Kelsale, Suffolk
Church of St Mary and St Peter, Monument to Thomas (d.1730) and Mary (d. 1754) Russell, Marble.
The monument is set on the wall of the south aisle, near the altar. It looks like an over the top fireplace, with a coat of arms in a cartouche topped by a helmet surrounded by canons, flags, swords, drums, rifles and shields, incongruously flanking the inscription devoted to Mrs Mary Russell, described as a ‘good woman and pattern to her sex who died in 1754, aged 83’. That the inscription was placed so inappropriately suggests that it was added later to the monument which had been commissioned on her husband’s death in 1730.
The military equipment is explained by the inscription on dark marble set in what should be the grate, flanked by fluted columns under a black marble cornice. It describes Thomas Russell: born in 1669 in Belturbet (just south of Enniskillen) in the County of Cavan, Ireland, he spent his younger years defending Enniskillen and continued in service until that kingdom was entirely subdued by King William. The rest of his life was spent doing good, as an impartial distributor of justice, tender husband, true friend and good master, he died in 1730.
Enniskillen had been one of the centres of Catholic support for King James II after the proclamation of William and Mary’s joint rule in 1689. Recognition of William in Ireland began (grudgingly) with his victory at the battle of Boyne in 1690, and ended with the Treaty of Limerick late in 1691 (Wikipedia, William III of England, accessed 24/05/2014). That Russell chose celebrate his role in the establishment of protestant rule, long after he must have left Ireland for Kelsale, underlines the bitter religious divisions which are still so corrosive in Northern Ireland.
Kelsale, Suffolk
Church of St Mary and St Peter, Monument to Thomas (d.1730) and Mary (d. 1754) Russell, Marble.
The monument is set on the wall of the south aisle, near the altar. It looks like an over the top fireplace, with a coat of arms in a cartouche topped by a helmet surrounded by canons, flags, swords, drums, rifles and shields, incongruously flanking the inscription devoted to Mrs Mary Russell, described as a ‘good woman and pattern to her sex who died in 1754, aged 83’. That the inscription was placed so inappropriately suggests that it was added later to the monument which had been commissioned on her husband’s death in 1730.
The military equipment is explained by the inscription on dark marble set in what should be the grate, flanked by fluted columns under a black marble cornice. It describes Thomas Russell: born in 1669 in Belturbet (just south of Enniskillen) in the County of Cavan, Ireland, he spent his younger years defending Enniskillen and continued in service until that kingdom was entirely subdued by King William. The rest of his life was spent doing good, as an impartial distributor of justice, tender husband, true friend and good master, he died in 1730.
Enniskillen had been one of the centres of Catholic support for King James II after the proclamation of William and Mary’s joint rule in 1689. Recognition of William in Ireland began (grudgingly) with his victory at the battle of Boyne in 1690, and ended with the Treaty of Limerick late in 1691 (Wikipedia, William III of England, accessed 24/05/2014). That Russell chose celebrate his role in the establishment of protestant rule, long after he must have left Ireland for Kelsale, underlines the bitter religious divisions which are still so corrosive in Northern Ireland.