GRANBY

CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS

Church Post Code NG13 9PX

Continuing the look at the Vale of Belvoir Angel gravestones in the church grounds at Granby.

The gravestone to James Liivesley is an interesting one. Nothing particularly remarkable about the stone itself; but it is interesting that the face of the angel itself has been erased. The rest of the angel is unaffected. This looks to be deliberate damage at some point over the years.

There are a few such as this. There is a theory that this was a deliberate act by someone of a more puritan outlook who objected to the subject matter. If this is the case though, why just the one defaced with the rest untouched?

This stone reads 'James ye son of Ben Lievesley of Sutton died Jan ye 1st 1724 in the 27th year of his age'

'Also Ben Lievesley died Mar ye 7th 1724 He lived at Sutton and died in the 59th year of his age'

'Death crops ye flower ye blossom and ye bud Happy in youth and age whose lives are good'

Here we have father and son passing away within a little over two months of each other. As it says across the top of this gravestone 'Be Ye Ready'

The stone to two children of the Marriott family is a glorious affair. Two angels look out from the top of the stone, a simple heart symbol between the two.

The script on this stone is beautifully carved; but there are still spacing issues, with the ages of the two fitted in underneath with much smaller lettering!

'John the son of John Marriott by Martha his wife died July 11th 1723 in the 2nd year of his age'

Also Robert the son of John Marriott by Martha his wife died March ye 1st 1723 age 2 weeks

Near this stone two babes do lie who both dy'd in their infancy Short was their race long is their rest God takes them soon who he loves best For of such is the kingdom of heaven Come Ye Blessed

For of such is the kingdom of heaven comes from Matthew chapter 19 verse 14 and is part of Jesus' response to His disciples when they try and stop some children from coming to Him. This is often used on the gravestones for small children.

The angel on the stone to one Katherine Moore appears to be scowling. This stone has some damage to the top, both wings are affected a little and some of the angel's curly locks of hair have gone!

Errors in text are evident here again with the words 'she died' having been missed out and added in small lettering above the line.

It reads ' Here lies the body of Katherine the wife of Robert Moore she died Mar ye 1st 1723 her age 63 years

'She loved peace and quietness who here interred lies her reward is eternal peace above the starry skies'.

'Remember Thy End' is carved across the gravestone to Elizabeth Orson. Her stone reads

'Here lies the body of Eliz the wife of Willm Orson she departed this life March ye 19th Anno Dom 1719 aged 57 years'

'Pale death will hardly find another so good a wife so kind a mother In all her actions so discreet as she who lies here at your feet'.

At the foot of the grave it says 'All ye days of my appointed time I shall wait till my change comes'.

In all likelihood the term 'Pale Death' comes from Revelation Chapter 6, the first part of verse 9 where it says 'And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death'.

This was the fourth horseman of the apocalypse and it has been suggested that the colour of this horse was like the sickly pallor of a corpse!

The gravestone to William Orston is of the very highest quality. Carved across the top is 'Blessed Are The Dead Who Die In The Lord' with the Bible reference, Revelation Chapter 14 verse 15 helpfully added at the side.

This is a double angel gravestone, with 'Be Ye Ready' enclosed within a heart in between the two.

The first five lines of script below the angels are carved in relief; the background is carved from around the lettering, leaving the lettering standing proud of the stone. It must have taken many hours to carve this stone. A great skill!

It reads (carved in relief) 'Here lies the body of William Orston Senr who died December the 10th 1728 aged 81 years

'With conscience pure I hope to see his face and rise again to glorifie his grace'

It continues (not in relief) 'Here lies also the body of Sarah the daughter of William Orston by Sarah his wife It died in its infancy'

'Short was her race long is her rest God takes them soon who he loves best'.

In the very 'busy' area to the south of the church, the gravestones are many. A Belvoir Angel peers out from between two larger stones.

'Here lies the body of Robert Peet he died June the 4th 1724 aged 42 years'

Unusually, the angel here is not at the top of the stone but under the details of the deceased. The angel here looks a little sad, and has a heart symbol on either side.

The inscription continues 'Work thy salvation out with care and fear that thou with joy maist meet thy saviour dear Blessed are ye dead who die in ye Lord'.

The hourglass and crossed bones on the gravestone to Anne Pritchet, remind the onlooker in symbol form that Man is mortal and will die.

This one is inscribed 'Here lies the body of Anne the wife of Richard Pritchet she died Aust 9th 1723 her age 47 years'

The inscription underneath her details talks of sudden death...

'All you who doth behold my stone pray think how quickly I was gone Death does not always warning give therefore be carefull how you live My body soon is laid in dust waiting the rising of the just'.

The same message is passed over on a nearby stone, carved by a different mason. In this one death, in the form of a skeleton gets ready to throw an arrow at a luckless victim! Death could come suddenly!

The hour glass and crossed bones are present on the stone to Sarah Rick as well; the words across the top are different though 'Watch and Pray'

'Here lies the body of Sarah the dear child of John and Sarah Rick who departed this life the 31st day of April 1721 in the 3rd year of her age'

'Short was her race long is her rest God takes his choyc who he loves best'.

The stone to Mary Riley is quite weathered and hard to read; this one also tells a sad story, with the mother and two young children passing away within two months of each other.

'Here lies the body of Mary the wife of Tho Riley She died Aug ye 27th 1724 aged 40 years'

'Also Henry the son of Tho and Mary Riley died Oct ye 9th 1724 aged 7 years'

'Also Mary ye daughter of Tho & Mary aforesaid died Oct 14th 1724 aged 5 years'

'Blessed are they that in the Lord they die from their labours they rest eternally'

I struggled to photograph the front of the gravestone to William Rick. It was obscured by another leaning stone and vegetation. The inscription on the front is recorded though as being...

'Here lies the body of William the dear child of George Rick by Cassandra his wife he died April the 24th 1710 in the 11th year of his age'

The reverse of this stone does have an inscription though which reads 'Though death has parted you and I our bodys to dust must turn I hope that we shall meet again you have no cause to mourn dear parents do not grieve for me but cheer upnow your heart and strive that you may come to me where death shall no more part'.

A small Belvoir Angel stone, faded and a little sunk in to the ground is to Elizabeth Flower. This one reads

'Here lies ye body of Eliz ye wife of William Flower of Barnston who departed this life Sept 21st 1727 in ye (left blank) year of her age'

'A loving husband and a virtous wife here lies confined both to leave this life And tho their bodys they return to dust their souls I hope are dwelling with the just'

The one that I missed has the following recorded...

'Here lies the body of Robert Willomet who departed this life Nov the 21st 1722 aged 84 years'

'Spectators all who ere you be see that you live and die as he Loe here he is laid in the dust waiting the rising with the just As we'll be judged so must we all when God almity pleased to call'