The North Aisle at Ducklington: Liturgy and Commemoration in an Oxfordshire Parish Church

Abstract

This article discusses a neglected funerary monument of the 1340s and its much-embellished architectural setting in the north aisle of the parish church of Ducklington (Oxon.). The monument takes the unusual form of a Tree of Jesse while the walls carry a series of sculptural reliefs depicting scenes from the Life of the Virgin. It is argued that the space was a Lady chapel housing a chantry, and that the sculpture draws on imagery associated with the liturgy of the Mass and the liturgical hours to create an integrated devotional and commemorative programme of benefit to patrons and parishioners alike. The patrons have been traditionally identified as members of the Dyve family, long-standing proprietors of Ducklington manor until the mid-14th century. The connection is fully explored for the first time, drawing on antiquarian accounts of lost stained glass. Martha, widow of Henry Dyve (d. 1327) who held the manor in dower, is proposed as the likely originator of the monument.