Anne Kay, Nunnington

2005

Churchyard of All Saints and St James, Nunnington, Yorkshire

AT THE FOOT OF THIS SLAB
LIE ENTOMBED THE REMAINS OF ANNE,
THE WIFE OF THE REV. JOHN KAY, RECTOR OF THIS PARISH,
WHO DIED ON THE 10TH OF DECEMBER 1822
AGED 44 YEARS.

Combining with the principles
and deportment of an ingenuous Christian
the tenderness of the parent, the affection of the consort,
and the sincerity of the friend,
she has left impressed
in the minds of her surviving husband,
children, relatives and acquaintances,
an image of departed worth and excellence,
which will cease to be cherished
only with the last pulse of life.

ADJOINING
LIE THE RELICS OF HER TWO INFANT CHILDREN:
OF JANE, WHO DIED ON THE 9TH OF MARCH, 1808:
AND OF RICHARD, WHO DIED ON THE 4TH OF JANUARY, 1815.

The headstone stands against the side of Nunnington’s church, and it’s difficult to walk past it without noticing its size, and its long inscription, describing this lady in such glowing terms.

Most of the more detailed inscriptions I’ve found commemorate the lives of men, and list their achievements. I thought this was a rather touching memorial to a woman’s life. The complete headstone (from which I’ve quoted only a part) also has inscriptions for other family members.The inscriptions immediately below Anne’s have been included, as they reflect a common experience of our female ancestors, who often witnessed their children dying during early infancy, if indeed they had survived the birth. It wasn’t uncommon for women to die from complications soon after giving birth, as I know from my own family history.

Headstone photographed 28 August 2005