And then the main commemorative plaque
'Arms of the Borough of Ipswich England (under crest)
On this site formerly stood St Mary's Chapel commonly called The Chapel Of "Our Lady Of Grace" containing an oak statue of the Madonna and Child. In medieval times pilgrimages made to it included Royalty and the famous.
Later it came under the protection of The Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. It was closed by order of King Henry VIII in 1538 and the statue, taken to London for burning, is believed to have been rescued by sailors and taken to Nettuno, Italy where today an ancient statue of "Our Lady Of The Graces" stands in a major shrine church.
Copyright
1989 Robt. N. Mellamphy'

[We hope that the sculptor and Meryemana don't mind us breaking their copyright in reproducing this text; after all this wouldn't be much of an historic lettering website without it, would it?]

The shrine to Our Lady of Grace was recently restored in the nearby (Anglo-Catholic) St Mary at Elms church in Elm Street. The replica statue is, again, by Ipswich carver Robert Malamphy, and it was dedicated with great ecumenical ceremony in September 2002. The image is a copy of the one at Nettuno in Italy, which many people believe to be the rescued statue of Our Lady of Ipswich. If this is true, one can only imagine the journey; condemned to being burnt by reformers, rescued by Catholic adherents and smuggled from London to be shipped to the west coast of Italy. The only shame is that, nestling in its niche, one is unable to see the small characters from Ipswich history which - we are told - the artist has carved on the back of the figure.

This photograph was taken during the first Ip-art festival in 2003; St Mary at Elms and its adjacent ancient cottage. A gateway to the north of the tower takes you through to the St Mary Elms cottage of the 1487: the oldest inhabited building in Ipswich! It once stood in the grounds of Thoma Seckford's estate and housed those who looked after his stables. Thomas Seckford (1515-1587), M.P. for the borough, founder of Woodbridge School and courtier of Elizabeth I,  built a mansion at the north of the estate fronting Westgate Street. In 1846 the dilapidated mansion was partially demolished to cut through Museum Street. The cottage was restored in 1984-5 and now houses a Parish Room on the ground floor with a flat above. The church and public sculpture are well worth a visit; a taste of Walsingham in Ipswich with very ancient parts of the building such as the 11th century Norman doorway still in use. Simon Knott's Suffolk Churches website gives further insights and is listed on our Links page.

[Photograph courtesy Mike O'Donovan]
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In Elm Street opposite St Mary Elms Church is:
'M^RS SMITHS ALMS HOUSES
Erected in the year 1760
for the Benefit of twelve poor Women
of honeft Life and Converfation
of the Age of fifty Years and upward
being Communicants of the Church of England
by Law Eftablifhed'

This ancient lettering compares with that on the Henry Tooley Almshouses in Foundation Street and the almshouses in Colchester. Just a few yards down the road on the same side is a stone shield bearing the words 'Ipswich Board School'. However, the buildings themselves are clearly much more recent in date, the tablet having been rescued from a previous, now demolished structure.

ST. MARY ELMS, IPSWICH PARISH RECORDS
Book  FB 104/L1/37  1756-1906
These documents are held at Suffolk Record Office, Ipswich Branch
Supplementary information: See Library Catalogues Ipswich 362.5 St Mary Elm
Contents:
Containing:- Copy of Anne Smith's will, 1756.
Copy of scheme for regulation of charity, 1756.
Copy of rules and orders for almshouses, 1759, made 1848.
Notice of opening of almshouses, 1765.
Elections of inhabitants, 1773-1889.
List of inhabitants of Mrs Smith's Almshouses, 1765-1906 extracted from FB 104/L1/37

Plan of north front of Smith's almshouses in St. Mary Elms's parish  FB 104/L1/38  nd.. (18th century)
Plan; Smyth's Almshouses?  FB 104/L1/39  n.d. (18th century)
Book containing copies of rules and orders concerning Smith's Almshouses in St. Mary Elms parish  FB 104/L1/40  1759
Smyth's Charity Account Book  FB 104/L1/41  1778-1791
Statement of accounts of Mrs. Smith's Charity  FB 104/L1/42  1802-3
Agreement between Benjamin Batley Catt and Trustees of Smith's almshouses in St. Mary Elms  FB 104/L1/43  1808
Envelope  FB 104/L1/44  1766; 1828
Draft instructions  FB 104/L1/45  1833
Part of final concord  FB 104/L1/46  16th century

(NB: There is mention in adjacent documents of: "Bundle of papers concerning legacy for almshouses made in Mrs. Ann Smyth's will in 1729".)