St Swithun's Church, East Grinstead
The Monument to Dame Katherine Grey
This monument is a fragment of a much greater one, which had coats of arms for
Dame Katherine, who died in 1505, her first husband Sir Thomas Grey, (left) and her
second husband, Richard Lewkenor (right). The church tower fell down in 1785, causing
great destruction.
After 1785, Thomas Wakeham rescued the 2 figures of knights, and the inscription,
but he rescued the wrong central figure. This is not Katherine, but a male civilian, made in
about 1520. Wakeham added his own monument with a Latin inscription, in a shape and
style at odds with the original brasses.
Katherine Grey was a lady-in-waiting to the Queens of Edward IV and Henry VII. She
was the daughter of Thomas, Lord Scales. He was put to death by the Yorkists in 1460.
As Katherine did not inherit the Scales title, she was probably illegitimate. Marriage to Sir
Thomas Grey made Katherine a kinswoman of Elizabeth Woodville, who first married Sir
John Grey, and later became Edward IV's Queen. Katherine served Elizabeth Woodville,
then Elizabeth of York. Katherine and her second husband, Richard Lewkenor of
Brambletye, were benefactors of the church. Katherine may have lived a long life, as she
was possibly born before 1436. She did not mention any children in her will.
She wished to be depicted in a shroud or winding sheet, between her 2 husbands,
according to her will. It is thought that this was not done. An 18 th century antiquary who
visited the church did not record what would surely have been a very striking image.
(This Katherine Grey is not Lady Jane Grey's younger sister, who was a later Lady
Katherine Grey with no known connection to this church.)
'Here under this marbille
stone lieth Dame Katherine Grey, daughter of Thomas sometyme lord Scales [the word
penetrated by screw holes] wyff to Sir Thomas Grey Knight and banneret and after wyff
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unto the honourable esqwyer Richard Lewkenor thelde at Brambletey and one of the
ladies to queen Elizabeth yyff of blessed memory Edward the iiii and afterward to quene
Elizabeth wyff unto our soffereyne lord Henry the viith the wheche passed owte of this
transitory worlde the ixth day of June the year of owre lorde god MCCCCCV and the same
Dame Katherine and Richard her husband yane founded indoed and inorned the present
church of Estgrenestede to the laude and honour of god in diverse [blank space] and
ornamentes and alms howse of 3 poor men, 4 whole sowles jhu for the utter/bitter passion
yeve upon them they merciful compassyon Amen.'
Here under this marble stone lies Dame Katherine Grey, daughter of Thomas, the
late Lord Scales. She married Sir Thomas Grey, knight and banneret, then Richard
Lewkenor the elder, of Brambletye. She was one of the ladies-in-waiting to Queen
Elizabeth, wife of blessed memory to Edward IV, and afterwards to Queen Elizabeth (of
York) wife to our Sovereign Lord, Henry VII. She passed out of this transitory world on 9
June 1505. Dame Katherine and her husband Richard were benefactors of East Grinstead
church, endowing and ornamenting it, to the laud and honour of God. They also endowed
an almshouse for 3 poor men. Jesus, from your great sufferings, have mercy upon their
souls, Amen.
Bibliography:
The will of Dame Kateryn Gray, 9 May 1505, The National Archive PROB/11/14.
Davidson-Houston, C. E. M., 'Sussex Brasses and Effigies', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 76 (1935), 52-62 and
'Sussex Monumental Brasses', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 78, (1937), 63-125
Lambard, Fane, 'Katherine', Sussex Notes and Queries, 3 (1931), 234-36 and 'Katherine', Sussex Notes and Queries, 4
(1932), 51-53
Leppard, Michael J., A History of East Grinstead (Chichester: Phillimore, 2001) and 'The Chantry Commission of 1547
and Some Unpublished Chantry Records for East Grinstead', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 109 (1971), 24-36
Willats, Rosalind, 'Dame Katherine and her Rescued Husbands', The Bulletin of the East Grinstead Society, 29 (1980),
11-13 and 'Thomas Lord Scales', The Bulletin of the East Grinstead Society, 42 (1987), 5-8
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