Panel
ca. 1570 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Object Type
Heraldry was a common feature of 16th-century domestic glazing schemes. The great hall was the usual setting for such displays, since it was here that the medieval lord feasted with his household and guests. These eye-catching decorations not only advertised his wealth, but also proclaimed his lineage and social alliances.
People
This shield depicts the arms of Sir Robert Bell. The date, 1577, commemorates his sudden death from a 'pestilential vapour at Oxford Assizes'. Bell was a prominent figure and is recorded in 1563 as Speaker of the House of Commons. He later went on to hold the elevated position of Chief Baron of the Exchequer.
Place
This is one of a series of coats of arms relating the history of the Beaupré family. It is thought to have been commissioned by Sir Robert Bell for Beaupré Hall, the family's ancestral home near Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. Bell married Dorothy, the sole heiress of the Beaupré line, in 1559 and succeeded to the Beaupré estate following the death of Dorothy's father, Edmund, in 1567. While the original windows seem to date from the completion of a new great hall which Bell commissioned in around 1570, this panel was evidently a subsequent addition. All of the windows were eventually moved from their original location and cut down to fit narrower lights. Photographic evidence suggests that the border of this particular shield was also altered at some point after the 1920s.
Heraldry was a common feature of 16th-century domestic glazing schemes. The great hall was the usual setting for such displays, since it was here that the medieval lord feasted with his household and guests. These eye-catching decorations not only advertised his wealth, but also proclaimed his lineage and social alliances.
People
This shield depicts the arms of Sir Robert Bell. The date, 1577, commemorates his sudden death from a 'pestilential vapour at Oxford Assizes'. Bell was a prominent figure and is recorded in 1563 as Speaker of the House of Commons. He later went on to hold the elevated position of Chief Baron of the Exchequer.
Place
This is one of a series of coats of arms relating the history of the Beaupré family. It is thought to have been commissioned by Sir Robert Bell for Beaupré Hall, the family's ancestral home near Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. Bell married Dorothy, the sole heiress of the Beaupré line, in 1559 and succeeded to the Beaupré estate following the death of Dorothy's father, Edmund, in 1567. While the original windows seem to date from the completion of a new great hall which Bell commissioned in around 1570, this panel was evidently a subsequent addition. All of the windows were eventually moved from their original location and cut down to fit narrower lights. Photographic evidence suggests that the border of this particular shield was also altered at some point after the 1920s.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Clear glass, with painting in brown enamel and yellow stain |
Brief description | Panel of stained, painted and leaded glass depicting the arms of Bell. Originally from Beaupré Hall, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. England, about 1570 |
Physical description | Panel. Arms of Bell, within a cartouche. |
Dimensions |
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Gallery label | British Galleries:
These stained-glass panels are part of a group that was formerly in windows at Beaupré Hall in Cambridgeshire. The complex heraldry shown on the glass records the long ancestry of the Beaupré family. Such massed displays of heraldic glass in a domestic setting were a strong visual statement of the status and history of the family. This served as a reminder to the family itself but more importantly to visitors.(27/03/2003) |
Credit line | Given by Mrs L. S. Kinsman, in accordance with the wishes E. Fordham Newling |
Object history | From Beaupré Hall, Wisbech, Cambs. Made in England Beaupre Hall is a 16th century manor house built by the Beaupre family and enlarged by their successors, the Bells. The oldest part, dating from around 1500, is the central block running from south west to north east, with a wing at a north west angle. The V&A windows were located in two windows in the entrance hall and date from 1570-80. These surviving heraldic windows were probably commissioned by Sir Robert Bell. He married Dorothy Beaupre, the heiress, in 1559 and succeeded to her estate after the death of her father Edmund in 1567. Sir Robert Bell held politically important positions during his lifetime. He was Speaker of the House of Commons in 1563 and later became the Chief Baron of the Exchequer. |
Summary | Object Type Heraldry was a common feature of 16th-century domestic glazing schemes. The great hall was the usual setting for such displays, since it was here that the medieval lord feasted with his household and guests. These eye-catching decorations not only advertised his wealth, but also proclaimed his lineage and social alliances. People This shield depicts the arms of Sir Robert Bell. The date, 1577, commemorates his sudden death from a 'pestilential vapour at Oxford Assizes'. Bell was a prominent figure and is recorded in 1563 as Speaker of the House of Commons. He later went on to hold the elevated position of Chief Baron of the Exchequer. Place This is one of a series of coats of arms relating the history of the Beaupré family. It is thought to have been commissioned by Sir Robert Bell for Beaupré Hall, the family's ancestral home near Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. Bell married Dorothy, the sole heiress of the Beaupré line, in 1559 and succeeded to the Beaupré estate following the death of Dorothy's father, Edmund, in 1567. While the original windows seem to date from the completion of a new great hall which Bell commissioned in around 1570, this panel was evidently a subsequent addition. All of the windows were eventually moved from their original location and cut down to fit narrower lights. Photographic evidence suggests that the border of this particular shield was also altered at some point after the 1920s. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | C.70-1946 |
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Record created | June 9, 1998 |
Record URL |
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