Tuesday 8 January 2013

Excavating the Wall

My brother arrived for New Year.  One of his many hobbies is excavating First World War trenches in France and Belgium.  His finds include human remains as well as artefacts.  I knew he wouldn't be able to resist the pile of rumble in our garden and the revealed earth that the wall had been retaining up until the other Saturday.  We had spotted a gravestone at the top of a pile but it looked modern and neither S nor I fancied clambering about on an unstable pile of bricks.  But he did. And, having clambered up to read the stone, he then carefully retrieved it and brought it down.  It is now resting against the front of the house and is not modern at all but dated 1729.



It reads:

Ann, daughter of 
Thomas and Louisa Avenall 
Died December 26th 1729 
In the 22nd Year of Her Life
My days are past
My grave you see
Prepare dear friends
To follow me.



No comments:

Post a Comment