The writing on the wall – 9

This is the eighth snippet from my work looking at graffiti in the church, and the subject is again freely accessible. And it is not on an otherwise empty surface, like the other graffiti we have looked at, but on an engraved brass memorial plaque mounted in black marble on the nave south wall.

The plaque is not dated but the Tudor style of dress and the fact the it is in English, ie post reformation, suggests late 1500s or early 1600s. And although it had no name, having the Daubney coat of arms suggests was to commemorate someone in the family.

A lot of the marks have been added after the plaque was created. Many look like simple defacing – either disapproval or petty vandalism – but there are also some names and dates.

In an attempt to make sense of it all we need bear in mind that this was an era of religious turmoil, with conict between supporters of the Church of England and those who clung to or would like to reestablish Catholicism. A protestant memorial (in English) might not go down well with lifelong Catholics. The peasantry might not have held the Daubneys in high regard. Either might help to explain the absence of the family name and the subsequent defacement.
 

Above the prayer desk someone has added: John Daubney 1625. 1625 is a credible date so perhaps the plaque marked the death of John Daubney in 1625, and the writer, maybe a relative, added that some time later when it was safer to do so.

Next to the prayer desk 1226 is carved in a slightly different style. That is far too early to be the date of either the plaque. Perhaps it was when the family became established in the area. It was the year before Wokingham received its Market Charter. The family was wealthy and influential so perhaps they had a hand in getting the charter granted.

There are two other names, cut but in a florid script that is harder to decipher. Next to the man is probably William. Next to the woman looks like F...ld but I can’t make that into a likely name.
 

Like many historic artefacts this plaque leaves us with unanswered questions:

• Who was John Daubney if the man depicted is William (Daubney) and it is his memorial?

• If John was a descendant and he added William’s name in 1625 then was William’s death a lot earlier, maybe in the late 1500s?

• What was the name of the woman (presumably William’s wife)?

If you have any suggestions, or ideas for these or the other marks scratched onto the memorial then please get in touch. (John Hook kindly supplied me with background information.)

John Harrison October 2026)