St Michael's Church, Oxnead, Norfolk, chest tomb with recumbent effigy of Sir w:Clement Paston (c. 1515–23 – 1597), of Oxnead Hall, a sea-captain and MP.

Text per: Farrer, Edmund, Church Heraldry of Norfolk, Vol 2 (1889), pp.46-7 [1]:

Monument against the North Wall of the Chancel, with Effigies, and Two identical shields remaining, with the following arms:

• Argent, six fleurs-de-lis azure a chief indented or (Paston); impaling: Quarterly of 4:

• 1&4: Per chevron sable and argent, in chief three mullets or in base as many garbs gules (Packington);
• 2: Argent, on a fesse between six martlets gules three cinquefoils of the field (Washbourne);
• 3: Argent, on a bend gules three martlets or (unknown family) ("See Farrer, vol. i. p. 287"[2], re a monument in Marlingford Church showing the same quarterings of Packington.)

Yow that beholde this statly marble tombe And longe to knowe who here entombed lies Here rests ye corps & shall till day of dombe Of Clement Paston fortunate and wise fourth sone to olde Sir William Paston Knight Who dwels with God in sphere of Christal bright [For remaining verses see BL Norf. vi. 493, 494.]

"Clement Paston, born at Paston Hall, was in his youth admitted to the service of Henry VIII. He held commands in the reigns also of both Mary and Elizabeth. He enjoyed the Lordships of Oxnead and Marlingford, and built Oxnead Hall, which thereafter became the constant seat and residence of the family. He married Alice, daughter of .... Packington, Esq., and relict of Edward Lambert"

From: Francis Blomefield, 'Hundred of South Erpingham: Oxnead', in An Essay Towards A Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Volume 6 (London, 1807), pp. 477-496[3]

In the chancel, which is paved with black and white marble, at the east end against the north wall, on a marble tomb, lies the effigies of a man in armour on a matt, at his feet a pelican, by him his wife kneeling in alabaster, and on a wall-piece ornamented, and supported with pilasters.

Clement, the 4th son, was born at Paston Hall, on the sea coast, and having a genius and love for shipping and navigation, was in his youth admitted to the service of King Henry VIII in the navy, and made captain of one of the King's ships, and in an engagement with the French, took their admiral called the Baron de St. Blankheare, or Blankard, whom he kept a prisoner at Castor by Yarmouth till he paid 7000 crowns, for his ransom, besides considerable things of value, which were found in his ship, or gally, and was at the Battle of Muscleburgh, in Scotland, in 1547.

He is said to have been the person to whom Sir Thomas Wyat, the rebel, in Queen Mary's reign, surrendered himself, had the command of several ships of Queen Elizabeth, sent to Newhaven in France, and high sheriff of Norfolk in 1588. King Henry VIII called him his Champion. The Duke of Somerset, Protector in King Edward's reign, called him his Souldier; Queen Mary, her Seaman; and Queen Elizabeth, her Father. He enjoyed the lordships of Oxnead, and Marlingford, by the will of his father, Sir William Paston, Knt. and built Oxnead Hall, which after became the constant seat and residence of the family. He married, Alice daughter of ..... Packington, Esq. and relict of Edward Lambert, Esq. and died without issue, February 18th, 1597.

His will his dated Septemer 5th 1594, wherein he desires "his body to be laid in the earth in the chauncel of the parish church of Oxned, his funeral not to be costly, nor over sumptuous, but decent and christian-like, according to his degree and calling; a fair and convenient tomb to be made over his body, and his and his wife's arms to be graven thereon. To repair Oxnet church, 20s. and his executors to build the steeple higher, and in decent order, and to buy and fix up one new bell, larger, of a greater sound than those already there, to make a ring. To the prisoners in Norwich and the castle, and the guild-hall, 28l. to each lazar-house there 40s. to Alice his wife, her living at Oxnet, for life; mentions the Queen's chamber there, and to enable her to keep hospitality there for life, Buxton park, Mill, and the tithes &c. with 200l. worth of plate, his gold chain of 20 ounces, his jewels, rings, chains, and bracelets, (fn. 19) and 1000l. in money, with the lease of his house in Aldermanbury, London. Appoints his executors to keep good hospitality at Oxned, for one half year next after his decease, that all such who shalle bee his household servants at the time of his decease, shall, or may, at their wills have there, convenient meat, drink, and lodging. Gave to 14 men servants annuitys for life; to some of them 10 per ann. and annuitys to several gentlemen and friends, to Edward Appleton, his nephew, the manours of Appleton, Bucknam's, with their appertenances in Norfolk, several marshes &c. —To Sir William Paston, his nephew, his collar of gold with the snakes, and my standing bowle, called Baron St. Blankheare, to the Right Honourable the Earl of Rutland, his young horse called Barrabie, &c. to his well beloved nephew, Roger Mannors, Esq; an 100l. to his well beloved nephew, John Manners, Esq; one standing cup of silver and gilt, containing 40 ounces, with my arms graven thereon, alo considerable legacies to Elizabeth Jermyn, one of the daughters of my late brother, John Paston, Esq; to the Lady Catherine Newton, daughter of his brother Sir Thomas Paston, to his neice Bridget Court, daughter of Sir John Chaworth, Knt.; to his neice Bridget Cooke, daughter of John Paston, his brother, to Frances his neice, wife of Thomas le Grosse, Esq.: and to many others.

"Appoints his executors to erect within a year after his decease, in some convenient place in Oxned, six houses, or lodgings for six poor aged men, and wills that such of the name of Paston, as shall have any estate, or freehold in the manour of Oxned, to have the nomination, placing and displacing of them, and as they dye, or are removed, another poor aged man, such as have served some of the name of the Pastons, to be preferred to the same place or room, and for their releif, I do give and bequeath unto every of them, weekly on Sunday, 12d. apiece, and dinner and supper, every Sunday in the year at my house at Oxned, and to every of them a freeze gowne, half a hundred of fagot-wood, and half a thousand of flaggs, to be yearly provided and brought home to every of their houses. And that this might be the better performed, he gives and devises to Alice his wife, his manour of Burgleons or Bergoleons, in Norfolk, all his lands, tenements, rents, &c. scituate, lying and being in Repham, Salle, Cardeston, Whitwell, Wooddalling, Hakeford, Booton, Thimblethorp, in Norfolk, also several pasture lands, &c. with messuages, woods, &c. in Oxned, Skeyton, Buxton, Brampton, and Stratton, in Norfolk, and in Southeton, in Suffolk, to have and to hold to his said wife, for her life, and after that to his nephew Sir William Paston, and his heirs for ever, on condition that they truely perform the same, and appoints Alice his wife, Sir William Paston, and Edward Paston, his executors."

Obt. 18 Febr. 1597.

Also inscribed: Here resteth Alice Paston widow, daughter of .... Packington, first the wife of Richard Lambert, of London, Esq; secondly to Clement Paston, of Oxned, she dyed 18th of January 1608.

On the monument is the quartered coat of Paston, viz.

• 1: Argent, 3 fleurs-de-lis azure a chief indented or (Paston)
• 2: Argent, a fess between two chevronells gules (Peche)
• 3: Ermine, on a chief indented gules three ducal coronets or (Leach)
• 4: Or, on a chevron between three lions heads erased gules three bezants (Somerton)
• 5: Argent, a chevron between three bears heads couped sable muzzled or (Barry)
• 6: Azure, a cross or (Mautby)
• 7: Ermine, on a chief gules three lozenges of the first (Charles)
• 8: Argent, a fess and in chief two crescents gules (Wachesham)
• 9: Azure, a lion rampant guardant or (Hetherset)
• 10: Sable, a fess between two chevronells or (Gerbridge)
• 11: ?
• 12: Azure, an escutcheon and orle of martlets or (Walcote)
• 13: Argent, a chief indented gules (Hengrave)
• 14: Gules, a saltire engrailed argent (Kerdeston)
• 15: Argent, a fess between six crosses-crosslet fitchée gules (Craven)

Also Paston impaling quarterly of 4:

• 1&4: Per chevron sable and argent, in chief three estoils or in base three garbs gules (Packington); *2: Argent, on a fess between six martlets gules three roses slipped or;
• 3: Argent, on a bend gules three martlets or;