Enhanced image
Description
A painted half-length figure at the west junction of Bay PV2. It faces forward, with shoulder-length dark hair, a pale robe and a red collar. Both hands hold a tall pointed shield divided into four quarters: two red quarters with pale crosses whose arms end in flared lobes, alternating with two blue quarters bearing plain pale crosses.
Heraldry
Blazon as the shield was probably intended: Quarterly: first and fourth Gules, a cross moline Argent; second and third Sable, a cross engrailed Or.
Plain English: The first and fourth quarters show a white cross moline—a cross with split and curved ends—on red. These are the arms of the Bek or Bec family of Eresby. The second and third represent a gold cross with engrailed edges on black, the arms of the Ufford family.
This combination is associated with the Willoughby family, Barons Willoughby de Eresby, who inherited the Bek and Ufford arms. Recorded examples of the Willoughby arms quarter Ufford’s black-and-gold cross with Bek’s red-and-white cross moline.
The ceiling shield does not preserve the Ufford quarters accurately: their field now appears blue rather than black, the cross white rather than gold, and its engrailed edges have been rendered almost straight. The order of the two coats is also reversed from the usual recorded arrangement. These are probably consequences of later repainting.
Willoughby, Barons Willoughby de Eresby — quartering Bek and Ufford.
Identification: RCHME: Willoughby?; Buckeridge: Sable a cross engrailed or WILLOUGHBY quartering, gules a cross moline argent BECKE.
Condition
The carving of the head, hands and shield survives, and the quartered colour scheme is clear. There are minor chips and scuffs on the face, garment and painted shield. Local wear on the beam immediately behind and below the figure is more pronounced, with exposed wood and losses in the black-and-white pattern. The shield remains readily legible.