File:St Michael and All Angels, Fenny Drayton, Leics - Tomb chest - geograph.org.uk - 387628.jpg

English: St Michael & All Angels, Fenny Drayton, Leicestershire, chest tomb of Nicholas Purefoy (d.1545) who married Jane Vincent. Inscription given by Nichols (Nichols' History of Leicestershire IV, p. 594): " Here lieth the body of Nicholas Purefey, esq., son and heir apparent of Ralph Purefey, esq., and Jane, wife of the said Nicholas, daughter of George Vincent of Peckleton, in the county of Leicester, esq., which Nicholas died 1543; which differs from the actual inscription (see Farnham & Herbert, pp.90-1): " Here lieth Nicholas Purefey a(nd) Jane his wyfe son a(nd) heire apparent of Rauf Purefey, esquyer a(nd) one of the co-heyres of Richard Bynghame esquyer disceassed and also of Nicholas Strelley knyght late of lynby disceassed which Nicholas Purefey dyed the XXth daye of October in the yeare of O(ur) lorde God a thousand CCCCCXLV.

Purefoy impaling, apparently tierced per fess, an unconventional arrangement:

• In chief: Grimsby (of Lincoln, Lincolnshire): Barry nebuly of six sable and or, on a chief argent three birds of the first (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.430 "Grimsby of Drakelow, Leicestershire (sic); William Grimsby (fl.1459) of Drakelow, his only daughter (sic, she had a sister and co-heiress Margaret Grimsby wife of William Goodhall (Visit Lincs, p.53[1]) and heiress Anne Grimsby married firstly Robert (sic, should be Richard Vincent, father of George Vincent (c.1493-1566), of Peckleton, Leics, MP) Vincent of Messingham, Lincolnshire"). The location of "Drakelow" is unclear. Drakelow Hall (now demolished) was near the village of w:Drakelow in South Derbyshire, 2 miles south of Burton on Trent in Staffordshire, and was the seat of the Gresley family, not Grimsby. The History of Parliament biography of George Vincent (c.1493-1566), of Peckleton, Leics (VINCENT, George (by 1493-1566), of Peckleton, Leics., Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558, ed. S.T. Bindoff, 1982 [2]) states:

George Vincent’s grandfather, who was heir to a line of unimportant north country gentry, had moved to Lincolnshire on marrying a minor heiress. In the next generation, Richard Vincent further improved the family position by marrying Anne Grimsby ("Anne, da. and h. of William Grimsby of Lincoln, Lincolnshire"), who not only inherited her father’s estates after her brother’s death (Henry Grimsby) but was also coheir through her mother to an important Leicestershire family, the Motons of Peckleton. It was this inheritance which not only provided George Vincent with the bulk of his estates but also brought him into contact with powerful if distant connections.

• Vincent of Peckleton, Leicestershire (Azure, three quatrefoils argent).
• ?? Dubious (should be a quartering of Purefoy) Whellesborough of Wellsborough, Leicestershire: Or, three piles (in point) gules on a canton argent a mullet sable (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.1099 "Whellesborough of Whellesborough, Leicestershire"). Whellesburgh (now "Wellsborough"), in the former Hundred of Sparkenhoe, Leicestershire. Wikipedia: w:Sheepy is a civil parish in the Borough of Hinckley and Bosworth in Leicestershire, England. It contains the villages of Sheepy Magna, Sheepy Parva, Sibson, Wellsborough, Upton, Pinwall and Cross Hands. Text per Nichols' History of Leicestershire, Vol.IV (?), p.282 [:file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/p15407coll6_11570%20(2).pdf] This Manor (Whellesburgh) gave name and seat to that antient family of Whellesburgh, who was Lord of the same; and bore " Or, three piles, gules, in a Canton, Argent, a mullet, sable." John de Whellesburgh, the last heir male of this family, in the 21st year of Richard the Second, sold this Manor, and the Manor of Drayton (Fenny Drayton), near adjoining, unto Thomas Purefey, and by another Deed granted his Arms unto him. The Deed runs thus: A toutes ceux a queus cestes lettres verront au ourront, Jehan de Whellesburgh saluz en Dieu. Saches que come 'Thomas Purefey eit le reversion des Manors de Whellesburgh & Fenny Drayton en le counte de Leicester ove les appurtenances. Mot le dit ....

Text from: "FENNY DRAYTON AND THE PUREFEY MONUMENTS", BY GEORGE F(RANCIS) FARNHAM, AND ALBERT HERBERT, published in Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Vol.14, 1925, pp.84-112[3][4]

The monument in the south-east angle of the south aisle consists of an alabaster slab 6' 0" long x 2' 9" wide and 4£" thick, with bevelled and moulded edges, standing upon a rectangular alabaster base with a plinth ef sandstone. The total height is 2' 11".The figures of Nicholas Purefey and Jane, his wife, depicted on the slab, are particularly interesting and of great merit, and illustrate the splendid and refined effect which it is possible to obtain from a mere incised line of slightly varying width filled in with black mastic. The general arrangement of the design is most satisfactory and the spacing of the ornament and general " pattern " are very pleasing. Nicholas is depicted in armour of the period. Jane is portrayed in a flowing robe of simple outline and arrayed in a necklace, belt with rosary and little satchel. The head-dress is of ingenious and picturesque shape. A delightful touch is added in the way the right hands of the husband and wife are joined, Table tombs generally stood isolated, or at most with one side abutting upon a wall. This one was evidently made for and intended to occupy a position similar to that in which it stands, for the projecting bevelled edge of the slab occurs on two adjacent sides only; there are no return mitres. Two bevelled edges contain an inscription of raised letters, while it will be noticed that the completion of the inscription at the foot of the slab is in incised lettering on a flat surface (see illustration). It is unfortunate that the shield at the head of the slab is blank—the sole drawback to the beauty of the design. The skilfully drawn band of ornament has evidently been designed with the intention of the arms being inserted. The western face of the base contains a quasi-arcade filled in with sculptured engaged figures, probably intended to represent the five children. Each one is a delightful study. Two carved angels act as supporters to a shield bearing the arms of Purefey impaling Grimsby, (Wellsborough ?) and Vincent, with one other coat which Nichols (Nichols' History of Leicestershire IV, p. 594) did not know (maybe Moton of Peckleton, Leicestershire (Argent, a cinquefoil azure (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.711)), an heiress of Moton, heiress of Grimsby). The northern end is occupied by a similar shield with angels as supporters on either side.