Sterne Family

The Sterne family of Hertfordshire are not documented well in the history of Belchamp Walter. In fact the evidence of the connection could be called into question.

Not a lot have been documented on the Raymond family before came to Belchamp Walter. We

Coat of arms

The Sterne coat of arms is certainly documented in that it apears on the Raymond Memorial in St. Mary's and on a crest on the South-East wall of the tower. While it has been noted that the creasts have been wrongly painted (BHO I think) it is not stated what the error was.

The Raymond memorial was commissioned around 1720 and I am suspicious that the sculptor was asked to include the family crest on it. The family connection to the Sterne family may or may not have been known to the sculptor, Robert Taylor and he may have made an assumsion that the Sterns arms was the one to use. However, the Belchamp Hall website, administered for the current Raymond family features on the Raymond crest and not the combined Raymond Sterne arms.