History and Antiquities of the Country of Hertford Icheton,
Lefstanchirche otherwise Layston Vol III pages 427 to 438
THIS Church, which is dedicated to St. Bartholomew, stands in the fields, about half a mile East of the town of Buntingford, and in the middle of the site of the antient village of Layston, as hath been proved by the discovery of the foundations of houses in the fields near the road leading Northward from the windmill to the Church. It consists of a Nave and Chancel tiled, and has a square embattled tower at its West end.
In the Chancel is a fair monument against the North wall, with the following arms and inscription upon it, viz.
At the top, Argent, on a pale Sable three crosses patee Or, within a bordure engrailed Sable, for Crouch; impaling, .... on a chevron three roses. And at the sides,1. Crouch, impaling, gyronnee of eight Azure and Or, on a chief Gules three annulets Or. 2. Crouch, impaling, Azure, a bend between three roses Or. 3. Crouch, without an impalement. 4. Ditto. 5. Crouch, impaling, Gules, a fesse dancettee between ten billets Or. 6. Azure, three lozenges Argent, a crescent for difference, Freman, impaling, Crouch. 7. Paly of six Argent and Gules, a chevron Or, Barkham, impaling Crouch. 8. Argent, three fusils in fesse Gules, within a bordure Sable, Montagu, impaling Crouch. 9. Freman, as before, with a martlet for difference, impaling Crouch. 10. Montagu, as before, with a crescent for difference, impaling Crouch.
Quisquis es quem ad AEdes has Pietas impulit, siste paululum ; te hoc quod vides moretur Monumentum Sacrum memoriae Johannis Crowch, de Corney-burie, Armigeri, Londini olim, hujus dein comitatus haud exigui decoris, qui postquam octogesimum sextum aetatis suae annum superasset, mense Februarij, annoque a nato Dom. MDCV, naturae debitum reddidit, non minus bonorum operum quam dierum satur. Natus erat Barvici, in parochia Standonensi; in uxorem cepit Joannam filiam & haeredem Johannis Scott, Londinensis; ex qua filios quinque, Johannem, Thomam, Ricardum, Nicolaum, Gulielmum ; filias itidem quinque, Elizabetham, Gulielmi Fremanni Mercatoris Londinensis nuper viduam ; Janam, Edwardi Barckham equitis aurati et Londinensis, olim civitatis Praetoris, consortem; Annam, conjugem Edwardi Domini Montacuti, Baronis de Boughton; Joannam, nuptam Radulpho Fremanno Gulielmi fratri, qui nuper Praetor ejusdem Londinensis civitatis, creatus de vita prius exiit quam officio, animam citius deposuit quam magistratum; Margarettam, uxorem hoc ipso tempore Henrici Comitis Mancestriae, Privati Sigilli Custodis. Monumentum hoc Domina Margaretta Mancestriae Comitis Comitissa, Domina Anna Montacuta, et Domina Jana Barkhame, solae de tam numerosa prole superstites, observantiae et amoris ergo posuerunt.
On the South side :
Sacred to the memory of Ann, the wife of William Butt, Esq. of Corneybury, in this parish, who died the 24th of March, 1799 in the 63d year of her age, whose remains are deposited in a vault
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