To see: in the north aisle of the church of St Mary and St Nicholas, a tomb bearing two alabaster effigies — a knight and his wife, lying side by side. The stone, Midlands alabaster, is rare in north Wales; almost the only comparable example nearby is at St Gredifael's, Penmynydd. The monument carries no name inscription, but it bears the arms of the Bulkeleys, the family that came to Anglesey in the 15th century, held the post of deputy constable of Beaumaris Castle, and dominated the island into the Tudor age. The exact identity of the figures is debated: the dress style points to the later 15th century (William Bulkeley, d. c. 1490, and Elen), though some read them as his son Rowland Bulkeley (d. 1537) and his wife Alice — which would set the work on the threshold of the Renaissance.
Did you know?
With no inscription, no one is certain who lies on this tomb: only the Bulkeley arms and the cut of the clothing let historians choose between two generations of the family.
Info
- Two effigies (knight and lady) in Midlands alabaster, north aisle.
- Bulkeley arms, no name inscription.
- Debated date: c. 1490 (William Bulkeley & Elen) or c. 1537 (Rowland Bulkeley & Alice).
- Stone type rare in north Wales (other example: Penmynydd). Interior.