the church of st john baptist
the Prowse Brass
in St John's church
The Prowse family, lords of the Manor of Kingston, lived in Yeovil certainly in the very early seventeenth century since a priceless treasure in St John's church is an early edition of the King James Bible, bound in leather with metal clasps and embossed on the cover with the letters E P and an inscription on the title page reading "This Bible was given to the Church of Yevell by Elizabeth Prowse, widow, of the same parish and delivered by John Ostler, her executor."
This is the earliest known evidence of the Prowse family in Yeovil and this elaborate brass on the chancel floor of St John's church commemorates several members of the family and also bears its coat of arms - three lions guardant.
The brass reads
"In the Vault
underneath are
deposited
together with
some Junior
members of the
family who died
in childhood the
remains of
George Prowse,
who died AD
1624. Of Robert
Prowse, his Son
who died AD
1653, and
Bridget the wife
of the said
Robert Prowse
and Daughter of
John Harbin of
Newton Esq. Of
George Prowse
their Son who
died AD 1698,
and Elizabeth
his Wife,
Daughter of
Thomas Compton
of Sutton
Bingham, Esq. Of
John Prowse
their Son who
died AD 1722,
and Ann his
Wife, Daughter
of William Young
of Trent, Esq.
Of George Prowse
their Son who
died 16th Jany
1742 & Eleanor
his Wife,
Daughter of John
Clark of Yeovil,
Esq. who died
11th June 1743.
Of George Prowse
their Son who
died July 25th
1773, and
Elizabeth his
Wife, Daughter
of William
Bragge of
Hatfield Peverel,
Essex, Esq. who
died July 30th
1800. Here also
lyeth the body
of George Bragge
Prinn, Esq. only
child of the
last named
George Prowse
and Elizabeth
his Wife, who
died Jany 12th
1839 aged 72
years."
See the Prowse Family Tree
gallery
This photograph
features in my
book 'The Church of St John the Baptist, Yeovil - a History and Guide'.
The Prowse
Brass, set in
the floor of the
chancel.
