Hatchment

Hatchments have now largely fallen into disuse, but many hatchments from former times remain in parish churches throughout England. According to International Heraldry, Hatchments were usually placed over the entrance of the armiger's residence, at the level of the second floor, and remained for from between 40 days and twelve months, after which they were removed to the local parish church. The practice developed in the early seventeenth century from the custom of carrying an heraldic shield before the coffin of the deceased, then leaving it for display in the church. In medieval times, helmets and shields were sometimes deposited in churches and a few examples may still be seen in English parish churches.

This hatchment is in our local church. The two coloured backgrounds, the black and the white have a significance, the black side is for the deceased husband, and the white is for the wife, if still living. Many Hatchments had “Resurgam “ along the bottom, meaning “I shall rise again” instead of the family motto.

This particular hatchment is for William Frederick Farrer, according to the notes in the Church. He died in 1872