Part 6 (1/2)

There are many instances in which the implements of his craft are depicted upon an artizan's tohteenth century In the churchyard at Cobhae made faravestone recording the death of a carpenter, having at the head a shi+eld bearing three compasses to serve as his crest, and under it the usual tools of his trade--square, imlet, plane, and two-foot rule

FIG 56--AT COBHAM, KENT

”To Richard Gransden, carpenter, died 13th March, 1760”

This one may serve as a fair sample of all the trade memorials to which carpenters have been, before all classes of s bear the sa reseravestones, but have occasional variations, as in the following specirotesquely the emblems of death and eternity with thetherein a coffin lid to shewa carpenter, was also an undertaker

FIG 57--AT BARNES

”To Henry Mitchell, died 1724, aged 72 years”

It was only to be expected that the prouratively represented on their gravestones, and this will be found to be the case in a nu illustration is from the churchyard of Frindsbury, a short distance out of Rochester and on the edge of the Medway meadows

FIG 58--AT FRINDSBURY

The inscription is effaced, but the date appears to be 1751

The overturned sheaf presumably refers metaphorically to the fate of the farmer whom the stone was set up to cole profile, but is not an ineffective eh bore at one time some inscribed words which time has obliterated

[Illustration: FIG 58 FRINDSBURY]

[Illustration: FIG 59 SUTTON AT HONE]

[Illustration: FIG 60 BROMLEY]

[Illustration: FIG 61 BECKENHAM]

The design invented by the sculptor at Sutton at Hone, near Dartford, is less original and also less striking

FIG 59--AT SUTTON AT HONE

”To Richard Northfield, died Oct 19, 1767, aged 71 years”

In the case of John Bone, bricklayer, of Bro to associate with his calling the tools engraved on his headstone They were probably meant with the rest of the picture to represent the emblems of mortality

FIG 60--AT BROMLEY

”To John Bone, Bricklayer, died Dec 14, 1794, aged 48 years”

There is, however, one stone which h its subject was not a mechanic Mr John Cade was a schoolmaster at Beckenham, and appears to have been well liked by his pupils, hen he prerave The e are displayed upon the stone, and below are the lines hereinafter set forth

FIG 61--AT BECKENHAM

”To the memory of John Cade, of this parish, schoolenuity As he lived universally beloved, so he died as ed 35 years Several of his scholars, ratitude, at their own expense erected this in reood nature, learning, all combined To render him belov'd of human kind”

Greenford, near Harrow-on-the-Hill, had quite recently a worthy inhabitant as a gardener and presuly a beehive appropriately decorates his gravestone