In the chapel of St Edmund in Westminster Abbey is the tomb of
Sir Bernard Brocas (1330?-1395). His family originally came from
Gascony in France, where they fought for the English cause.
Brocas was a favourite knight of Edward the "Black Prince", son
of Edward III, and was present at the battles of Poitiers and
Crecy. He became chamberlain to Richard II's queen, Anne of
Bohemia. He married first in about 1354 Agnes daughter of Sir
Mauger Vavasour of Yorkshire, from whom he was divorced. Secondly
in 1361 he married Mary daughter of Sir John des Roches. Both
these ladies were heiresses. Sir Bernard was appointed Master of
the Royal Buckhounds, an hereditary office held by his
descendants for three centuries. Katharine, widow of Sir Hugh
Tyrell, was his third wife in 1382. His son, also Bernard (by his
wife Mary), held royal offices but he conspired against King
Henry IV and was beheaded on Tower Hill in London in 1400. Sir
Bernard senior died in 1395. His son, also Bernard (by his wife
Mary), held royal offices but he conspired against King Henry IV
and was beheaded at the Tower of London in 1400.
The recumbent effigy on his tomb, depicting him in full plate
armour with a sword, seems to have been a later addition. The
shield he carried has now gone. Around the ledge of the tomb on a
brass strip is the original inscription, which can be translated:
"Here lies Bernard Brocas, soldier, one-time Chamberlain to Queen
Anne of England: upon whose soul may God look graciously. Amen".
His head rests on a helmet on which is his crest, a Moor's head.
At his feet is a lion. The tomb was repaired in the 18th century
and a long inscription in English was painted on it.
The inscription reads:
Here lies buried Sir Bernard Brocas, third son of Sir John
Brocas who had a considerable command of archers at the siege of
Calais in 1347, and a lineal descendant from Sir Bernard Brocas
younger son of the Earl of Foix in France, who came to England
with the Norman King William and in recquital of his services had
a grant of lands in Hampshir to the then value of £400 per ann.,
which he chose near Basingstoke, & thereon built a
mansion-house & called it Beaurepaire. This Sir Bernard
served in the French wars, and being afterward sent against the
Moors, overcame the King of Morocco in battle and was allowed to
bear for his crest a Moor's head crowned with an old Eastern
crown. His elder brother Sir John being slain in an engagement
with the French near Southampton and his second brother Oliver
(who was Grand Seneschal of Guyenne and Aquitaine and Governor of
Bourdeaux) dying without issue Sir Bernard succeeded to the
paternal inheritance both in England and France and having
married Mary, daughter and heiress of Sir John de Roches, had a
large estate with her, and the hereditary post of master of the
Buck-hounds, which was confirmed to him by king Edward the Third,
and held by the family till sold in James the First's reign. He
was chamberlain to King Richard the Second's queen; and his son,
a knight of the same Christian name was carver to his said
Majesty. The son was one of the conspirators against king Henry
the Fourth at Oxford & was afterwards taken & executed at
Cirencester in Gloucestershire, and he himself having raised a
considerable force on the same side, advanced to Reading in
Berkshire which place refusing him admittance, he burnt a part of
it and made the rest his quarters, till on the retreat of the
conspirators forces into Oxfordshire, Sir Bernard's dispersing,
he, with many of his adherents became an easy prey to the
townsmen of Reading, who executed several on the spot, but sent
Sir Bernard to London where he was beheaded on Tower hill in
January 1400.
Among the coats of arms at the base of the tomb (repainted in
the 1960s) are the arms of Brocas: sable [black] a lion rampant
guardant or [gold], and des Roches: sable two lions passant
guardant or.
Photographs in black and white or colour may be purchased from
Westminster Abbey
Library.
Brasses and monuments of this family can be seen in the
churches of Sherborne St John and Bramley in Hampshire.