight who served London as Recorder for
decades, Member of Parliament, and under King Charles Speaker of the House of Commons.
To Moyle and Elizabeth Finch, the latter having survived her husband, and elevated the titles of the Viscountess of Maidstone and Countess of Winchilsea.
To the best son, husband, employer and friend, from Elizabeth his second wife. Who came from the ancient family of Cradock. One of two daughters, having survived her husband by two years, two months and seven days.
He most serenely gave up his soul into the hands of his Saviour when he was taken away by the dropsy on the 5 September 1631.
He lived fifty years eleven months and five days.
Francis his brother, and heir (together with Thomas Twisden his brother-in-law) erected this small monument with enormous sorrow and grief.
Alas, you (O Lord who will never die) have assigned too hastily this burial amongst those still living.
Renowned virtue never denies death nor does measured faith, unsurpassed zeal and gracious justice.
Among those who were best versed in religious text, you were second to none in virtue.
Taken into the heavens by the Lord, how envious are we who survive. They will hardly see your equal on earth in future times’.
A gold box thought to have been owned by Heneage Finch is also in the Museum's collections: M.61-1990.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
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| Title | Wall monument to Sir Heneage Finch (1580-1631) (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Marble |
| Brief description | Monument, marble, Sir Heneage Finch, Nicholas Stone the Elder, 1632 |
| Physical description | Mural monument in touch and white Carrara marble. A high base containing a inscription tablet flanked by plain pilasters. Above this is the half length effigy of Finch in legal dress with his hands folded. Higher up on the wall, are two cartouches, with traces of gilding on the frames. These bear the arms of Sir Heaneage impaling those of his two wives. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'HENEAGIO FINCH/Equiti aurato, Servienti ad Legem Recordatori/per decennium Londinensi:/Ac Parlamentario, in secundis Sereniss: Caroli Regis/Ordinum Comitijs Proloquutori:/
MOILI FINCH et ELIZABETHÆ/(quae viro superstes vicecometissae Maidston et/comitissae de Winchilsey dignitatibus aucta)
FILIO, OPTIMO, PATRONO, MARITO, AMICO VIRO/Ex Elizabetha coniuge secunda,/Antiquo Cradocorum genere orta, binis susceptis filiabus;/ac peracto iusti coniugij biennio. M. VII. D. XX./Spiritum in manus Salvatoris sui, cui constantissime in =/servivit, placidissime (dum hydrope corripitur) resolvit/V Die Dec: Ao. CHRISTI. M. D. C. XXXI./Vixit Annos L Men: XI Di: V
Franciscus frater natu affectu minimus (vna cum Tho:/Twisden consobrino) ex testamenta hæres modicum hoc/ingentis Desiderij et Doloris/Monumentum P.
Habes (ô nunquam moriture) heu cito nimium/Quem ipse in vivis dictitasti tumulum:/Mori nempe negavit
Virtus inclyta, intemerata fides,/Assiduitas invicta, alma Iustitia./Inter Primos qui pie Literatus,/Nulli Bonitate Secundus extitisti./Abrepto in coelis A Dño quid invidemus./Cui parem in terris posteri vix videbunt.'
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by the Rector and Churchwardens of the Parish of Eastwell with Broughton Aluph |
| Object history | Given by the Rector and Churchwardens of Boughton Aluph. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This monument to Sir Heneage Finch (1580–1631), Speaker of the House of Commons, is recorded in the account book of the sculptor Nicholas Stone, who agreed to carry out the work for £50. Heneage Finch’s parents, Sir Moyle and Lady Elizabeth Finch, are commemorated in a large table-top tomb also in the collection (Museum no. A.186-1969). Other monuments to members of the Finch family once in St Mary's Church, Eastwell, Kent, are now housed in the V&A. The church sadly fell into disrepair and collapsed in the 1960s, but the monuments were rescued and brought to the Museum at that date. In addition two busts of great-grandsons of Sir Moyle and Lady Finch, Daniel Finch and his brother, Canon Edward Finch, are also displayed in the V&A. Nicholas Stone (born about 1587, died 1647) was the most important English sculptor of the first half of the 17th century. He trained in The Netherlands, in the workshop of Hendrik de Keyser (1565-1621) in Amsterdam, from about 1607. He married de Keyser's daughter and returned to London in 1613. Although Stone was also active as an architect (he was appointed Master Mason and Architect at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, in 1626), he is best remembered for the fine marble and alabaster tombs he erected during the 1620s and 1630s. He appears to have stopped work with the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642, and the sculptural tradition in Britain generally was not revived again until the late 17th century. The Latin inscription can be translated as follows: ‘To Heneage Finch, the radiant knight who served London as Recorder for decades, Member of Parliament, and under King Charles Speaker of the House of Commons. To Moyle and Elizabeth Finch, the latter having survived her husband, and elevated the titles of the Viscountess of Maidstone and Countess of Winchilsea. To the best son, husband, employer and friend, from Elizabeth his second wife. Who came from the ancient family of Cradock. One of two daughters, having survived her husband by two years, two months and seven days. He most serenely gave up his soul into the hands of his Saviour when he was taken away by the dropsy on the 5 September 1631. He lived fifty years eleven months and five days. Francis his brother, and heir (together with Thomas Twisden his brother-in-law) erected this small monument with enormous sorrow and grief. Alas, you (O Lord who will never die) have assigned too hastily this burial amongst those still living. Renowned virtue never denies death nor does measured faith, unsurpassed zeal and gracious justice. Among those who were best versed in religious text, you were second to none in virtue. Taken into the heavens by the Lord, how envious are we who survive. They will hardly see your equal on earth in future times’. A gold box thought to have been owned by Heneage Finch is also in the Museum's collections: M.61-1990. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.184-1969 |
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| Record created | February 25, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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