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EPITAPHS

Peter Isnell

From a tombstone standing in the churchyard of St.Paulinus' Church, Crayford, which is now in the London Borough of Bromley, although formerly in northwest Kent.

Here lieth the Body of
PETER ISNELL
(30 Years CLERK of this PARISH)
He lived respected as a pious and a mirthful Man
And died in his way to Church to assist at a Wedding
on the 31st day of March 1811
Aged 70 Years.
The Inhabitants of Crayford have raised this
Stone to his cheerful memory and as a
tribute to his long and faithful Services.

The Life of this Clerk was just threescore and ten.
Nearly half of which time he had sung out Amen:
In his Youth he was married like other young men,
But his Wife died one day so he chaunted Amen.
A second he took she departed what then?
He married and buried a third with Amen:
Thus his joys and his sorrows were Treble but then
His Voice was deep Bass, as he sung out Amen.
On the Horn he could blow as well as most men
So his Horn was exalted in blowing Amen.
But he lost all his Wind, after Threescore and ten
And here with three wives, he waits till again
The Trumpet shall rouse him to sing out Amen.


Michael Turner
Michael was a bootmaker and the parish clerk of Warnham in West Sussex. He was a fiddler and his gravestone is in Warnham Churchyard.

Sacred
to the memory
of
Michael Turner
Clerk and Sexton of this Parish
For 50 years
From Jan.17 1830 to Jan.20 1880.
Born May 25.1796. Died Dec.18.1885

His duty done, beneath this stone.
Old Michael lies at rest.
His rustic rig, his song, his jig,
Were ever of the best.

With nodding head the choir he led.
That none should start too soon,
The second too, he sang full true.
His viol played the tune.

And when at last his age had passed.
One hundred less eleven.
With faithful cling to fiddle string.
He sang himself to heaven.

For an article about Michael Turner, click HERE

 

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