Gravestone Poems in St Alban's Churchyard

Death was a was a far more obvious event back in the 19th century.
Funerals would have been almost a daily occurrence and gravestones a smore sinificant memory of often short lives.
Belief in God was so much more deep in an age where life was far more insecure.
The alarming child mortality rate is very obvious even amongst this small survey (although there are a few remarkably old people too).
The tragic spirit of all this is summed up in the strangely delightful poems that occur on many of the gravestones.
Many of the stones are not in good condition and so it is worth recording some of the poems here.
  

Mary Ann Masser - d 22nd May 1849 aged 11
Rhoda Masser - d 27th May 1850 aged 9
  
The toilsome way you've travelled
and bore a heavy load
But Christ hath caught your languid feet
to reach that blest abode
  
You're sleeping now like Lazarus
upon his Father's breast
Where the wicked cease troubling
and the weary are at rest
Harriet Trowell - d 11th April 1884 aged 22
  
We shall sleep but not forever
in the lone and silent grave
blessed be the Lord that taketh
blessed be the Lord that gave
Elizabeth Bell - d 24th November 1904 aged 76
  
Her languishing head is at rest
her thinking and aching are over
her quite immovable breast
is heaved by affliction no more

 
Emma Sowden - d 17th July 1868 aged 28
  
Well dear husband my life is past
Your love was true until the last
morn not for me, no sorrow take
but love my offspring for may sake
  
Mary Ann Sowden - d 9th February 1870 aged 6 years 8 months
  Thomas Sowden - d 2nd March 1870 aged 3 years 8 months
  
  God did quickly these buds to heaven convey
to make them blossom there.
 
John Warcup - d 28th September 1864 aged 30 years
  
Here lies the mouldering clay 
of him who we still love
whose happy spirit fled away
to brighter world above
George Dunn - d 8th April 1862 aged 7
Mary Roberts Spetch - d 9th April 1862 aged 13
  
We loved them truly here
we trust He loved them more
who summoned them so soon
to the eternal shore
John Aveson - d 1st Feb 1836 aged 91 (b 1745)
  
He saw his children's children around him stand
and left the world content at Heaven's command
he sleeps in Jesus to await the hour
when death shall own the deathless saviour's power
Peter Dunn - d 14th November 1805 aged 74 (b 1731)
  

Cease my friends your lamentation
boundless mercy set me free
I hope in Christ to find salvation
tis a Saviour pleads for me
Frances Hobson - d 13th March 1887 aged 95 (b 1792)
  

Where all their toils are o'er
their suffering and their pain
who meet on that eternal shore
shall never part again
Joseph Braimbridge - d 16th July 1846 aged 50
(click here for a family tree of the Braimbridge family)
  

The truth long slighted
let those ashes teach
tho' cold instruct you
and tho's silent preach


  
     
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