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St. John Tomb at St. Mary, Lydiard Tregoze

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This tomb - of Sir John St. John and his two wives - is quite remarkable; it must look nearly as good today as it did when it was sculpted in 1634. Sir John's first wife, Anne Leighton, died two months after giving birth to their thirteenth child in 1628; she is lead to his left side holding the baby. On his right side is Margaret Whitmore, his second wife, who died in 1637. All thirteen children are depicted with their parents - four of the children did not survive infancy and are shown reclining on their elbows (two sons) or resting a hand on a skull (two daughters).

On the chancel side of the tomb is an inscription which we could not photograph. It gives details of this family and a transcription can be see by Note 10 on the John Aubrey pages.

Everything about this tomb is impressive - its size, its quality, its detail. What craftsmanship and dedication must have gone into producing the finest of detail in the clothing. The hands look almost real.

What sadness this family endured. Sir John died in 1648 aged sixty three. He lived through the death of both his wives and nine of his children.

Due to the high railings surrounding the monument it is difficult to photograph; it is also quite dark. We recognise the photographs are not brilliant, but will at least give you some idea of how this beautifully crafted sculpture looks.

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St. John Tomb

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