Some of the most delightful features of ancient churches are monumental brasses. Popular amongst those who could afford them, many provide detailed portraits of the individuals commemorated and clothing styles favoured by the better-off in the relevant era.
Franklin Hudson, a surgeon based at Braunston near Daventry, and a number of other enthusiasts created a collection of rubbings of brasses that were then present in local churches. Their dates, where known, range from 1289 to 1640. The images, from 58 different places, were included in a magnificent book published in 1853, very shortly after Dr Hudson died at the age of 34.
Exquisitely printed in ‘tinted lithography and bronze’, few copies of the original volume survive. However, the Record Society has paid for its own copy to be digitised. Everyone interested can now download it from The Internet Archive free of charge.