This is a memorial brass which was on the tomb to John Stalon, a tanner in Norwich, who died on 10 October 1463.
“Orate p aia johis stalon quoda civis norwici barkere qui obiit x die mens october A dm m cccc lxiii ciu Aie ppicient dei”
The museum notes reads the above, which they translate as:
“Pray for the soul of John Stalon, formerly a citizen of Norwich, a tanner, who died on the tenth day of the month of October in the year of our Lord 1463, on whose soul may God look with favour.”
It was formerly in St. Swithin’s Church, which is now redundant. I haven’t written much about this church before, but it’s one of many on St. Benedict’s Street and it was already falling into disrepair in the Victorian period, so its future was never very secure although it did have a new and brief lease of life in the early twentieth century as a church. The Victorians took the tower down before it collapsed of its own accord and here’s what it looked like in the 1880s.
The church is now used by Norwich Arts Centre who mention on their website:
“Happily secure in its new 14th century flint building the venue went from strength to strength pulling in the best new music, comedy and performance names on the scene. Amongst those who have appeared are Nirvana, Oasis, Muse, Coldplay, Kasabian and The Manic Street Preachers during the 80’s and 90’s.”
That’s quite a collection of artists as even I’ve heard of them…. Back to the memorial brass, which came into the collections of Norfolk Museums Service in 1963, handily exactly 500 years after John Stalon’s death. Quite where this memorial brass was over the centuries I don’t know, although it was quite possibly at the church where it avoided being pinched.