[Rarebooks] FS: 1853 Good Taste in Tombstones & Gravestones and Epitaphs in England

[Joslin Hall Rare Books]

“A Tract Upon Tomb-Stones; or, Suggestions for the Consideration of 
Persons Intending to Set Up That Kind of Monument to the Memory of 
Deceased Friends”

By the Reverend Francis Edward Paget.
Printed in Rugeley by John Thomas Walters in 1853. 3rd edition.

The Reverend Paget [1806-1882], rector of Elford, did not care for much 
of what he saw in mid-19th century churchyards. Among the things that 
disturbed him- epitaphs made up of too-effusive flattery & “lies” meant 
to gloss–over the reputations and deeds of disreputable characters; 
epitaphs that ask the reader to pray for the souls of the deceased which 
bear “a reference to the Popish doctrine of Purgatory” (no praying for 
the souls of the deceased, if you please); epitaphs declaring the 
deceased to be worthy of Heaven or an innocent (as in a child), because 
all Men are sinners in the eyes of God; epitaphs that declare the 
deceased to be in Heaven -this is a problem because, well, hey, you 
never know, do you?

The Rev. Paget also deplores pedigrees and genealogies being carved upon 
tombstones; he dislikes slate tombstones; he dislikes silver and gold 
lettering and the use of fancy fonts and effects; he disapproves of 
jokes and poetry in epitaphs and is driven to the depths of outrage and 
despair by epitaphs which set out, often at length, the ailment the 
deceased died of. What really drives him to distraction are tombstone 
carvings- lambs, cherubs, scythes –all are bad, and even worse if they 
follow the modern fashion and are painted out in bright colors. Even 
doves are bad- “unfit even for the best of us”. And let us not talk of 
urns. God forbid anyone use an urn –it is a pagan symbol!

What is appropriate? A cross, and a short epitaph, best left to the 
suggestion of your local clergyman. The Reverend Paget, a member of the 
Lichfield Society for the Encouragement of Ecclesiastical Architecture, 
is happy to illustrate 7 examples provided by the Society, all of which 
are quite lovely in a vaguely neo-Gothic way, two of which are designs 
for wooden markers, and several of which, interestingly, incorporate 
Celtic-style crosses and decorative work.

An interesting Victorian-era work by a man who did not like what he was 
seeing in churchyards –no siree, not one little bit! This volume was 
reprinted in 1847 and 1853; all of these 19th century editions are 
uncommon.

Softcover. 5.25"x8", 23 pages plus 7 lithographed plates. Spine neatly 
reinforced, covers bit soiled, else a nice, clean copy of a fragile 
pamphlet.  387-39278 $200

Some Pictures =>
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