UNUSUAL EPITAPHS 6

 

 

 

 

These are  some interesting ancient gravestones

Roman family
 

 

 A Roman tombstone was found by workmen in 1867 whilst digging foundations of a chapel
in The Grove at Ilkley in West Yorkshire. It shows a family group wearing clothing of the northwest Roman Provinces. A blank panel at the base probably bore an inscription.
The stone is now preserved in The Manor House Museum ast Ilkley.

 

 

 

 

A Roman family

 

 

Roman noble woman


Another Roman tombstone, also preserved in the Ilkley Museum has a self excplanatory note :

 

 

 

A  Saxon  gravestone

 

A well preserved gravestone, over 1100 years old, was found embedded in the north wall of All Hallows Church at Whitchurch in Hampshire in 1868 during restoration work.    The stone dates to C900 and the inscription across the top reads :

‘ HIE CORPU FRIDBURGAE REQUIESCIT IN PACE SEPULTUM

(Here the body of Frithburge reposes. Buried in peace.)

The Saxon female name of Frithburge means  ‘Pledge of Peace.’

Medieval gravestone



This interesting gravestone can be seen in the churchyard at the fine Saxon church
at Escombe, County Durham.

      

 

 

 

 

 

An 18th century memorial stone

 

An interesting memorial stone can be seen inside Dornoch Cathedral in Scotland.  Nicely carved, it seems to commemorate husband and wife.  Their initials are divided by two hearts and is dated 1790.  Various symbols are carved underneath which include a bell to announce their deaths;  a coffin; a spade to dig the grave and crossed bones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and finally spomething humerous from the States :

 

Old Cemeteries A truly Happy Person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour. And, one who can enjoy browsing old cemeteries... Some fascinating things on old tombstones! ############# Harry Edsel Smith of Albany, New York: Born 1903--Died 1942. Looked up the elevator shaft to see if the car was on the way down. It was. ============================= In a Thurmont, Maryland , cemetery: Here lies an Atheist, all dressed up and no place to go. ============================= On the grave of Ezekial Aikle in East Dalhousie Cemetery, Nova Scotia: Here lies Ezekial Aikle, Age 102. Only the good die young. ============================= In a London , England cemetery: Here lies Ann Mann, who lived an old maid but died an old Mann. Dec. 8, 1767 ============================= In a Ribbesford, England , cemetery: Anna Wallace The children of Israel wanted bread, And the Lord sent them manna. Clark Wallace wanted a wife, And the Devil sent him Anna. =============================== In a Ruidoso, New Mexico , cemetery: Here lies Johnny Yeast. Pardon him for not rising. =============================== In a Uniontown, Pennsylvania , cemetery: Here lies the body of Jonathan Blake, Stepped on the gas instead of the brake. ============================== In a Silver City , Nevada , cemetery: Here lays The Kid, We planted him raw. He was quick on the trigger, But slow on the draw. ================================ A lawyer's epitaph in England : Sir John Strange. Here lies an honest lawyer, and that is Strange. ================================= John Penny's epitaph in the Wimborne, England , cemetery: Reader, if cash thou art in want of any, Dig 6 feet deep and thou wilt find a Penny. ================================== In a cemetery in Hartscombe , England : On the 22nd of June, Jonathan Fiddle went out of tune. ================================== Anna Hopewell's grave in Enosburg Falls , Vermont : Here lies the body of our Anna, Done to death by a banana. It wasn't the fruit that laid her low, But the skin of the thing that made her go. ================================== On a grave from the 1880s in Nantucket , Massachusetts : Under the sod and under the trees, Lies the body of Jonathan Pease. He is not here, there's only the pod, Pease shelled out and went to God. ================================== In a cemetery in England: Remember man, as you walk by, As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so shall you be, Remember this and follow me. To which someone replied by writing on the tombstone: To follow you I'll not consent, Until I know which way you went.