St NICHOLAS, Montgomery

St Nicholas’ church, Montgomery dates from the 1320s – it was built at a similar time to the castle.  It is dedicated to St Nicholas of Myra, or Bari, patron saint of children (of course) and, among other things, sailors, brewers and pawnbrokers.  It is a large, attractive, church with an impressive roof.  Its features include an original 13th century rood screen, choir stalls and misericords, all brought from nearby Chirbury Priory when the latter was dissolved in1536.

The highlight, however, is probably the ornate Elizabethan canopy tomb of Richard Herbert (1557-96), Lord of Montgomery Castle, erected by his wife Magdalen (1561-1627).  Effigies of them both are side by side and behind are featured eight of their ten children, which included the poet George Herbert.  Beneath is a memento mori, an effigy of a cadaver – presumably representing Richard.  Magdalen is not entombed here; she moved away after her husband’s death, remarried, and is buried in Chelsea.  The tomb also contains the remains of the couple’s grandson, Richard, 2nd Baron of Chirbury, who died in 1655 and was the last of the Herbert family to live at the castle.

To the left of the elaborate tomb, on the floor, are two simple effigies.  They are probably of (closest to the wall) another Richard Herbert, grandfather of the Richard in the tomb, who died in 1534 and Sir Edmund Mortimer, one-time constable of Montgomery Castle, who died in 1408 supporting Owain Glyndŵr at the siege of Harlech. Mortimer appears in Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part 1.

Outside in the churchyard, not far from the rear entrance, is the Robber’s Grave.  This contains the mortal remains of John Davies of Wrexham, convicted of highway robbery and executed in Montgomery in 1821.  Davies swore his innocence and said that, just to prove it, no grass would grow over his grave for 100 years.  You can judge for yourself.