What is recorded here

Walter Tomb of Trum died on 18 June 1458, his name cut in gothic letters along three wide-spaced sides of a massive stone table now propped inside the ruined chancel of St Patrick's church. The fourth side crowds its letters closer, as if the carver ran out of room or patience, while nine mysterious depressions mark the bare center like a forgotten game. Austin Cooper visited in 1795 and claimed another inscription existed but refused to read it, leaving Walter's companion or keeper unnamed in shadow.

From Potterton (2005, App. 13, 397, No. 4): This large rectangular slab has been set up as a table tomb on a low side panel at the base of the window in the ruined chancel of St Patrick's church (ME036-048012-). An incised marginal gothic inscription reads HIC: IACET.I [W]ALTERVS: THOVMBE: DE TRVM:/ Q‘: OBIIT: XVIII:. DIE: JVNII: A:D: M: CCCC: LVIII/. The letters on the first three sides of the inscription are spaced wide apart (c. 12cm), whereas those on the fourth side closer together (c. 3 cm). The central portion of the slab is undecorated, with the exception of three rows of three small circular depressions arranged in a square towards the base of the slab. It is not known what this design represents, although it seems to be contemporary with the Latin inscription. When Austin Cooper visited the churchyard on 15 May 1795 he recorded the inscription and wrote that ‘there was another which I could not read’ (Price 1942, 99). It is not clear what exactly he meant by this. [Length: 212cm; Width: 110cm; Thickness: 12cm], Date of upload: 16 February, 2015

Chest tomb, medieval period. Its significance lies in its association with the ruined chancel of St Patrick's church, indicating ecclesiastical and funerary practices of the medieval era in the region.

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