Church of St Peter and St Paul, East Harling, Norfolk, monument on north side of altar to Sir Francis Lovell (d.1550) (younger brother of Gregory Lovell of Barton Bendish) and his wife Anne Ashby, a daughter of George Ashby (d.1514) of Breakspears in the parish of Haresfield, Middlesex, Clerk to the Signet. (Blomefield gives as his wife, Anne, daughter of George "Ashfield" of Haresfield (Harefield) in Middlesex; this is in fact an error for George Ashby). His wife Anne Lovell is now believed to be the lady depicted in Holbein's portrait "w:Portrait of a Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling" - the squirrel being a reference to the arms of Lovell and the starling (most commonly spelled 'Estharlyng' at the time) a pun on the manor of "East Harling". (David J King). Probably painted to celebrate the birth of the Lovell heir. "The Lovell-Ashby alliance is confirmed by a late-sixteenth-century antiquary who recorded (British Library, London, MS Lansdowne 260, fol. 187) the same impaled arms in East Harling Hall and these arms appear on a seal of George Ashby in 1509, and on his brass in Harefield Church". (Source: David J King, Apollo Magazine, May 2004, Who was Holbein's Lady with a squirrel and a starling? Ever since it was acquired by the National Gallery, London, in 1992 this celebrated English portrait by Holbein has remained tantalisingly anonymous. A detective trail has led David J King to East Harling in Norfolk, where clues in stained glass and a tomb reveal the sitter's identity [1]). Without inscription. (Farrer, Church Heraldry of Norfolk, Vol.1, 1889, pp.41-2[2]). He was the nephew and heir of Sir Thomas Lovell (d.1524), KG, who built East Harling Hall. Harefield is situated about 17 miles from Elsynges, nearEnfield, another seat of Sir Thomas Lovell KG. Sir Francis Lovell a younger son of Sir Gregory Lovell of Barton Bendish, the elder brother of Sir Thomas Lovell, KG, of East Harling, and his mother was Margaret Brandon, daughter (and heiress) of Sir William Brandon. His paternal grandparents were Thomas Lovell (d.1479) of Barton Bendish, and Anne Toppes, a daughter of Robert Toppes (d.1467), an Alderman of the City of Norwich. (Source: David J King, quoting Francis Blomefield, An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk, vol. I, London, 1805 (2nd edition), p. 323; ibid., vol. VII, 1807, pp. 272-73) Sir Francis Lovell died without living heir, and his heir was his brother Charles Lovell of Spridlington in Lincolnshire.

Heraldry

3 escutcheons at top, repeated on base but in strapwork shields, left to right (Farrer, Church Heraldry of Norfolk, Vol.1, 1889, pp.41-2[3]):

• Left: Dexter: Per fess, in chief Argent, a chevron azure between three squirrels sejant gules (Lovell) (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.624 "Lovell of Barton (i.e. Barton Bendish) and Harling, Norfolk") in base Vert, two chevronels argent each charged with three cinquefoils gules (Muswell) (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.719 "Muswell of East Herling, Norfolk") all impaling: Azure, a chevron or between three eagles displayed with two heads argent (Ashby) (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.28 "Ashby of Leicestershire" Azure, a chevron between three spread eagles or) ("Ashfield" Per Farrer, not listed in Burke, General Armory)
• Centre: Lovell quartering Muswell;
• Right: Or, an eagle displayed vert (unknown family)

Wikidata has entry Church of St Peter and St Paul (Q17534678) with data related to this item.