Oxnead Church, tomb of Clement Paston ob. 1597

This watercolour depicts the tomb of Clement Paston (1515/23-1598), in St Michael's church, Oxnead, drawn by the collector and naturalist Reverend James Bulwer. A skilled navigator, Paston was made a naval captain in the reign of Henry VIII and amassed a considerable fortune as both a soldier and a sailor, capturing rich foreign ships and ransoming important hostages. To enhance his status, Clement built himself a magnificent house in north Norfolk, Oxnead Hall, of which one wing remains today. In his will, he asked to be laid to rest at Oxnead Parish Church, and for his and his wife's arms to be engraved onto his tomb. He probably also began the family art collection, which was expanded by his descendants to include treasures and curious from around the world, famously captured in the painting 'The Paston Treasure'.