Parish Chest - St George's church - St Cross South Elmham, Suffolk, UK
Posted by: SMacB
N 52° 24.482 E 001° 22.763
31U E 389761 N 5807657
Parish chest in St George's church, St Cross South Elmham.
Waymark Code: WM1342E
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/11/2020
Views: 0
A rather wonderful, and VERY secure parish chest in St George's church, St Cross South Elmham. It is studded and banded with iron straps, and doesn't reveal much of the woodwork underneath. It has the traditional 3 locks, and is stood upon wooden blocks.
With so little joinery visible, it is difficult to say what type of design the chest was built to, but the domed lid hints at a dugout type. The security and amount of iron strapwork would make this chest expensive to make, and suggests that great value was attached to its contents.
I would put this chest to the mid 14th century, a time when William Bateman (
visit link) was Bishop of Norwich. South Elmham Hall, was formerly the country residence of the Bishop of Norwich.