File:St Mary's Church Brome Suffolk (237916807).jpg

St Mary's Church, Brome, Suffolk, monument with chest tomb and recumbent effigies of Sir John Cornwallis (c.1491–1544) of Brome Hall, steward of the household of Prince Edward (the future King Edward VI) during the years 1538–1544. He holds his staff of office. He married Mary Sulyard, daughter of Edward Sulyard of Otes, Essex, by whom he had issue including (7 children, all named in John's will) (Source: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Cornwallis-16):

• Sir Thomas Cornwallis (1518/1519 – 1604), MP.
• Thomas Cornwallis
• Henry Cornwallis
• Richard Cornwallis
• William Cornwallis
• Elizabeth Cornwallis, who married John Blennerhasset (arms: Gules, a chevron ermine between three dolphins embowed argent (Blennerhasset) (Burke, 1884, p.91 "Blennerhasset of Lowdham, Suffolk"))
• Anne Cornwallis, who married Thomas Kent (arms: Gules, three cinquefoils ermine) (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.560 "Kent of Suffolk & Wilts"))
• Mary Cornwallis, who married William Halse (arms: Argent, a fess between three griffin's heads erased sable) (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.444) and Roger Warren.
  

He was buried at Berkhamstead in Hertfordshire, this monument is thus a cenotaph, not his actual burial place. Latin inscription: "Iohannes Cornwaleis Miles Will(el)mi Cornwaleis Armigeri filius in Domo Principis Edowardi oeconomus: et uxor eiusdem Maria Edowardi Suliarde de Eassex Armigeri filia, qui quid Iohannes, 23 Aprilis Anno Domini 1544 obiit Astrugie in comitatu Buckingham cum ibidem Princeps Edovardus versaretur". ( "John Cornwallis, Knight, son of William Cornwallis, Esquire, Steward in the Household of Prince Edward; and the wife of the same, Mary, a daughter of Edward Sulyard of Essex, Esquire; which John died on 23 April in the year of our Lord 1544 at Ashridge in the County of Buckingham, when he was employed in service to the same Prince Edward").

Ashridge Priory, near the royal residence of Berkhamstead Castle, was the home of the children of King Henry VIII, namely Prince Edward, to whom Cornwallis acted as steward, and the Princesses Mary and Elizabeth. Re Astrugie, being the Latin for Ashridge see the treatment of the inscription in Literary Remains of King Edward the Sixth: Edited from His Autograph, by Edward, John Gough Nichols, Roxburghe Club, 1857, Preface, p.xxxi, and errata, in which the author changes Astrugie to Ashrigie, although the actual word on the monument is Astrugie[1]

Shield on east wall, above feet of effigies, quarterly of 8:

• 1: Sable guttée d'eau, on a fess argent three Cornish choughs proper (Cornwallis)
• 2: Sable, three bars gemelles argent on a canton of the second a crescent of the field (Buckton of Brome) (1561 Heraldic Visitation : Metcalfe, Walter C., ed. (1882). The Visitations of Suffolk made by Hervey, Clarenceux, 1561, Cooke, Clarenceux, 1577, and Raven, Richmond Herald, 1612, with notes and an appendix of additional Suffolk Pedigrees. Exeter: W. Pollard., p.21 [2])
• 3: Sable, a cross moline or (unknown family)
• 4: Argent, a bend between six crosses-crosslet fitchée sable (Tye) (1561 Heraldic Visitation)
• 5: Argent, two chevronels azure a bordure engrailed gules (Tyrell) (1561 Heraldic Visitation) (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.1042 "Tyrell of Stanford, Berks")
• 6: Azure, a chevron argent between three storks of the second membered gules (Stamford) (1561 Heraldic Visitation)
• 7: Sable, a chevron between three covered cups argent
• 8: Sable fretty argent, on a chief of the second a lion passant guardant of the first

On the side of the chest tomb are various shields depicting marriages of his children, including:

• • Gules, three cinquefoils ermine (Kent) impaling Cornwallis quarterly of 8 (for his daughter Anne Cornwallis) (visible here)
  • Argent, a fess between three griffin's heads erased sable (Halse) impaling Cornwallis quarterly of 8 (for his daughter Mary Cornwallis) (visible here);
  • Blennerhasset quarterly of 4 impaling Cornwallis quarterly of 8 (for his daughter Elizabeth Cornwallis) (visible on end of chest tomb, at extreme oblique angle, for better image see image[3]):
    • 1: Gules, a chevron ermine between three dolphins embowed argent (Blennerhasset) (Burke, 1884, p.91 "Blennerhasset of Lowdham, Suffolk");
    • 2: Argent, three escutcheons sable
    • 3: Azure, a lion rampant guardant argent crowned or
    • 4: Gules, a pall reversed ermine (Kelvedon)