Grave - Iles; Mary

This ornate 18th century memorial is dedicated to Mary Iles. It appears to be part of a chest tomb but was discovered embedded face-down in the floor of the west entrance to St. Mary's Church when the stone flags were re-laid during conservation works in 2020. The fair condition of the carving suggests that it lay hidden there for a considerable period of time, protected both from the elements and footfall. We can only conjecture as to the reason for it being recycled in the church floor.

The inscription reads:

In Memory of MARY / Daughter of WILLIAM and / CATHERINE ILES / departed this Life / Jan the 13th 1779 / in the 25th Year of her Age.

Following its discovery, the memorial has been cleaned and mounted on the south wall of the tower.

There are four chest tombs and a single gravestone dedicated to the Iles family in the churchyard.