St James, Brassington, Derbyshire

18/02/2015: (Locked). St James sits high above the road on a steep slope. When the steps up to the porch were renewed, I know not when, rather than use stone from the quarries which surround the village, someone - presumably with the permission of the vicar - decided to cut up some 17th and 18th century grave slabs instead.

The fields to the south east show the typical local lumps and bumps, evidence of hundreds of years of lead mining.

Many of the limestone headstones are much encrusted with lichens and hard to read, one with reversed Ns. Another, to Isaac Johnson, carries the classic text, seen with variations in many churchyards:

Remember [me? this?] as you pass by
As you are now so once was I
As I am now so must you be
Therefore prepare to follow me

The headstone for Elizabeth and William Briddon names three of their children who died young, but described in an unusual way. Normally children are described as dying 'in their infancy' or their dates are given. This stone reads, "Also hear lieth three of their Children, Ellin[?], Robert and John whose time was short".

© Copyright Poor Frank Raw, 2016