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11th Century Tympanum, The Church of St George, Dorchester, Dorset, England |
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The reset south doorway is of the 11th century and has moulded jambs and three-sided head; the stones forming the head are sculpured in low releif, above the moulding, with a battle scene including a central mounted figure of St George, nimbed and holding a lance with a pennon bearing his cross; before him he tranfixes one foe and others lie dead; behind him are two foe,(? see below) kneeling and with hands raised in supplication. The saint is unarmed except for his lance, the other figures are armed and wear conical helmets with nasel; the oval-pointed shields are carried on guiges; the spears are comparatively short. The subject is said to be Saint George at Antioch. (Royal Commission on Historial Monuments Vol. 11 South East, part 1, p.111) From a notice in this porch we learn: "The Tympanum over this entranc is of great antiquity and may have been given to the church by William Belet, who was rewarded with the Manor of Fordington by William the Conqueror. It is recorded that Saint George came to the assistance of Crusaders on both the 1st and 3rd Crusades. If Belet went on the 1st Crusade it would seem that he was being hard pressed by Saracens at the battle of Dorylaeum in 1097 when St. George came to his aid. He and his squire have fallen on their knees in thankfulness. There are some small differences in the armour of the two groups" At this time, Fordington was the principal centre of the Saint Georges hundred (a medieval administrative area) and the early Norman church on this site together with a smaller church at Piddletrentide were built by Norman stone masons to show the local craftmen who a church should be built. The Belets were a family of influence. Nearby, to the west of Fordington between West Stafford and Woodford was Frome Belet. In the early thirteenth century John Belet, the last of the male line, died and by order of King John in 1204, his wife was required to marry Randolf Tirell. "Know that we have given in marriage to Randolf Tirell, our servant, a daughter of Falk de Oiri, who was the wife of J Belet, and we command her that she receive him as her husband ". After this event, the settlement of Frome Belet fell into disuse. King John was not without his problems at this time following his excommunication by Pope Innocent 111, for more of which visit Puddletown |