In such matters as tombs it is beyond question that the workmen supplied the designs. In the year 1525 there is an entry in the accounts of St. John's of a small sum "given to the master mason of Ely for drawing a draught for my lord's tomb," meaning Bishop Fisher's. In 1533 "Mr. Lee the free mason" was paid for making and setting up the tomb. Upon the Bishop's execution, the monument was taken to pieces and thrown aside, but towards the end of last century the remains were discovered during the process of clearing away the rubbish in an "old disused chapel." A rough drawing was made of them, from which it is evident that the design was quite in the Italian style. It shows an altar tomb with a pilaster at each corner, ornamented with arabesques similar to those on Henry VII.'s tomb. The side is occupied by a large panel supported by two amorini, and surrounded with foliage and scrollwork; the end has a shield within a garland. The whole work is described by an eye-witness as being elegant, neat, and ornamented in great taste, from which we may gather that both in design and execution it was a worthy specimen of the style prevalent in Henry VIII.'s time. We have already seen that it was designed by the master mason at Ely, and executed by Mr. Lee, the free mason. If these two were not one and the same man, at any rate there is no reason to suppose that they were other than Englishmen.[35]
[35] For particulars of these contracts, &c., at Cambridge, see Willis and Clark's _Architectural History of the University of Cambridge_, Vol. II.
Some fifty years after Bishop Fisher's tomb was erected, there was drawn up a contract (in 1581) between the executor of Thomas Fermor, of Somerton, in Oxfordshire, and Richard and Gabriel Roiley, of Burton-upon-Trent, "tumbe makers." The latter agree "artificially, cunningly, decently, and substantially to devise, work, set up, and perfectly and fully finish" a very fair tomb of very good and durable alabaster stone and of certain specified dimensions. It is to have on it "a very fair decent and well-proportioned picture or portraiture of a gentleman representing the said Thomas Fermor," with certain specified accessories; and also "a decent and perfect picture or portraiture of a fair gentlewoman with a French hood, edge and habiliments, with all other apparel, furniture, jewels, ornaments and things in all respects usual, decent and seemly for a gentlewoman." There are also to be the "decent and usual pictures" of a son and two daughters with escutcheons in their hands--somewhat after the fashion, no doubt, of those on the Bradbourne tomb in Fig. 9. The son is to be in armour and as living; one of the daughters is to be "pictured in decent order and as living," the other "as dying in the cradle or swathes." There are to be four shields, one containing "the very true arms" of Thomas Fermor; two others his arms and those of his two wives, severally; and the fourth the arms of his second wife. They are all to be placed as most may serve for the "shew and setting forth of the said tomb." Once again, towards the end, it is stated that all the "devising, colouring, gilding, garnishing, workmanship, carriage, conveying, setting up, and full finishing of the said tomb," is to be done by the Roileys; but the executor will provide "wains, carts and cattle" to draw the parts of the tomb to Somerton. The price for the tomb is to be £40.