Joyce Acton ⁶⁸

  General Notes:

Under a close avenue of trees a private walk leads to a corner of the Park, where, snugly embosomed among "scented limes" stands the little Church of Charlecote with its belfry, simple as a dovecote, and its somewhat grotesque exterior.

There are three monuments each being of an elaborate and costly character, with no inconsiderable pretensions to merit as works of art. The one nearest the altar is that of the Sir Thomas Lucy who is reported to have "threatened " Shakspere with punishment for deer-stealing, and is said to have been the object of a lampoon
penned by the "immortal bard." The grave underneath contains also the ashes of his lady. They are represented in the usual recumbent posture, on a tomb of variegated marble, their hands uplifted in prayer. He is clad in armour, the lady in the ruff and dress of the period. Two smaller figures are kneeling below, and a tablet of black marble in the recess above their tomb has the following touching and beautiful inscription :

"Here entombed lyeth the Lady Joyce Lucy, wife of Sir Thomas Lucy, of Cherlecote, in the County of Warwick, Knight, daughter and heir of Thomas Acton, of Sutton, in the County of Worcester, Esquire, who departed out of this wretched world to her heavenly kingdome, the tenth day of February in the year of our Lord God 1595, and of her age Ix and three. All the time of her life a true and faithfull servant of her good God, never detected of any crime or vice; in religion most sound; in love to her husband most faithfull and true; in friendship most constant; to what in trust was committed to her most secret; in wisdome excelling; in governing of her house and bringing up of youth in the feare of God that did converse with her, most rare and singular. A great maintainer of hospitality; greatly esteemed of her betters ; misliked of none unless of the envious. When all is spoken that can be said, a woman so furnished and garnished with virtue as not to be bettered, and hardly to be equalled by any. As she lived most virtuously, so she dyed most godly. Set down by him that best did know what hath been written to be true. THOMAS LUCY "

Joyce married Sir Thomas Lucy, son of Sir William Lucy and Anne Fermor, in 1548.³²² (Sir Thomas Lucy was born on 24 Apr 1532 in Charlecote, Warwickshire, died on 7 Jul 1600 ⁶⁸ and was buried in St Leonards, Charlecote, Warwickshire.)