What is recorded here

Half a limestone grave slab stands embedded in the west wall of the Freshford graveyard, its false-relief cross and Latin letters still visible beside the entrance. Edith, wife of John Partridge, died in September around 1600, and her name remains carved in the stone. What is missing is the day, yet the wall still holds her identity against the erosion of time.

Inserted in the inner face of the wall on the W side of the C of I graveyard (KK013-023005-), 2.5m N of the entrance to the graveyard. The upper portion of a limestone graveslab (Wth 0.8m; H 0.84m) decorated in false relief with a seven-armed cross-head extending from a raised circle. The arms have fleur-de-lis terminals and only the shafts of the three main arms of the cross continue within the circle. A border (Wth 0.12-0.125m), defined by a plain margin along its top and bottom edge, runs along the dexter and sinister side and along the top. Within it, in Roman capitals, in Latin, beginning mid-way along the dexter side and running up to and along the top and down the sinister side, is an inscription in false relief. The fleur-de-lis from the three main arms extend into the border. The graveslab was in the same location when described by Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 255) as, 'a fragment of a floor-slab or table of an altar tomb, built into the graveyard wall, beside the entrance gate, has the following around the edge, in raised Old English letters: Hic jacet Edith uxor Johais Patridge qui obit die Sepbris….'. The inscription, in Black Letter script, translates as, Here lies Edith wife of John Partridge who died on the … day of September...’. The slab is dated by Cockerham and Harris (2001, 187) to c. 1600. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 22 August 2022

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.