A fascinating talk by Barry Jolly. He explained a funerary hatchment is a depiction within a black diamond shaped frame, generally on a black background of a deceased person’s heraldic achievements – a full display or depiction of all the heraldic components to which the bearer of a coat of arms is entitled.
Funerary hatchments were generally restricted in use to members of the nobility or armigerous gentry. They used to be hung on the wall of a deceased person’s house and then after 6-12 months were transferred to the parish church.
Barry showed us and talked through the eleven examples from Lymington church and gave us brief life histories of the people involved.