This place of village sepulture has invariably and deeply excited the notice of tourists.

The towering leafy linden trees which encompass the Churchyard, were planted at the suggestion of one of the Wright family, Eyam. They have, however, been deemed a nuisance and one half were felled about fifty-five years ago to the great regret of the parishioners in general. Nothwithstanding this regard, it must be admitted that the lopping down of every other tree has greatly improved the Church as a striking feature in the landscape, besides adding much to the rural beauty of the Churchyard.

Among the most prominently interesting objects of this place of village graves is the tomb of Mrs. Mompesson,

The tomb which is in front of the east end of the chancel, is somewhat antique in appearance, having at the several corners chamfered stone pillars: the top of the tomb bears this inscription:

On the west end of the tomb in an hour glass, between two expanded wings, intended to represent the rapid flight of time; underneath is inscribed:-

On the other end of the tomb is a death's head, resting on a plain projecting tablet, below which are the words, nearly obliterated:-

This tomb has recently been partly restored. Miss Seward mentions its once being encompassed with metal palisading, now believed to be a mistake, for the stone pillars at the corners of the tomb have no indication of such a monumental adjunct.

A little west of Mrs. Mompesson's tomb stands the richly ornamented stone cross, which has been, and still is, the subject of much conjecture. Of the origin and antiquity of crosses there are a variety of opinions. This splendid and richly embellished relic of antiquity is about eight feet high, although about a foot of the top of the shaft is broken and lost. A variety of figures are embossed thereon, with many singular symbolical devices. On the arms are figures blowing trumpets, others are holding crosses, one is holding a book and on the western side of the shaft is a figure representing the Virgin and Child. Runic and Scandinavian knots liberally adorn its sides. In a word, it is considered to be the most splendid cross in England and it has therefore found a place in the sketch book of almost every lover of antique. Rhodes in the Peak Scenery states that the top part of this cross lay in the Churchyard covered with docks and thistles when Howard, the philanthropist, visited Eyam; and that he caused it to be placed on the dilapidated shaft. This is a mistake; the top part may have been some time from its proper place, but it was before Howard's time. This venerable relic of antiquity was a few years ago raised up and place upon a kind of pedestal for its better preservation and appearance.

Whether this cross has stood in the Churchyard always is very doubtful. Tradition mentions two other places of its former occupation, on the old Manchester and Sheffield roadside, Eyam Edge, and on the open space of ground in the middle of the village, still called “The Cross”.

Miss Seward, in a letter of reply to Mrs. Blore, of Edensor, Derbyshire, has the following remark respecting this cross:- “It is from this letter that I first learn that it was my beloved father who discovered the curious antique cross and placed it in the Churchyard of that village, Eyam”.

On the north side of the Churchyard under the shade of linden trees, stands the very neat and appropriate monument in memory of the late Richard Furness, the poet, his wife and two of their infant children. The monument was originally erected in memory of his wife, but since his death it has been renewed, elevated and enclosed with metal palisading. The upper stone, with four polished sides for inscriptions, is surmounted by a wreathed urn, capped with a small piece of wavy stonework , representing a flame - emblematical of love. On the east side of the stone (intended for inscriptions) is the following from the pen of the poet, in sweet remembrance of his dear wife:-

The front, or south side of the monument, contains a record of the birth and death of the poet, and the following stanza, selected from The Tomb of the Valley, a short poem by the deceased poet:-

After the stanza there is this inscription:-

This Churchyard has often and justly been styled poetic ground; “scarcely a stone but has its distich commemorative of the virtues of the deceased, and the sorrows of surviving relatives”.

The following epitaph to the memory of Dorothy White, a celebrated sick nurse, is from the pen of Furness:-

The following was written by the highly accomplished Cunningham, Curate of Eyam, from 1772 to 1790:-

Near the tomb of Mrs. Mompesson, and close by the chancel door, there is a humble upright stone, with the following quaint inscription:-

Close adjoining the south side of the tower is the burial place of the Sheldons, Eyam, the maternal ancestors of the late Thomas Fentem, Esq., Surgeon, Eyam Terrace. Affixed to the tower, just over the tombs, is a stone containing the following lines, partly from Shakespeare's Cymbeline:-

The following epitaph, written by him whom it commemorates, will be recognised as a mutilated quotation from a fine passage in Homer's Iliad. The sense is reversed and in every respect spoiled:-

The present existing tombs and stones in this Churchyard afford no particular instances of longevity, such as are sometimes met with in country places. Two may be noticed as verging near a century:-

A headstone north-east of the Church has this inscription and epitaph:-

On an old tabular tomb north of the Church there is this inscription and remonstrative epitaph:-

A stone at the east end of the chancel contains the following inscription and snobbish epitaph, the latter is where it should remain - underneath the greensward:-

How quiet and serene is this lone Churchyard; how fitting a place for meditation; how peacefully the dead seem to sleep!

An addition to the Churchyard of one acre, adjoining the northern part, is only now waiting of fencing, draining and consecration; a long and very much needed accommodation.^[2]

Next Chapter => THE RECTORS