An epitaph from Saddleworth, Yorkshire, tells us:—
Here was interred the body of John Broadbent, Sexton, who
departed this life, August 3rd, 1769, in the 73rd year of his age.
Forty-eight years, strange to tell,
He bore the bier and toll’d the bell,
And faithfully discharged his trust,
In “earth to earth” and “dust to dust.”
Cease to lament,
His life is spent,
The grave is still his element;
His old friend Death knew ’twas his sphere,
So kindly laid the sexton here.
At Rothwell, near Leeds, an old sexton is buried in the church porch. A monumental inscription runs thus:—
In memory of Thomas Flockton, Sexton 59 years, buried
23rd day of February, 1783, aged 78 years.
Here lies within this porch so calm,
Old Thomas. Pray sound his knell,
Who thought no song was like a psalm—
No music like a bell.
At Darlington, there is a Latin epitaph over the remains of Richard Preston, which has been freely translated as follows:—
Under this marble are depos’d
Poor Preston’s sad remains.
Alas! too true for light-rob’d jest
To sing in playful strains.
Ye dread possessors of the grave,
Who feed on others’ woe,
Abstain from Richard’s small remains,
And grateful pity shew;
For many a weighty corpse he gave
To you with liberal hand;
Then sure his little body may
Some small respect command.
The gravestone bears the date of 1765.
Further examples might be included, but we have given sufficient to show the varied and curious epitaphs placed to the memory of parish clerks and sextons.