English: St Mary's church - the Blundeville Memorial. w:Thomas Blundeville (c. 1522 – c. 1606) was an English humanist writer and mathematician. He is known for work on logic, astronomy, education and horsemanship, as well as for translations from the Italian. His interests were both wide-ranging and directed towards practical ends, and he adapted freely a number of the works he translated. He was a pioneer writer in English in several areas, and inventor of a standard classroom geometrical instrument, the protractor.

Text from : History of St. Mary's Church, Last Updated: Monday, May 4, 2020 [1]

The principal monument is in the northeast corner; it was placed here by Thomas Blundeville (1522-1606), most brilliant son of Newton Flotman, writer on mathematics, astronomy, navigation, horsemanship, history, military craft and logic! The London made brass commemorates his forbearers- father Edward who died 1568, his grandfather Ralph 1514 and great - Grandfather Richard 1490. The Blundeville family tomb is a fascinating illustration of the sort of man he was. In the centre panel he kneels in armour, his helm on the prayer desk beside him, while to his left, his two wives Elizabeth and Patience kneel dressed in gowns with big ruffs and Tudor bonnets. In the right hand panel is the brass dedicated to his forbearers. They kneel in armour. The inscription by the figures record that Thomas placed it here in 1571, underneath is the text:

Thomas Blundeville's daughter Patience who died in 1638 is commemorated on the black marble below. The inscription reads; she "lived virtuously and died religiously". The battlements bear the Blundeville arms as well as an inscription made out as "the swett pascion of ihc crist help us" dated 1531.

Text from: Farrer, Edmund, Church Heraldry of Norfolk, Vol 1 (1885), p.179 [2]:

I. An inarched Monument on the North Side of the Chancel tvith a Brass, beneath the Brass Three Shields, and at the base Six Shields, cdl coloured, but indistinct.

1. Quarterly: — Per fesse, indented argent and azure, over all a bend gules (Blundeville) ; impaling, Per pale, gules and azure, on a fesse wavy argent, between three crosses pattee, as many crescents sable, all counterchanged, God salve.

2. Blundeville, impaling, A cross engrailed (Gurney, Argent, a cross engrailed gules.)

3. Blundeville, quartering, Barry of six, argent and azure, on a canton of the first five billets in saltire sable, Inglosse. — Bl. Norf. iv. 259.

4. (Defaced.) Bl. Norf. v. 69 gives it, " Blundeville, impaling, Sable, a lion rampant between three cross-crosslets argent."

5. (Defaced.) Bl. Norf. v. G9 states that it was " Blundeville."

6. Blundeville, impaling, Or, a water-bouget ; on a chief sable three bezants, Johnson.

7. Blundeville, impaling, . . • It was, probably, Sable, crusily, a stork argent, Puttenham.

8. Blundeville, impaling two coats ; 1, Argent, a fesse fusilee gules ; in chief three wolves' heads couped sable (Ardesley. In both Bl. Norf. and Burke's Armory these charges are " bulls' heads," but they are certainly not so here) ; 2, Or, on a fesse between two chevrons gules three escallops argent, Hemenhall / Hemnall / Henninghall (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.477) (w:Thomas Hemenhale (or Thomas Hempnall) was a medieval Bishop of Norwich-elect and then Bishop of Worcester. Hemenhale was elected to the see of Norwich on 6 April 1336 but was transferred to the see of Worcester on 14 March 1337 before he was consecrated at Norwich. Hemenhale was consecrated as Bishop of Worcester on 30 March 1337. He died on 21 December 1338

9. Ardesley quartering Hemenhall.

On the brass, beneath kneeling figures, is, "Edward Blundevill died 1568, aged 75. Ralph Blundevill died 1514, aged 45. Richard Blundevill died 1490, aged 85. Thomas Blundevill posuit 1571 "; and then follow some verses. — BL Norf. v. 69.

St Mary's church - the Blundeville Memorial. St Mary's church > 1360630 was rebuilt in the 14th century on the site of an older church, and extensively restored in the 1890s > 1360639 - 1360685. The meeting room on the north side is a recent addition. Both the east > 1360648 and the west window > 1360693 - 1360698 were made in the Kempe workshop and are considered by many to be some of the best works in the county. In one of the south windows there are three Continental roundels depicting St Margaret 1360683 - St Stephen > 1360675 and the building of a church. The font > 1360703 dates from the 15th century. The probably most noteworthy feature of St Mary's, however, is the C17 Blundeville memorial > 1360667 on the north side of the chancel - the Bundevilles were lords of the manor from 1294 to 1721. One of the Blundevilles is depicted kneeling in armour > 1360657 on one of the panels and his two wives > 1360662 are shown on another. This church is kept locked.