Memorials Outside the Church
Recorded by Mrs. M. Clarke & Mrs C. Sharpe of the Cumbria Family History Society in 2002.
Memorial stones were repositioned some time ago to facilitate lawn maintenance and to open up the view of the church.
Many are mossy or flaking.
This provides:
• An alphabetical list of names for those buried outside the church
• Dates which are those of the first name on each stone.
• A reference to the location which is explained below.
There are 547 names in the index (with dates from 1695 to 1890) but only 144 memorials are indicated on pages of the following map:
If you intend to seek out a particular memorial on foot, having got the location reference from the index,
you can download and print a map. Or the notes below may suffice.
SOUTH OF THE CHURCH 13 memorial stones are numbered accordingly. (Designated in the Index as Sth.1 – 13)
The farthest is easily read and commemorates two grocers from Kendal Market Place.
EAST OF THE CHURCH there are 3 memorials in the grass.
WEST OF THE CHURCH is a single memorial to John Cooper, Vicar from 1896.
CLOSELY UNDER THE NORTH WINDOWS buttresses divide the stones into 4 groups.
In the index these are referenced by the small letters a, b, c & d in sequence from east to west .
NORTH OF THE CHURCH AND NORTH OF THE PATH stones have been closely set to cover a rectangular area. As they lie in columns, these have here been assigned the 21 letters A to U running from west to east. Stone sizes vary so the columns comprise from 4 to 8 stones.
The 21 stones adjoining the path are shown below in sequence from west to east. Thus to locate, say, stone K2 the user simply walks along the path to reach the column K at stone K6 JACKSON and then walks in K5, K4, K3, K2.
| A6 NICHOLSON, | B7 JACKSON, | C6 BOUSFIELD, | D7 TEBAY, | E6 PALMER, | F6 SIMPSON, | G5 IRELAND, |
| H5 BAILEY, | I5 BEW, | J5 SISSON, | K6 JACKSON, | L7 GRANT, | M7 JOHNSON, | N8 FOTHERGILL, |
| O5 BROOKS, | P4 CUNDALL, | Q4 ABBATT, | R5 WILKINSON, | S4 SINKINSON, | T4 WILSON, | U5 AIREY, |
Selected Epitaphs
Click below to read an epitaph:
Sir Roger Bellingham, Died 1533
Chest tomb with several brass plates and four shields sunk into the cover; also two freestone shields on the side with the arms of the Bellinghams of Levens and Burneside. The present inscription is a restoration and has been taken from the”History of Richmondshire” :
Here under lyeth Sir Roger Bellingham, Knt. (which of his own proper costs and charges builded the chapell of our Lady within this church of Kendall), and of Margaret, his wife, daur. of Sir Robert Aske, Knight, and of Elizabeth, his wife, daur. to the Lord John Clifford, now created Earl of Cumberland, which Sir Roger died the 18th day of July, A.D. 1533, and the sd. Margaret dyed the – day of – , A.D. 15 -, whose souls Jhesu pardon.
[daur = daughter, sd. = said]
Augustine Nicholls, Judge, Died 1616.
Much mutilated wall plaque in West Aisle left of entry door.
To the most Religiovs and Renowned Memory of Sr Avgvstine Nicholls Kt. late of Paxton in Northamptonsheire (herre bvried) who was second son(ne) of Thomas Nicholls of the same Covntye Esqr. He was student of Lawes in the Middle Temple, London; became Reader there in (ye) (the, Dugdale), last yeare of Qveene Elizabeth, of whom he receaved his Writ(t) of Serjeant att the Lawe the Michaellmas Terme immediatly followinge: Afterwards Serjeant to Prince Henry of famovs rnemory & the (ye. Dugdale) Qveene his mother, Then one of his Maties. Jvstices of his Court of Common Pleas, & keeper of the Great Seale to the most illvstriovs & mighty Prince Charles ; who, havink labovred in ye Highe & painfvll calling of a most Reverende & jvst Jvdge for the space of fovr(e) yeares, fell vnder the heavy burden of it (heere att Kendall) sitting(e) then Justice of Assize; & comminge to give Judgment upon others by his comfortable & Christian departvre receaved (wee assvredlye beleeve) his jvdgmt: with mercye in the yeare of our Lord 1616 the 3 day of August in the 14th yeare of the Raigne of Ovr Sovereigne Lord Kinge James, & the 57th yeare of his age.
(At top)
One of the Cardinal Vertves in his name
The Fovre to fewe to comprehend his fame.
(Right)
Which now are bvt his shadowes weake svpporters,
More then must be his svbstance trve reporters.
(Left)
Vertves his proper and pecvliar tombe,
Ovtlastinge marble living till dayes dome.
(Foot)
Weake mvse that wovldst disciphere ovt such joyes
That now are endlesse by fast fadinge toyes.
He whom no bribes covld blind, noe terrovr turne;
Noe favovr fawne; no covrse compell from right;
Whome place did nev’r pvffe vpp; nor beavtye bvrne;
Plenty exceed; nor poore oppresse with mighte,
Did speake, thinke, find this topp of honovr hye
Seal’d in this vrne; he in his Yeares to dye.
Ralph Tirer, 1592 – 1627
A small brass plate on the sanctuary steps (shown in the background image to this page) carries text from the severely worn stone beneath..
HEREVNDER LYETH YE BODY OF MR. RAVLTH
TIRER LATE VICAR OF KENDALL BATCHLER
OF DIVINITY, WHO DYED THE 4TH DAY
OF IVNE, AVNE.: 1627.
London bredd me, Westminster fedd me,
Cambridge sped me, my Sister wed me,
Study taught me, liuing sought me,
Learning brought me, Kendall caught me,
London pressed me, sicknes distressed me,
Death oppressed me, & graue possessed me,
God first gave me, Christ did saue me,
Earth did crave me, & heauen would haue me.
[n.b. ‘my Sister wed me’ refers to his time at Oxford.]
A Boy in the Strickland Chapel
Under a raised canopy of marble is the figure of a boy. Around the base is a chevron ornament with the initials ‘W.S.,1656’ (Walter Strickland, son of Thomas, died aged 9). At the end and around the Latin inscription is inlaid a border of white marble with the following:
This pvre refined structure does containe
Natvres compleatest peece where every graine
waits for a gloriovs vnion and appears
shrind in parental sighs and marble tears.
Frances Strickland
In brass, N. Bellingham chapel.
Nigh to this pillar lies ye Body of Mrs. Frances Strickland, late Wife to Mr. John Strickland of Strickland, & da. to Edward Backhouse of Morland Esq.
| She was Born Marry’d. Bury’d |
} | 24th June | { | 1690 1708 1725 |
Emblem of Temporal Good, The Day that gave
Her Birth & Marr’age saw Her in the Grave
Wing’d with its native Love her Soul took flight,
To Boundless Regions of Eternal Light.
(Incidentally, your webmaster estimates that to get the same date for those three events is a 1 in (365 x365) chance – i.e. 1 in 133,225!
Yet he too was married on his birthday so now he has only to die on his birthday to merit a similar epitaph!)
An Amiable Youth
On the floor by the children’s corner in the NW of the church.
Sacred to the Memory
of an amiable Youth
who was interred under this Stone
Jan 30th 1781, aged 19
Hubbersty
SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF
ZACHARY HUBBERSTY
OF GREAT WINCHESTER STREET LONDON ESQUIRE,
WHO DIED ON THE 23rd SEPTEMBER 1797, IN THE 41st YEAR OF HIS AGE
LEAVING A DISCONSOLATE WIDOW AND SIX CHILDREN.
FEW EQUALLED AND NONE EXCELLED HIM IN PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND STRICT INTEGRITY;
AND OF WHOM THE LEARNED AND VIRTUOUS LORD ELDON IN A LETTER OF CONDOLENCE TO THE DECEASED’S BROTHER OBSERVED;
‘HIS LOSS IS NOT MORE TO BE LAMENTED BY HIS FAMILY THAN BY THE PROFESSION, OF WHICH HE WAS AN ORNAMENT. AND AN HONOR.’
ALSO OF PHILLIS SARAH HUBBERSTY, HIS SECOND DAUGHTER.
WHO IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR LOST HER LIFE BY FALLING INTO THE SEA FROM THE PIER IN WHITBY HARBOUR THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED BY JOHN LODGE HUBBERSTY ESQ. SENIOR FELLOW OF QUEENS COLLEGE, DEPUTY HIGH STEWARD OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, AND RECORDER OF LANCASTER, WHO HAS NEVER CEASED TO LAMENT THE LOSS OF THE BEST OF BROTHERS AND FRIENDS.
Robert Hind
‘who was so severely wounded by the sudden explosion of a cannon that he survived the accident by only two days … reconciled to his fate’ July 6th 1820.
From a tombstone east of the church – the stone nearest to the Art Gallery.
On a small brass plate on the wall between the Bellingham Chapel and Becket Chapel:
TO THE MEMORY OF TWO BROTHERS
SGT.PILOT JOHN HENDERSON KELLY AGE 25
SGT.PILOT HENRY JOHNSON KELLY AGE 20
WHO WORSHIPPED IN THIS PARISH CHURCH
AND GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR FREEDOM IN THE
SECOND WORLD WAR 1939 – 1945
From the Westmorland Gazette 29th March 1941 and 15th May 1943:
Two Brothers Killed in the Last War
KENDAL PILOT REPORTED MISSING
News was received in Kendal this week that Pilot Sergeant John Henderson Kelly, elder son of Mr. J. R. Kelly, formerly of Kendal and now of Kew Gardens, Surrey, has been posted as missing following flying operations against the enemy.
Born in Kendal 25 years ago, Pilot-Sergeant Kelly was educated at Kendal Grammar School, after which he served his articles as a gas engineer at Kendal Gas Works. For a time he was works chemist at the gas works, after which he left to take up a similar position with Plymouth Corporation. On the outbreak of war he enlisted with the R.A.F. And was called up for training in May, 1940.
SERGEANT PILOT KILLED
The death has been announced whilst on active service of Sergt. Pilot Henry J. Kelly R.A.F., aged 20 years. He was the last surviving son of Mr. J. R. Kelly, whose elder son, Sergt. Jack Kelly was killed in March, 1941. Sergt. Pilot H.J. Kelly, who was son of Mrs. Kelly, Levens, and grandson of the late Mr. J.P.Johnson, joined the R.A.F. at the age of 18, and was trained in Florida, U.S.A., and later on coming to England, was stationed in the Midlands. Before joining the Air Force, Kelly was a clerk with the Westminster Bank, London, and was a young and popular member of the Richmond (Surrey) C.C. He was regarded as one of the most promising of the younger batsmen in the Surrey county area.
The funeral took place at St. John’s Church on Tuesday afternoon, the Vicar, Rev. W.E. Bannerman, officiating. Among floral tributes was a wreath from the R.A.F., and during the committal service a plane from the young pilot’s last station flew over the churchyard.
