Floor Slab – Joseph Fernley snr
Description
Blue slate heraldic ledger, with multiple cracks and scoring, but still legible. Border and text-panel inscription in low relief to merchant Joseph Fernley snr (1649-1725), who married Mary Shepherd, then Sarah Maister.
Heraldic achievement in a roundel approx 610 mm: arms of Fernley impaling Maister. Fernley: Or, on a bend vert three buck's heads caboshed argent attired or. (Gold/yellow, a green diagonal band on which are 3 white/silver stag's heads seen from front, with gold/yellow antlers). Maister: azure, a fess the upper part embattled, between 3 griffins' heads erased, or (blue, with a gold/yellow horizontal band with a battlemented top running between 3 gold/yellow griffin's heads. Crest: a talbot passant argent, collared or (white/silver hunting hound with gold collar).
Inscription and donor(s)
HERE LIETH INTERRED THE BODY/OF MR JOSEPH FERNLEY MERC WHO MARRIED MARY THE DAU/GHTER OF MR JOHN SHEPHE/ARD BY WHOM HE HAD ONE DAUGHTER THE PRESENT WIFE/OF NATHANIEL ROGERS ESq/HIS SECOND WIFE WAS SARAH THE DAUGHTER OF ALDM HENRY MAISTER WHO/BORE HIM 5 CHILDREN TWO OF WHICH ONE SON & ONE/DAUGHR SURVIVED HIM/HE EXCHANGED THIS/LIFE FOR A BETTER/THE 5TH SEPTEMBER/ANNO DOM 1725/ÆTAT 76
