The 14th-century stone effigy of a knight, which is perhaps of Sir Thomas West (d. 1343), who founded the chantry in 1335, was removed from the south-east corner of the nave of the old church to the porch of the new.
"Sir Thomas West, son and heir of Thomas West, held lands in Swallowcliffe, and was presumably of age by 1318. He had a protection, July 21, 1322, when going to Scotland on the King's service with the Earl of Pembroke, whose yeoman he was and by whom he was granted the manor of Sharnbrook, Beds, for life, which grant was ratified, December 3. He held the bailiwick of the forestership of Wychwood, Oxon., granted to him by John de Langley, February 1322/3- February 1326/7; was M.P. for Warwickshire, 1324, in January of which year he is described as King's yeoman; received a grant of a weekly market at Snitterfield, co. Warwick, of his wife's inheritance, May 7, 1324; had protections going beyond seas on the King's service, 1324 and 1325, and on pilgrimage to Santiago, 1326/7, 1327/8 and 1331; was knighted by the hands of Thomas de Langford in London, April 19, 1326; had licence to crenellate his house at Roughcombe, in Tisbury, Wilts, June 18, 1327; and was given further protections going on the King's service beyond seas, 1329-33, and to Scotland, 1333 and 1334. In Oct. 1330 he took an active part in the arrest of Roger de Mortimer, Earl of March, in Nottingham Castle. He became Keeper of the castles of Christchurch and Southampton, the manors of Westover, Ringwood and Lyndhurst, the New Forest and the Hundred of Redbridge, Hants, December 12, 1330 till his death; Keeper of Sutton Mandeville, Wilts, March 28, 1331; was one of the English witnesses in the Parliament at Edinburgh, February 12, 1333/4, when Edward Balliol ratified his engagements to Edward III; had licence to found chantries in the churches_of St. John, Wilton, and Swallowcliffe, January 31, 1334/5; Commissioner to arrest and array ships between Portsmouth and Portland for service against the Scots, January 16, and to array a force of archers from cos. Somerset, Dorset, Southampton and Devon, January 16, 1336/7; Keeper of the King's Stannary, Devon, for life, March 4, 1336/7; had protections going beyond seas with the Earl of Salisbury, 1338 and 1339; was granted free warren, a market and other rights in Swallowcliffe and Sutton Mandeville, November 2, 1339; Joint Keeper of Hamble Priory, June 26, 1341. He was summoned to a Council at Westminster, February 25, 1341/2; and accompanied the Earl of Pembroke on his expedition to Brittany in 1342.
He married, before 1321, Eleanor, daughter and heir of Sir John Cantilupe, of Broadhempston (Hempston Cantilupe), Devon, and Snitterfield, by his wife Maud. He died in parts beyond seas, November 1, 1343. Eleanor survived him and was living April 27, 1344. "
SOURCE - (
visit link)