A misericord is a small wooden sculpture formed on the underside of a folding seat. They are intended to act as a shelf and support a person to stay in a partial standing position over a long period of time.

There is a carved medieval misericord on nine of the seats in St Mary’s Chancel. Seven in the south, and two in the north. The others are imitations carved in the 19th century.

These nine seats date back to the medieval period, circa. 1410. There is some suggestion that they came from Merton Priory.

Each misericord is different. There are examples with foliage and shields, one of a woman wearing a caul (a type of medieval headdress); and another of a man wearing a mitre (a hat worn by bishops and archbishops).

Featured Image Copyright: Stella Fitzgerald @stella_fitzgerald

Discover more about the rich history of St Mary’s on our Heritage channel.