WOOLSTHORPE BY BELVOIR LINCOLNSHIRE

THE OLD ST JAMES CHURCHYARD

Church Post Code NG32 1LT

There were two Belvoir Angel gravestones recorded here in the Heathcote study. These are both in the old St James churchyard; with the church here being burned down by Parliament forces in 1660. The church grounds here were used for burials for many years after that. The current church in the village, also dedicated to St James, dates from the 1890's.

'Memento Mori' is inscribed within a heart shape, between two Belvoir Angels, in this fabulously crafted stone to a married couple who died within a short while of each other.

This stone reads 'Here lyeth the body of Edward Guy & Jane his wife Edward departed this life October the 9th 1727 aged 81 years Jane departed this life November the 20th 1726 her age 73 years'

A brief epitaph is charming and says 'She first deceased he a little try'd to live without her liked it not and died'

At the foot of this grave it reads 'Blessed are ye dead which die in ye Lord', which is taken from Revelation Chapter 14 verse 13.

The second gravestone here is another finely crafted double angel stone. This one has sunk in to the ground a little and is leaning forward, which meant that I could not make out the inscription at the foot of the stone.

'Be ye ready' is inscribed within a heart shape between the angels, a warning to the onlooker to be prepared to follow in the footsteps of the deceased, who himself was taken at an early age.

What I could read says 'William son of Matt Remeton by Mary his wife died May the 6th 1730 in the 12th year of his age'