Curious Epitaphs Part 21

Here lieth He ould Jeremy who hath eight times maried been but now in his ould age he lies in his cage under the gra.s.s so green which JEREMIAH SIMP- SON departed this Life in the 84 yeare of his age in the year of our Lord 1719.

According to "Shropshire Folk-Lore" (published 1883), Edward Burton, of Longner, Shrewsbury, died in 1558, and in the garden of Longner Hall is a plain altar-tomb, dated 1614. He was a zealous Protestant, and died suddenly of excitement on hearing Shrewsbury bells ring for the accession of Queen Elizabeth. The minister of St. Chad's Church, Shrewsbury, refused to permit his body to be buried there; it was therefore taken home again and laid in his garden:--

Was't for denying Christ, or some notorious fact, That this man's body Christian burial lackt?

Oh no; his faithful true profession Was the chief cause, what then was held transgression.

When Pop'ry here did reign, the See of Rome Would not admit to any such, a tomb Within their Idol Temple Walls, but he, Truly professing Christianity, Was like Christ Jesus in a garden laid, Where he shall rest in peace till it be said, "Come, faithful servant, come, receive with Me, A just reward of thy integrity."

Mr. J. Potter Briscoe favours us with an account of a Nottingham character, and a copy of his epitaph. Vincent Eyre was by trade a needle-maker, and was a firm and consistent Tory in politics, taking an active interest in all the party struggles of the period. His good nature and honesty made him popular among the poorer cla.s.ses, with whom he chiefly a.s.sociated. A commendable trait in his character is worthy of special mention, namely, that, notwithstanding frequent temptations, he spurned to take a bribe from anyone. In the year 1727 an election for a Member of Parliament took place, and all the ardour of Vin's nature was at once aroused in the interests of his favourite party. The Tory candidate, Mr. Borlase Warren, was opposed by Mr. John Plumtree, the Whig nominee, and, in the heat of the excitement, Vin emphatically declared that he should not mind dying immediately if the Tories gained the victory. Strange to relate, such an event actually occurred, for when the contest and the "chairing" of the victor was over, he fell down dead with joy, September 6th, 1727. The epitaph upon him is as follows:--

Here lies VIN EYRE; Let fall a tear For one true man of honour; No courtly lord, Who breaks his word, Will ever be a mourner.

In freedom's cause He stretched his jaws, Exhausted all his spirit, Then fell down dead.

It must be said He was a man of merit.

Let Freemen be As brave as he, And vote without a guinea; VIN EYRE is hurled To t'other world, And ne'er took bribe or penny.

True to his friend, to helpless parent kind, He died in honour's cause, to interest blind.

Why should we grieve life's but an airy toy?

We vainly weep for him who died of joy.

The following lines to the memory of Thomas Stokes are from his gravestone in Burton churchyard, upon which a profile of his head is cut. He for many years swept the roads in Burton:--

This stone was raised by Subscription to the memory of THOMAS STOKES, an eccentric, but much respected, Deaf and Dumb man, better known by the name of "DUMB TOM,"

who departed this life Feb. 25th, 1837, aged 54 years.

What man can pause and charge this senseless dust With fraud, or subtilty, or aught unjust?

How few can conscientiously declare Their acts have been as honourably fair?

No gilded bait, no heart ensnaring need Could bribe poor STOKES to one dishonest deed.

Firm in attachment to his friends most true-- Though Deaf and Dumb, he was excell'd by few.

Go ye, by nature form'd without defect, And copy Tom, and gain as much respect.

Next we deal with an instance of pure affection. The churchyard of the Yorkshire village of Bowes contains the grave of two lovers, whose touching fate suggested Mallet's beautiful ballad of "Edwin and Emma."

The real names of the couple were Rodger Wrightson and Martha Railton. The story is rendered with no less accuracy than pathos by the poet:--

Far in the windings of the vale, Fast by a sheltering wood, The safe retreat of health and peace, A humble cottage stood.

There beauteous Emma flourished fair, Beneath a mother's eye; Whose only wish on earth was now To see her blest and die.

Long had she filled each youth with love, Each maiden with despair, And though by all a wonder owned, Yet knew not she was fair.

Till Edwin came, the pride of swains, A soul devoid of art; And from whose eyes, serenely mild, Shone forth the feeling heart.

We are told that Edwin's father and sister were bitterly opposed to their love. The poor youth pined away. When he was dying Emma was permitted to see him, but the cruel sister would scarcely allow her to bid him a word of farewell. Returning home, she heard the pa.s.sing bell toll for the death of her lover--

Just then she reached, with trembling step, Her aged mother's door-- "He's gone!" she cried, "and I shall see That angel face no more!"

"I feel, I feel this breaking heart Beat high against my side"-- From her white arm down sunk her head; She, shivering, sighed, and died.

The lovers were buried the same day and in the same grave. In the year 1848, Dr. F. Dinsdale, F.S.A., editor of the "Ballads and Songs of David Mallet," etc., erected a simple but tasteful monument to the memory of the lovers, bearing the following inscription:--

RODGER WRIGHTSON, junr., and MARTHA RAILTON, both of Bowes; buried in one grave. He died in a fever, and upon tolling of his pa.s.sing bell, she cry'd out My heart is broken and in a few hours expired, purely thro' love, March 15, 1714-15. Such is the brief and touching record contained in the parish register of burials. It has been handed down by unvarying tradition that the grave was at the west end of the church, directly beneath the bells. The sad history of these true and faithful lovers forms the subject of Mallet's pathetic ballad of "Edwin and Emma."[5]

In Middleton Tyas Church, near Richmond, is the following:--

This Monument rescues from Oblivion the Remains of the Reverend JOHN MAWER, D.D., Late vicar of this Parish, who died Nov. 18, 1763, aged 60.

As also of HANNAH MAWER, his wife, who died Dec. 20th, 1766, aged 72.

Buried in this Chancel.

They were persons of eminent worth.

The Doctor was descended from the Royal Family of Mawer, and was inferior to none of his ill.u.s.trious ancestors in personal merit, being the greatest Linguist this Nation ever produced.

He was able to speak & write twenty-two Languages, and particularly excelled in the Eastern Tongues, in which he proposed to His Royal Highness Frederick Prince of Wales, to whom he was firmly attached, to propagate the Christian Religion in the Abyssinian Empire; a great and n.o.ble Design, which was frustrated by the Death of that amiable Prince; to the great mortification of this excellent Person, whose merit meeting with no reward in this world, will, it's to be hoped, receive it in the next, from that Being which Justice only can influence.

Miscellaneous Epitaphs.

We bring together under this heading a number of specimens that we could not include in the foregoing chapters of cla.s.sified epitaphs.

An epitaph on a bra.s.s in the south aisle of Barton Church, in Norfolk, is notable as being one of the oldest in existence in English, such memorials being usually in Latin at the period from which it dates. The inscription is as follows:--

Here are laid under this stone in the cley THOMAS AMYS and his wyffe MARGERY.

Sometime we were, as you now be, And as we be, after this so shall ye.

Of the good as G.o.d had, the said Thomas lent, Did make this chapel of a good intent.

Wherefore they desire of you that be To pray for them to the last eternity.

I beseach all people far and ner To pray for me THOMAS AMYS heartily, Which gave a mesbooke and made this chapel here, And a suit of blew damask also gave I.

Of G.o.d 1511 and 5 yere I the said Thomas deceased verily, And the 4th day of August was buried here, On whose soul G.o.d have mercy.

In the churchyard of Stanton Harcourt is a gravestone bearing the following inscription:--

Near this place lie the bodies of JOHN HEWET and MARY DREW, an industrious young Man and virtuous Maiden of this Parish; Who, being at Harvest Work (with several others) were in one instant killed by Lightning the last day of July 1718.

Think not, by rig'rous Judgment seiz'd, A Pair so faithful could expire; Victims so pure Heav'n saw well pleas'd, And s.n.a.t.c.h'd them in celestial fire.

Live well, and fear no sudden fate; When G.o.d calls Virtue to the grave, Alike 'tis Justice soon or late, Mercy alike to kill or save.

Virtue unmov'd can hear the call, And face the flash that melts the ball.

According to a letter from Gay, the poet, to Fenton, relating the death of the pair, who were lovers, this epitaph was written by Pope, and the memorial erected at the cost of Lord Harcourt on the condition that Gay or Pope should write the epitaph. Gay gives the following as the joint production of the two poets:--

When Eastern lovers feed the fun'ral fire, On the same pile the faithful pair expire: Here pitying Heav'n that virtue mutual found, And blasted both, that it might neither wound.

Hearts so sincere th' Almighty saw well pleas'd, Sent his own lightning, and the victims seiz'd.

"But," wrote Gay, "my Lord is apprehensive the country people will not understand this; and Mr. Pope says he'll make one with something of Scripture in it, and with as little of poetry as Hopkins and Sternhold."

Hence the lines which appear on the tomb of the lovers.

Our next example is from Bury St. Edmunds churchyard:--

Here lies interred the Body of MARY HASELTON, A young maiden of this town, Born of Roman Catholic parents, And virtuously brought up, Who, being in the act of prayer Repeating her vespers, Was instantaneously killed by a flash of Lightning, August 16th, 1785. Aged 9 years.