Kirkham

Photograph:  Wikipedia

We've had Butley, so we'd better have the priory with that other great heraldic gatehouse, Kirkham.

It's a stunner.  One of a number of Dec gatehouses, it shares all sorts of features with its fellows -  part-church, part-castle (the church militant?!), it has a wealth of Dec motifs - quatrefoils, crockets, heraldry. There's a nice description of it by the Scarborough News, here, an interesting article on gatehouses in general (it's on JSTOR; subscription needed), and the article on the buildings of Kirkham here (subscription needed).  The history of Kirkham is succinctly laid out in a Borthwick Paper by Janet Burton.

The heraldry proclaims various local lords - Ros, Clare, Vaux, Fitz-Ralph, Scrope, Fortibus, Espec - and the arms of England:  it's a great early example of heraldic display on buildings.  The gatehouse probably dates from c.1300, and the couple funding it were probably William de Ros and Matilda de Vaux, his wife:  he was buried in Kirkham in 1314.  (At that point, the prior was William Wetwang.  Wetwang has to be one of my favourite place names.  I admit to a childish chuckle every time I come across it.) 

More relevant to us are the religious figures, and especially Christ.  Kirkham was dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and the gatehouse has at the top Christ in Majesty.  Kirkham's seals also show Christ in Majesty, or, rather, its variant, Christ in Judgement.

The first seal is from the early 12th  century, appearing on a document from the priorate of Andrew (c.1200-10).  Christ's right hand is in benediction, and his left holds a book.  He has a cruciferous nimbus.  His 'manspreading' is to achieve an elegant effect - his body form matches the vesica (pointed oval); his left knee props up the book, and his folds drape stylishly below.  It's a lovely seal.  The inscription is SIGILLVM  SANCTE TRINITATIS DE CHIRCHAM.

The counterseal used on this document was a secretum of an antique gem with two female figures and the inscription SINGNUM SERVI DEI.  These are in the Durham Cathedral Archives (no.3501).  Here's an article on antique gems and the 12th century.

A later seal, from 1336, has C-in-J under a trefoiled, crocketed arch, supported by columns with three traceried storeys, or niches.  It's very similar in style, of course, to the gatehouse - an architectural fancy.  Under an arch beneath Christ's feet, the prior prays.  Either side of Christ are roses (for Espec - gules three roses argent), and water bougets (for Ros - gules three bougets argent).  (Peter de Ros married Walter Espec's daughter and heir, Atheline.)  SIGILLUM ... PRIORIS DE KIRKEHAM.

Other C-in-J seals, for interest, are Ralph Nevill, Bishop of Chichester (1224-44) and Walter Suffield, Bishop of Norwich (1245-57).