Tomb - chest tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

At St Mary's parish church (KK019-026115-) in Kilkenny. A freestanding chest tomb of Johana Archer (d.1565) and her husband Walter Archer (d.1575), in-situ on the S side of the S transept of the church (KK019-026115-) (Prim 1865, 304-5; Healy 1893, 234; Carrigan 1905, Vol. 3, 93; Cockerham and Harris 2001, 183). Chest tomb (L 1.97m; Wth 1m; H 0.54m) of fossiliferous limestone uncovered beneath stone paving for base of 19th century heating system in 2015 excavations at St. Mary's (Ó Drisceoil 2019, unpublished). Tomb had been previously noted as having been uncovered when the floor of the heating system was being inserted around 1865 (Prim 1865, 304). The cover was missing at this time and its whereabouts remain unknown. Probing beneath the base of the tomb during 2015 excavations indicated it is set above a slab-lined grave containing a coffin burial. Three of its side panels are plain. The right (W) side-panel shows an inscription in false relief Latin blackletter that reads:
HIC JACENT WALTERUS ARCHER FILIUS JOH[ANN]IS QUOND[AM] BURGEN’
VILLE KILKENIE QI OBIIT P[RI]MO DIE DECE[M]BRIS AD 1575. ET JOHAN[N]A
HACKET UXOR EIUSDE[M] WALTERI Q. OBIIT 16 DIE SEPTEMBRIS AD 1565.
QUORU[M] AIAB’ PROPICIET. DE’ AME[N]
It translates as, Here lies Walter Archer son of John once burgess of the city of Kilkenny who died [on the] first day [of] December An Dn 1575
And Johanna Hacket his wife of the same Walter who died 16 day September an Dn 1565 on whose souls may the Lord have mercy Amen
The 'A' of 'A.D.' and 'Archer' were both made using the Archers' merchant mark of an arrow.
Because the tomb is free-standing in the centre of the S side of the S transept it may have doubled as an altar within the Archer chantry chapel. Chest tomb currently on display in situ under glass floor.

Compiled by: Cóilín Ó Drisceoil

Date of upload: 4 January 2023

References

Cockerham. P. and Harris, L. 2001 Kilkenny funeral monuments 1500-1600: a statistical and analytical account. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 101C, 135-88.

Carrigan, Rev. W. 1905 (Reprint 1981) The history and antiquities of the diocese of Ossory, 4 vols. Kilkenny. Roberts Books and Wellbrook Press.

Healy, Rev. William 1893 History and antiquities of Kilkenny (county and city). Kilkenny. P.M. Egan.

Ó Drisceoil, C. 2019 Excavations at St. Mary's Church and Church Lane, Kilkenny 12E0314. Unpublished final report for Kilkenny Archaeology.

Prim, J.G.A. 1865 Proceedings. Journal of the Kilkenny and South-East of Ireland Archaeological Society, 5 (2), 291-306