Numerous of the gravestones I looked at could fall into the category of bearing an interesting epitaph, so it was quite difficult to make a choice of what to include.
Below is the memorial to William Howard Rendall Gibbs, found in the old cemetery on Leicester Road. William’s parents, William John and Edith Elizabeth, nee Bromhead, were married at Emmanuel church on 27 April 1887. William was a coal and builder’s merchant, along with some of his brothers, who had their business on Station Street. The family lived at West Leigh, No.115 Ashby Road, a home with 10 rooms. Edith died in 1914, and William married again, to Gertrude, and he himself died in 1938, leaving quite a substantial sum of money. Sadly, their only child, William Howard Rendall Gibbs died in Bedford on 17th November 1905, aged 17.
Here’s the full inscription
To the
Precious memory
of
Our only
child
William Howard
Rendell Gibbs
Born on Good
Friday March 30th 1888
Passed into
eternity Nov. 17th 1905
“Thine for
ever may we be”
Also sacred
to the memory of
Edith Elizabeth
Gibbs
Beloved wife
of
William John
Gibbs
Born July 18th
1855 died July 21st 1914
“His banner over
us is love”
In loving remembrance
William John
Gibbs
May 26th 1859
August 21st
1938
Also Gertrude
beloved 2nd wife of the above
Died November
9th 1952 aged 70 years
The following memorial to Marguerite (Rita) Williams, also in the old cemetery on Leicester Road, says:
In cherished
memory of
Marguerite,
(Rita)
The loving
wife of the
Rev. W.
Charles William
Wesleyan
Methodist Minister
Loughborough
Lifter higher
April 3rd
1900.
She was always
pleasant.
She “was not.
For God took” her.
Over in the churchyard at All Saints with Holy Trinity on Steeple Row is a memorial to Elizabeth, wife of Richard Nicklinson, and to Richard himself. Richard and Elizabeth Chapman were married at All Saints church on 18 June 1809.
Richard had been an apprentice to master grocer, John Toone, a few years earlier. By 1832 he owned a property on Mill Street (now Market Street) which was let out to Edward Chesterton. In 1835 Richard was listed in a trade directory as a brush maker, Secretary of the Permanent (subscription) Library on Baxter Gate, and an oil and colour man working on Baxter Gate. In 1841, Richard was a brush maker, and had a freehold property on Baxter Gate, again let out to Chesterton, although Richard was also conducting his business – as a brush maker, and a dry salter, from Baxter Gate, as well as being an insurance agent for the Manchester, based on High Street.
A couple of years before his death, Richard was a brush manufacturer, an oil and colour man, and an agent for Pelican Life and Manchester Fire Offices, his business still being based on Baxter Gate.
The full inscription reads:
In memory of
Elizabeth
Wife of
Richard
Nicklinson
And daughter
of
Samuel and
Elizabeth Chapman
After a long
and painful affliction
She died at
peace with God
And all mankind
An humble
following of her Saviour
On the 24th
day of May 1850
Aged 603
years
Also of
Richard
Nicklinson
Husband of
the above
Who died March
21 1856
Aged 72 years
He was much
respected by a nume
rous acquaintance
both rich and
poor, the
latter of whom he was a
sincere friend
and helper.
Also
sincerely mourned by
those to whom
he had been
a friend and
father.
The following
memorial stone, also in the churchyard of All Saints, needs no explanation. It is hard to read due to weathering and the weather.
Transcription of the inscription
The
Lord gave and
the Lord hath
taken away;
Blessed be
the
name of the
Lord
In memory of
HANNAH, wife
of John TROTH,
who died in
child-bed, July
25th 1826,
Aged 30 years
A loving
Wife, a Friend sincere,
Seven Babes
with her lie Bury'd here;
A Christian faithfull
just and true,
who liv'd and
die'd with Heaven in view,
In Christ the
Lord she put her trust,
Now Earth to
Earth and Dust to Dust
But e'er
she'd been a Wife seven years,
She was took
from this Vale of Tears;
The seventh
Infant ne'er was bom,
But caus'd
her Death, and Friends to mourn,
But now she's
Bless'd, among'st the just,
Earth to
Earth and Dust to Dust.
Not all her
Friends nor Doctor's art,
Could to her
aid or help impart;
But when the
Trumpet's hallow'd sound
Shall thro'
Death's silent Vaults resound;
She'll rise!
triumphant with the just
Awake to life
- and quit the Dust
How lov'd how
Valu'd once; avail'd thee not.
By whom respected,
or by whome begot:
A heap of
Dust alone remains of thee
is all thou
art - and all ¬the proud shall be
This Stone
was erected by her surviving
... ... ... solemn …
Finally, this memorial stone to John White was originally in the churchyard of the Wood gate Baptist Chapel, but now stands in the grounds of the Old Rectory. I haven’t researched John White of Cotes, so here is my photograph, and my transcription of his memorial:
Beneath
Are deposited
the mortal remains of
John White of
Cotes
Who during a
period of more than
forty
years was a regular
mem
ber of the
Christian Church as
sembling in
the adjoining Chapel
his
attachment to the Redeemer’s
cause was
sincere and unabated
his zeal for its
advancement was
manifested by
personal assertion
and pecuniary
sacrifices. In tend
ernes of conjugal
and fraternal
affection and
the punctual dis
charge of the
relative and special
duties few
have exceeded him.
The stroke by
which he was sep
arated from
his affectionate fam
ily, his
brethren and a wide circle
of friends
was awfully sudden
being
summoned to an exchange
of worlds by
an apoplectic seizure
under which
on the 27th of
January 1825
The remainder of the inscription is beneath the soil, but I did find something on the internet which might be the completion of it:
“in the 62nd
year of his age, after an affliction of a few hours only he sank late the arms of
death.”
These are just some of the unique memorials to be found in our cemeteries.
____________________________________
Posted by lynneaboutloughborough
With apologies for
typos which are all mine!
_______________________________________________
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Dyer, Lynne (2026). 31 Days of Graves Day 11 Interesting Epitaph. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2026/10/31-days-of-graves-day-11-interesting.html [Accessed 11 October 2026]
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