Merryweather – The Family Tomb

Visiting the churchyard in 1964 it was not surprising to find that weathering had taken its toll since the impressive box tomb was erected ca. 1814. I tried to decipher what remained and took photographs.

Sedgehill has few early surviving parish records so it was fortunate to find later on a manuscript of its monumental inscriptions in the WAS library copied around 1900. Without it, many vital facts would have been lost and confusing problems might never have been solved.

In memory of John Merryweather who died
February 6th 1758 aged 52 years.

Lament no more my loving Wife
Also my Friends and Children Dear
(Nor grieve within your breast)
My pains are gone, my grave you see
Therefore prepare to follow me.

Also Mary, Wife of John Merryweather who died
June 8th 1800 aged 84 years likewise Sophia
their Daughter who died August 31st 1777 in
the 21st year of her age.

Also of Susannah, daughter of John and Mary
Merryweather who died February 10th 1782
aged 25 years and also of an infant Daughter of
John and Grace Merryweather.

In memory of John Merryweather eldest Son of
John and Grace Merryweather of Mere Park who
died July 23rd 1810 aged 27 years.

Happy the souls he leaves behind
If following him as he thy Lord
As meek and lowly and resign'd
They hear the last transporting word
If ready through the sorrows love
When all the hopes of life are o'er
As safe and sudden they remove
And grasp the friend to part no more.

In Memory of Mary Anne Collins Wife of
Henry Collins Jnr. of Yeovil who died
April 17th 1814 Aged 28 years. Daughter of
John Merryweather.

In pure and steadfast hope to rise
And claim her mansion in the skies
A Christian here her Lord did own
A Cross exchanging for a crown
Sure daughter of affliction she
Inured to pain and misery.

In memory of Sophia Godwin wife of William
Godwin of Gillingham who died February 26th
1810 Aged 28 years.
Leaving 3 children to
lament their loss.

From this toilsome stage of life
her soul departed is
In hope to meet the Lord of Life
To dwell in endless Bliss.

In 1985 a letter quoting these verses was sent to the Rev. Oliver Beckerlegge of York who was gathering tombstone inscriptions. He very kindly replied:

... two of the verses are particularly interesting ... . That on John Merryweather, d.1810, 'Happy the souls he leaves behind', is a verse from a long epitaph by Charles Wesley on his friend Ebenezer Blackwell, (a London banker whose home was a quiet haven of rest for the Wesleys). The fact that you say the tomb is badly weathered allows me to suggest one or two corrections, (as opposed to suspecting a misquotation on the stone). Line 5 of that verse should read, 'If ready through their Saviour's love', and the following line should read, 'When all the storms of life' etc., (not 'hopes').
The next one, on Mary Anne Collins, 1814, is the first six lines of Charles Wesley's epitaph on his Mother, Susannah Wesley. There are two alterations. It should of course read, 'In sure and steadfast ...'; and later, 'A Christian here her flesh laid down'.
One does often find variants from the original in the use of quotations; but when the stone is badly weathered, I think one can safely assume the original should be followed. As neither of the above was ever in a hymn book, (and therefore would not be widely known), it looks as if some of your forebears were Methodists. Perhaps you also?

John Merryweather (1753-1829), was head of the family when the tomb was put in place and it is likely that the inscriptions arose out of his Methodist beliefs and connections with the Motcombe Broadways. The variations in wording may be accounted for by erosion by the time the transcriber set to work.

	Website of ALAN MERRYWEATHER

	*SHARE MY HARVEST* by Alan Merryweather INTERCHAPTER 8. The FAMILY TOMB at St. CATHERINE'S SEDGEHILL, WILTSHIRE
	Visiting the churchyard in 1964 it was not surprising to find that weathering had taken its toll since the impressive box tomb was erected ca. 1814. I tried to decipher what remained and took photographs. Sedgehill has few early surviving parish records so it was fortunate to find later on a manuscript of its monumental inscriptions in the WAS library copied around 1900. Without it, many vital facts would have been lost and confusing problems might never have been solved. In memory of John Merryweather who died February 6th 1758 aged 52 years. Lament no more my loving Wife Also my Friends and Children Dear (Nor grieve within your breast) My pains are gone, my grave you see Therefore prepare to follow me. Also Mary, Wife of John Merryweather who died June 8th 1800 aged 84 years likewise Sophia their Daughter who died August 31st 1777 in the 21st year of her age. Also of Susannah, daughter of John and Mary Merryweather who died February 10th 1782 aged 25 years and also of an infant Daughter of John and Grace Merryweather. In memory of John Merryweather eldest Son of John and Grace Merryweather of Mere Park who died July 23rd 1810 aged 27 years. Happy the souls he leaves behind If following him as he thy Lord As meek and lowly and resign'd They hear the last transporting word If ready through the sorrows love When all the hopes of life are o'er As safe and sudden they remove And grasp the friend to part no more. In Memory of Mary Anne Collins Wife of Henry Collins Jnr. of Yeovil who died April 17th 1814 Aged 28 years. Daughter of John Merryweather. In pure and steadfast hope to rise And claim her mansion in the skies A Christian here her Lord did own A Cross exchanging for a crown Sure daughter of affliction she Inured to pain and misery. In memory of Sophia Godwin wife of William Godwin of Gillingham who died February 26th 1810 Aged 28 years. Leaving 3 children to lament their loss. From this toilsome stage of life her soul departed is In hope to meet the Lord of Life To dwell in endless Bliss. In 1985 a letter quoting these verses was sent to the Rev. Oliver Beckerlegge of York who was gathering tombstone inscriptions. He very kindly replied: ... two of the verses are particularly interesting ... . That on John Merryweather, d.1810, 'Happy the souls he leaves behind', is a verse from a long epitaph by Charles Wesley on his friend Ebenezer Blackwell, (a London banker whose home was a quiet haven of rest for the Wesleys). The fact that you say the tomb is badly weathered allows me to suggest one or two corrections, (as opposed to suspecting a misquotation on the stone). Line 5 of that verse should read, 'If ready through their Saviour's love', and the following line should read, 'When all the storms of life' etc., (not 'hopes'). The next one, on Mary Anne Collins, 1814, is the first six lines of Charles Wesley's epitaph on his Mother, Susannah Wesley. There are two alterations. It should of course read, 'In sure and steadfast ...'; and later, 'A Christian here her flesh laid down'. One does often find variants from the original in the use of quotations; but when the stone is badly weathered, I think one can safely assume the original should be followed. As neither of the above was ever in a hymn book, (and therefore would not be widely known), it looks as if some of your forebears were Methodists. Perhaps you also? John Merryweather (1753-1829), was head of the family when the tomb was put in place and it is likely that the inscriptions arose out of his Methodist beliefs and connections with the Motcombe Broadways. The variations in wording may be accounted for by erosion by the time the transcriber set to work.