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Thursday 22 October 2009

The Hamnett memorial

We had an e-mail enquiry from a lady in Melbourne, Australia, about the Hamnett memorial in the church porch.



Ever taken a close look at it?
There's a fascinating romantic mystery there.

Here's the text:

HERE LIES JOHN HAMNETT GENT. DECEAS’T
APR: 14. 1643) BURIED IN THE DUST AND
GRAVE OF HIS WIFE ELIZABETH HAMNETT
DECEAS’T. MAR. 30. 1623
[?dear]E CONSORT! WELL OER’TAKEN, TWICE MY WIFE
[?ma]DE ONE DUST, AS ONE FLESH IN LIFE
[?]INGE  [?one b]EDD WEE HAD, NOW DEAD ONE GRAVE
[?u]S TWICE MADE ONE, AT LAST ONE COV’RINGE HAVE
WHOM GOD HATH SO TOGETHER JOYN’D LET NONE
ASUNDER PUT, TILL THE RESURRECTION
WHEN WE SHALL BOTH TOGETHER WAKE THOUGH THOU
TWENTY YEARS SINCE TO BEDD WENTS’T, I BUT NOW

THRICE ESPOUSED, WHY NOT FOURE TIMES; TIS SED
MY WIFE AND PARISH ARE BOTH WIDOWED
So... how many times was John married? And to whom?

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