BINGHAM

CHURCH OF ST MARY & ALL ANGELS

Church Post Code NG13 8DS

There are three Vale of Belvoir Angel gravestones to be found in the church grounds here. Whilst I was photographing the stones here, a couple of people came over to ask what I was doing. They had seen several Belvoir Angels before and wanted to know a little more about them. There is a lot of interest out there!

The first stone here is to Thomas Waites. This one is a bit battered, with a chunk taken out of the top right hand edge as we look at it. The angel is unaffected.

A fairly plain stone to be fair with no symbolism and just two lines of script lower down.

The stone reads 'Here lyeth the body of Thomas Whates who departed this life ye 25th of March 1709 in the 53rd year of his age'

'Remember Man as thou pass by As thou art now so once was I'

A message to the onlooker that Man is mortal and will die; therefore live a good life and trust in God so that you don't get caught short when your time comes. This is exactly the same message that the hour glass and crossed bones symbolism puts over' but just in a different form.

The other stones here are to a mother and son, Mary and William Stevenson; the two stones sitting side by side for 300 years.

Starting off with the mother 'Here lyeth the body of Mary the dear wife of Mr William Stevenson who departed this life ye 26th day of March 1721 in ye 71st year of her age'

Very faded writing across the top reads 'Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” This is from Luke Chapter 10 verse 42.

This gravestone has sunk in to the ground a little and what inscription further down the stone is still visible is difficult to make out.

What I can see appears to say 'In hopes to rise again Interr'd here lies a good mother and a virtuous wife...'

William Stevenson passed away at the age of 21 in 1704; 17 years before his mother.

The hour glass and crossed bones are in their usual positions and part of Revelation Chapter 14 verse 13 is carved across the top 'Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord'.

'Here lyeth the body of William Stevenson the dear son of William Stevenson by Mary his wife he departed this life April 2nd 1704 in the 21st year of his age'

This stone has sunk a little over the years and no inscription is visible lower down the stone. If there was any it is below ground level and lost to us.