The Misericords

Misericords are oak seats specially designed to prevent the monks from falling asleep during the services. If they did so, the seats fell forward with a great clatter, to the embarrassment of the occupant. The word "misericord" comes from the Latin 'misericordia' meaning 'pity' or' compassion'. Each seat has a carving beneath the bracket. Among them are: Either King Richard III or King Henry VII, a salmon, a man with torn breeches held up by a pin. Four misericords are, however, older than the others:Three foliates of acanthus, dated 1210 and thought to be the second oldest, if not the oldest, in England, two dragons entwined in foliage dated c 1220, the Winged Lion of St Mark and the Angel and Scroll of St Matthew dated c.1450.