The Pollard Monument

Sir Anthony Pollard lived at Little Baldon whilst his brother, John, acquired Nuneham manor in 1544.  John left the manor to his widow, Mary, for the duration of her life after which it would pass to Anthony.  Mary, however, lived to be over one hundred years old and died nearly thirty years after Anthony’s own death in 1577.

A memorial tomb was made for Anthony and his wife, Philippa, who died in 1606.  It is a chest tomb with full-length effigies of the couple.  There is a stone canopy supported by Corinthian columns and a deep frieze carved with fruits and swags.  There is a coffered ceiling and a central cartouche of arms.  Tablets commemorate Anthony and Philippa.  In front of the tomb lie effigies of two children.  Vestiges of paint remain.

 

Monument to Sir Anthony Pollard (d. 1577) and Philippa Pollard (d. 1606)

The tomb was placed in the medieval church at Nuneham.  Not much is known about All Saints church.  It stood at the West end of the medieval village about six meters from the current church.  It was demolished in the early 1760s to make way for Earl Harcourt’s landscaping plans.  The tracery of two of the windows, the tower and the Pollard Monument were removed to Baldon House as the squire had family connections with the Pollards.  The rector, James Newton, was most indignant, noting that they were ‘secreted in a private place, pil’d one on another’. 

There they remained for about 150 years.  In 1916 Viscount Harcourt of Nuneham wrote to the new owner of Baldon House, Dr. Priestley.

 

 

 

‘Dear Sir, I understand that you are the new owner of Baldon House.  There are in your grounds near the pond an old tomb and part of the tracery of a gothic window which once formed part of the old church here and when it was pulled down and rebuilt by Lord Harcourt they were given by him to the then owner of Baldon.  I have always felt that they ought to be in the old churchyard here and should be very grateful if you were willing to sell them to me, if you do not attach any special value to them.  Yours very truly, L Harcourt. 

An article in The Oxford Journal Illustrated dated 1^st December, 1920, reports the move and includes photographs.

 

The caption reads ‘Workmen erecting the Sir Anthony Pollard memorial in Nuneham Park.  It is being removed, by Viscount Harcourt, from Baldon Church, where it has remained for nearly 200 years.  It was first erected near Nuneham House in the last quarter of the sixteenth century.’

The Pollard Memorial is now about fifteen metres East of the 1760s church of All Saints and is placed under a protective canopy.

The medieval tower is now incorporated into Baldon House.