.

On Location - Recent Work

.A Home in Illinois, USA

 

This commission of Reynald de Malyns (1385) is now a spectacular feature of both the entrance hall and central stairway of this Illinois home.

A wonderful commission to fulfill - this replaced a long-cherished rubbing that had been made many years before - but now lost. All that remained was a photograph. It was also to be a surprise Christmas present - an especial and unique reminder of that holiday in England all those years ago.

Reynald de Malyns can be found at St Andrews' church, Chinnor in Oxfordshire, England, and is one of three brasses to the last three successive generations of the Malyns family who were all buried in the church. The commission required special permission from St Andrews' church as all brass rubbing there is now strictly forbidden to protect the figures.

This 47 inch figure took approximately 27 hours to complete on site over three days.

Reynald de Malyns had a successful military career, probably under the guidance of his uncle, Gerald Braybrook. He could well have profited from the ransoms arising from the victory at Poitiers in 1356 and became Steward to the Black Prince's court of Aquitaine in 1364 - placing him close to the Prince. Reynald returned to England upon his father's death, but was still paid 40 marks a year as a retainer. England's position in France had deteriorated by 1369 with Reynald ultimately returning to England in 1372. The next twelve years until his death in 1384, was spent on the turbulent affairs within Oxfordshire as a Commissioner of the Peace, as an MP and briefly as Sheriff of Oxfordshire.

Though having a full and illustrious life, Reynald's career might well have advanced even further had the Black Prince lived to become King of England.
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