Curious Epitaphs Part 10

But ah! Death came, worn out and full of years, He died in peace, mourn'd by his offsprings' tears.

"Let us run with patience the race that is set before us."

In the churchyard of Ecclesfield, may be read the following epitaph:--

In memory of THOMAS RIDGE, the Ecclesfield huntsman, who died 13th day of January, 1871, Aged 77 years.

Though fond of sport, devoted of the chase, And with his fellow-hunters first in place, He always kept the Lord's appointed day, Never from church or Sunday-school away.

And now his body rests beneath the sod, His soul relying in the love of G.o.d.

Of the many epitaphs on sportsmen to be seen in Nottinghams.h.i.+re, we cull a few of the choicest. Our first is a literal copy from a weather-worn stone in Eakring churchyard, placed to the memory of Henry Cartwright, senior keeper to his Grace the Duke of Kingston for fifty-five years, who died February 13th, 1773, aged eighty years, ten months, and three weeks:--

My gun discharged, my ball is gone My powder's spent, my work is done, those panting deer I have left behind, May now have time to Gain their wind, Who I have oft times Cha.s.s'd them ore the burial Plains, but now no more.

We next present particulars of a celebrated deer-stealer. According to a notice furnished in the "Nottingham Date Book," the deeds of Tom Booth were for many years after his death a never-failing subject of conversational interest in Nottingham. It is stated that no modern deer-stealer was anything like so popular. Thorsby relates one exploit as follows:--"In Nottingham Park, at one time, was a favourite fine deer, a chief ranger, on which Tom and his wily companions had often cast their eyes; but how to deceive the keeper while they killed it was a task of difficulty. The night, however, in which they accomplished their purpose--whether by any settled plan or not is not known--they found the keeper at watch, as usual, in a certain place in the park. One of them, therefore, went in an opposite direction in the park, and fired his gun to make the keeper believe he had shot a deer; upon which away goes the keeper, in haste, to the spot, which was at a very considerable distance from the place where the favourite deer was, and near which Tom Booth was skulking. Tom, waiting a proper time, when he thought the keeper at a sufficient distance for accomplis.h.i.+ng his purpose, fired and killed the deer, and dragged it through the river Leen undiscovered." Booth was a stout man, and by trade a whitesmith. The stone marking the place of his interment is still in good preservation, and stands in St. Nicholas'

burial-ground, against the southern wall of the church. It bears the following inscription:

Here lies a marksman, who with art and skill, When young and strong, fat bucks and does did kill.

Now conquered by grim Death (go, reader, tell it!) He's now took leave of powder, gun, and pellet.

A fatal dart, which in the dark did fly, Has laid him down, among the dead to lie.

If any want to know the poor slave's name, 'Tis old TOM BOOTH,--ne'er ask from whence he came.

Old Tom was so highly pleased with the epitaph, which was written before his death, that he had it engraved on the stone some months before its services were required. In addition to the epitaph itself, the head-stone was made to include Booth's name, etc., and also that of his wife, blank places being left in each case for the age and time of death. Booth's compartment of the stone was in due course properly filled up; but the widow, disliking the exhibition of her name on a tombstone while living, resolved that such stone should never indicate her resting-place when dead; she accordingly left an injunction that her body be interred elsewhere, and the inscription is incomplete to this day.

Some time before Amos Street, a celebrated Yorks.h.i.+re huntsman, died, a stone was obtained, and on it engraved the following lines:--

This is to the memory of OLD AMOS, Who was when alive for hunting famous; But now his chases are all o'er And here he's earth'd, of years four score.

Upon this tomb he's often sat And tried to read his epitaph; And thou who dost so at this moment Shall ere long like him be dormant.

Poor "Old Amos" pa.s.sed away on October 3rd, 1777, and was buried in Birstal churchyard. The foregoing inscription may still be read.

The Rev. R. H. Whitworth tells us: "There is an old monument in the south aisle of Blidworth Church, to the memory of Thomas Leake, Esq., who was killed at Blidworth Rocking, in A.D. 1598. He may be regarded as the last of the race who sat in Robin Hood's seat, if those restless Forest Chiefs, typified under that name, can be supposed ever to have sat at all. Leake held office under the Crown, but was as wild a freebooter as ever drew bow. His character is portrayed in his epitaph:--

Here rests T. LEAKE, whose vertues weere so knowne In all these parts that this engraved stone Needs navght relate bvt his vntimely end Which was in single fight: wylst youth did lend His ayde to valor, hee wth ease orepast Many slyght dangers, greater then this last Bvt willfvlle fate in these things governs all Hee towld ovt threescore years before his fall Most of wch tyme he wasted in this wood Mvch of his wealth and last of all his blood.

The border of this monument is rudely panelled, each panel having some forest hunting subject in relief. There are hounds getting scent, and a hound pursuing an antlered stag; a hunting horn, ribboned; plunging and flaying knives, a crossbow, a forest-bow, two arrows, and two hunters'

belts with arrows inserted. This is his register--

THOMAS LEAKE, esquire, buried the 4th February, 1598.

There is a captivating bit of romance connected with Leake's death, which occurred at Archer's Water. Although somewhat 'provectus in aetate,' he had won the affections of the landlady's daughter, much to the annoyance of the mother. Archer's Water was on the old driftroad by Blidworth, from Edinburgh to London, that by which Jeanie Deans travelled, and over which d.i.c.k Turpin rode. Hundreds of thousands of Scotch cattle went by this way to town, and there was a difficulty connected with a few of them in which Leake was concerned, and a price being set upon his head, his mother-in-law, that was to be, betrayed him to two young soldiers anxious to secure the reward, one of whom was, in the mother's eyes, the more favoured lover. Tom was always attended by two magnificent dogs, and went well armed. Thrown off his guard he left his dogs in an outhouse, and entering the inn laid aside his weapons, when he was set upon and overpowered, and, like many better men before him, slain. The name of a Captain Salmond of the now extinct parish or manor of Salterford is connected with this transaction. The date of the combat is 2nd February, being the festival of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, with which the highly interesting and historical observance of Blidworth _Rocking_ is connected. Within the memory of living men, a baby decked with such flowers as the season afforded was placed in a cradle and carried about from house to house by an old man, who received a present on the occasion. As the church is dedicated to St. Mary in connection with the Purification, the 2nd of February being the Feast Day, this is probably an interesting reminiscence of some old species of Miracle Play, or observance connected with the foundation. Anciently people from all neighbouring counties used to attend this season. Forest games were played, and amid the attendant licence and confusion, Leake came to his last grief. Not only in this church does this Ranger of the Blidworth Wood, for this was his office, possess a memorial. A large cross was erected, now standing at Fountain Dale, thus inscribed:--

Hoc crucis fragmen Traditum a sylvicolis monumentum Loci ubi in singulari certamine Gladiator ille insignis THO. LEAKE Mori occubui Anno MDXCVIII.

Ab antiqua sede remotum H. P. C.

Joannes Downall Prid. Non s.e.xt. MDCCCx.x.xVI.

What became of the daughter tradition sayeth not. Doubtless she died, as Tom Leake's intended bride ought, of grief, and was buried under some grand old oak in Blidworth Forest."

Let us direct attention to another cla.s.s of sportsmen. At Bunney, a monument is erected to Sir Thomas Parkyns, the well-known wrestler. It bears four lines in Latin, which have been translated thus:--

At length he falls, the long contest's o'er, And Time has thrown whom none e'er threw before; Yet boast not (Time) thy victory, for he At last shall rise again and conquer thee.

The next is copied from a stone in St. Michael's churchyard, Coventry, on a famous fencing master:--

To the memory of Mr. JOHN PARKES, A native of this City He was a man of mild disposition, A Gladiator by profession; Who after having fought 350 battles, In the princ.i.p.al parts of Europe, With honour and applause, At length quitted the stage, sheathed his sword, And with Christian resignation, Submitted to the Grand Victor In the 52nd year of his age Anno Domini 1733.

An old stone bearing the foregoing inscription was replaced by a new one some years ago at the expense of the late S. Carter, Esq., formerly Member of Parliament for Coventry. In the pages of the _Spectator_ honourable mention is made of John Parkes.

In the churchyard of Hanslope is buried Sandy M'Kay, the Scottish giant, who was killed in a prize fight with Simon Byrne. A headstone bears the following inscription:--

Sacred to the memory of ALEX. M'KAY, (Late of Glasgow), Who died 3rd June, 1834, Aged 26 years.

Strong and athletic was my frame; Far from my native home I came, And manly fought with Simon Byrne; Alas! but lived not to return.

Reader, take warning of my fate, Lest you should rue your case too late; If you ever have fought before, Determine now to fight no more.

We are informed that Byrne was killed shortly afterwards, whilst engaged in fighting.

From the prize-ring let us turn to the more satisfactory amus.e.m.e.nt of cricket. In Highgate Cemetery, Lillywhite, the celebrated cricketer, is buried, and over his remains is placed a monument with the significant emblem of a wicket being upset with a ball.

The following lines are said to be copied from a tombstone in a cemetery near Salisbury:--

I bowl'd, I struck, I caught, I stopp'd, Sure life's a game of cricket, I blocked with care, with caution popp'd, Yet Death has. .h.i.t my wicket.

The tennis ball is introduced in an epitaph placed in St. Michael's Church, Coventry. It reads thus:--

Here lyes the Body of Captain GERVASE SCROPE, of the Family of Scropes, of Bolton, in the County of York, who departed this life the 26th day of August, Anno Domini, 1705.

AN EPITAPH WRITTEN BY HIMSELF IN THE AGONY AND DOLOROUS PAINES OF THE GOUT, AND DYED SOON AFTER.

Here lies an Old Toss'd Tennis Ball, Was Racketted from Spring to Fall With so much heat, and so much hast, Time's arm (for shame) grew tyr'd at last, Four Kings in Camps he truly seru'd, And from his Loyalty ne'r sweru'd.

Father ruin'd, the Son slighted, And from the Crown ne'r requited, Loss of Estate, Relations, Blood, Was too well Known, but did no good, With long Campaigns and paines of th' Govt, He cou'd no longer hold it out: Always a restless life he led, Never at quiet till quite dead, He marry'd in his latter dayes, One who exceeds the com'on praise, But wanting breath still to make Known Her true Affection and his Own, Death kindly came, all wants supply'd By giuing Rest which life deny'd.

We conclude this cla.s.s of epitaphs with a couple of piscatorial examples.

The first is from the churchyard of Hythe:--

His net old fisher George long drew, Shoals upon shoals he caught, 'Till Death came hauling for his due, And made poor George his draught.

Death fishes on through various shapes, In vain it is to fret; Nor fish nor fisherman escapes Death's all-enclosing net.

In the churchyard of Great Yarmouth, under date of 1769, an epitaph runs thus:--

Here lies doomed, In this vault so dark, A soldier weaver, _angler_, and clerk; Death s.n.a.t.c.hed him hence, and from him took His gun, his shuttle, fish-rod, and hook, He could not weave, nor fish, nor fight, so then He left the world, and faintly cried--Amen.

Baccha.n.a.lian Epitaphs.

Some singular epitaphs are to be found over the remains of men who either manufactured, dispensed, or loved the social gla.s.s. In the churchyard of Newhaven, Suss.e.x, the following may be seen on the grave of a brewer:--