The Tudor Period 1485- 1603
The long association of Sandon with the Erdeswicke family began in 1338 with the marriage of Margaret Stafford and Thomas Erdeswicke. Their descendants remained at Sandon Hall until the 17th century.
The church remained under the patronage of the Abbey of Combermere until the abbey was dissolved in 1538, during the reign of Henry VIII. The Lay Rectorship was purchased from the Crown by John Check, who soon after sold it to Hugh Erdeswicke, the Lord of the Manor. Hugh was a staunch Catholic, as was his son, Sampson Erdeswicke, born around 1535. Sampson is remembered as a nationally noted antiquary and author who wrote the detailed Survey of Staffordshire.
Further development of Sandon All Saints
Further enrichments to the Chancel were ordered by Sampson Erdeswicke and completed before his death in 1603. These include:
An illustrated scheme of family and local history Heraldic shields on the sides of his grandfathers’ tombs, depicting the marriages of the man and woman in the tomb.
Family trees painted on the walls in the form of a tree with the families of Basset, Harcourt, Grey and Leigh and back to Edmund Ironside and Emperor Conrad.
His own magnificent monument with his recumbent figure and his two wives, inscribed with a Vernon family motto, 1601.
Stained glass heraldic shields in the east window illustrate all families that had owned Sandon land. Painted imitation windows with additional shields to complete his scheme.
Things to see in the church.
More details about the Erdeswicke additions can be found on the “6 Significant Features” page of the website. The following is an overview.
Several tombs of the Erdeswicke family can be found in the church. Four incised Tomb Chest Monuments from this period are:-
Hugh Erdeswicke and Cecelia 1473
Hugh Erdeswicke and Elizabeth 1500
Sampson Erdeswicke & Elizabeth 1544
Hugh Erdeswicke and Maria 1596
The imposing monument to Sampson Erdeswicke can be found in the chancel. Below his effigy are the words ‘Vernon semper viret’, while above his head are two recesses holding the effigies of his two wives, Elisabeth Dikeswell and Maria Neale.
Above the tombs are wall paintings of the genealogical trees depicting the family relationships of the Erdeswicke family with the families of Bassett, Harcourt, Grey and Leigh, “possibly by Bryan, being a rare survival of post-reformation genealogical painting and may well be the most ambitious scheme of its type surviving in England”. (L. Shekede & S. Rickerby July 2003, Fabric and Moisture Survey, Technical Investigation and Conservation Report for the PCC)
The stained-glass windows on the east side bear the shields of the Malbanc and Stafford families, previous owners of Sandon. At the head of the north light is a shield of the arms of Williams Ferrars, Lord of Tutbury, overlord of the fee of Sandon.
Large incised alabaster tomb slab of 15thc, wall mounted, Possibly Stafford (Hanging upside down, well worn indicating previous position in a floor, with children denoted at the “top” and female on the “right”)
Historical connections
Sampson Erdeswicke married twice. His second wife, Mary Neale, was a widower with 14 children, one of whom was Everard Digby. Everard was hung, drawn and quartered in 1606 for his part in the Gunpowder Plot.
The Vicars and Patrons of Sandon All Saints
Records of the Vicars and Patrons of Sandon All Saints begin in the Medieval Period and continue through to the current day.
