The Church of St Stephen, Astley in the County of -- Lancashire --

Memorial Inscriptions at the church of St Stephen
in the Parish of Astley

Below are listed the details and inscriptions for the headstones on the Graves in Rows A to H.

Photographs are available where the Memorial Number has a link. Single pictures open in a new browser window. Where there is more than one picture of a headstone is available, this displays in the current browser window. Use the browser back button to return the the Inscriptions.

If you are interested in a headstone for which there is no photograph please e-mail the OPC direct via the link on the left, he only lives a few hundred yards from St Stephen's church yard and will gladly e-mail a photograph directly to you or add it to this web site.

IN MEMORY OF
JAMES CROOK
DIED DECEMBER 28 1845
AGED 57 YEARS
ALSO ESTHER THE WIFE
OF JAMES CROOK WHO
DIED MARCH 30TH 1863
AGED 77 YEARS

Memorial No.			A2
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Round Top	140	80	8

ANN
WIFE OF
SAMUEL PILKINGTON
OF ASTLEY, WHO DIED OCTOBER 22ND
1851 AGED 44 YEARS
ALSO OF HENRY INFANT SON OF THE ABOVE
WHO DIED JUNE 23RD 1850 AGED 1 DAY
BLESSED ARE THE DEAD WHICH DIE IN THE LORD

Memorial No.			A3
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
	45	70	9

Remarks

This is only a broken part of a headstone and is very badly damaged

Memorial No.			A4
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
		65	9

Remarks

This is only a broken part of a headstone and is very badly damaged. The original shape was a flat top with semicircular central feature

Memorial No.			B1
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Round Top	99	74	8

IN MEMORY OF
THOMAS GRUNDY
WHO DIED JANUARY 17TH 1868
AGED 97 YEARS.
ALSO ANN HIS WIFE WHO DIED DECEMBER
15TH 1845 AGED 71 YEARS
ALSO FANNY BRIMELOW
WHO DIED NOV 14TH 1882
AGED 69 YEARS.
ALSO JOHN GRUNDY
WHO DIED APRIL 16TH 1889
AGED 88 YEARS.

Memorial No.			B3
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	172	90

Abram Unsworth interred 6th
August 1769 aged 59 also Ellen
his wife interred 22 May 1776
aged 59

Memorial No.			B4
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	101	75

HERE
Lieth the Body of
Sarah the wife of
William Roson who died
Aug **TH 1763 aged 27
Here resteth the Body of Willm
Roson who departed this life
Nov 27th 1797 aged 63
Mourn not for me it is in vain
Mourn for your sins and in refrain

Remarks

Ledger is cracked across face and bottom left corner is missing, the bottom line is also badly worn.

Memorial No.			C1
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
	113	70	7

THOMAS GRUNDY
WHO DIED DECR 16TH 1875
AGED 65 YEARS
ALSO RACHEL GRUNDY HIS WIFE
WHO DIED FEBRUARY 9TH 1900
AGED 84 YEARS

Remarks
The Greyed area is a motif consisting of a sheep lay on a book and carrying a cross and flag.

Memorial No.			C2
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	143	83

AG's Burial Place 2 Breadths
1794
Here lieth the Body of Mary
Daughter of Adam Grundy
who died the 23rd of June 1790
In the 28th Year of her Age

Memorial No.			C11
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	183	93

HERE
REST THE REMAINS OF
SAMUEL PART
of Astley Yeoman
Born September 9th 1795
Died March 23rd 1869
Also MARTHA widow of the above
Samuel Part Born Septr 18th 1798
Died June 29th 1872
Mary Jane Part died August 6th
1829 Aged 16 Months

Memorial No.			C12
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	184	92	13

Buried here
Thomas Part of Astley
Innkeeper who died May 25th
1843, aged 75 years
Also Mary his Wife who died
January 27th 1849 aged 79 Years
Also James Part their son who
Died December 29th 1858
Aged 64 Years

Memorial No.			D1
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
See below	137	84	9

Sacred to the
Memory of
JOSEPH ROSON
of ASTLEY
WHO WAS KILLED BY A FALL OF
ROOF IN THE CROSS HILLOCK PIT
MARCH 18TH 1873
AGED 23 YEARS
HIS FELLOW - WORKMEN : SUNDAY
SCHOOL TEACHERS, MEMBERS OF THE
CHOIR AND OF THE TEMPERANCE
SOCIETY CONNECTED WITH THIS
CHURCH HAVE ERECTED THIS STONE
AS A TOKEN OF THEIR HIGH ESTIMATION
OF HIS GENUINE WORTH AND KIND
CHRISTIAN CONDUCT WHICH
ENDEARED HIM TO ALL WHO KNEW HIM
IF WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED AND ROSE
AGAIN EVEN SO THEM ALSO WHICH SLEEP IN
JESUS SHALL GOD BRING WITH HIM
THES IV **

Memorial No.			D2
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	178	81

HERE
Resteth the Body of
Thomas Grundy of Astley
who departed this Life
the 4th Day of June 1806
Aged 68 Years
Mourn not dear Friends it is in vain
mourn for your Sins and then refrain
Also Margaret wife of the above
Thomas Grundy who departed
this Life September 7th 1811 aged
71 Years

Memorial No.			D10
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	185	93

HERE
Resteth the Body of
Jonathon Hodson of Astley who
departed this life April 24th
1837 Aged 79 Years Also Mary
his wife who departed this life
April 7th 1831 Aged 76 Years

Memorial No.			D11
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	170	77

Nancy wife of Adam Wood
And Jane his daughter merc
both interred here Ye 17th day
Of December A Dm 1703
Also here resteth the Body
of Adam Wood of Astley
who was interred here 3rd
of May 1729 Also Ann
Wife of Adam Wood was
interred here the 11th of
December 1728
Also Ralph Son of Adam
Wood interred here 20th
of October 1781 Aged 72
Martha Wife of Isaac
Wood interred here 8th
of March 1795 Aged 49

Remarks

Top four lines of the inscriptions are badly worn.

Memorial No.			D12
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	183	91

IN
MEMORY
OF
John Goodear of Astley Grove
who departed this Life on the 2nd
day of Octr 1832 Aged 40 Years
Also of Mary his Wife who
departed this life on the 10th
day of March 1837 Aged 29 yrs

Memorial No.			E1
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
	83	74	7

Remarks

Monument type is a flat top with semi circular feature repeated three times. No inscription was readable on face, on reverse was the letters W H2 B.

Memorial No.			E5
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	188	87

Here Lyeth the Body
James Hilton Grundy
of Astley who departed
this life Novr 8th 1760
in the 7th Year of his Age
Mourn not for me dear friend
I lie from Trouble free
And you Eer long must come
To rest along with me
Also Ellin Daughter of James
Grundy who departed this
Life the 4th of June 1771 in the
15th Year of her Age
Also here resteth the Body of
James Hilton late of this Town
Who departed this Life the 18th
of December 1776 in the 75th
Year of his Age also here
resteth the Body of three
Sons of James Hilton who died
Young

Remarks

The top right hand corner of this headstone is missing

Memorial No.			E9
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	203	102	12

HERE
was interred the Body of Thomas
Smith who died March 23rd 1783
Aged 74 Years
Also the Body of Jane the
Wife of Thomas Smith who died
December 23rd 1785 Aged 76 Years
Here we were brought by Death to Du***
at the last Trumpet Rite we must ***
To meet the Lord without Delay
At the last Great Rewarding Day
Peter Son of Richard and Mary
Grundy died July 2nd 1840 Aged
3 Years Also May the wife of
Richard Grundy who departed
this life October 31st 1842 Aged 47
Years

Joseph Smith 3 Breadths

Memorial No.			E10
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	182	91	10

Here resteth the Body of
William Smith the son of
Alice Smith who departed this
Life the 24th Day of February
1800 Aged 2 Years and 6 Months
Ann Smith wife of William Smith
died February 13th 1814 aged 73
Years Also William Smith, who
departed this Life December
10th 1832 Aged 84 Years
Also Martha the daughter of
William and Ann Smith of Astley
who departed this Life February
3rd 1815 Aged 44 Years
3 Breadths

Memorial No.			E11
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	186	94	8

SACRED
TO
THE MEMORY OF
JOHN ARROWSMITH
who died March 25th 1850
aged 39 years
Also ALICE, wife of the above
who died November 4th 1890
aged 79 years

Memorial No.			E12
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	173	79

HERE
Resteth the Body of
Thomas Crompton
the first Minister of
this Chapel who began
his ministry Octr 10th
1632 and died Jany
17th 1690 aged 84
years
Also the Body of Mary
Ann Crompton the
wife of John Unsworth
of ASTLEY and who
died July 5th 1850
aged 51 years

Memorial No.			F2
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	179	87

HERE
Resteth the body of

Betty daughter of William
and Ellen Richardson who
departed this Life June 4th 1815
aged 12 Years Also Mary
their daughter who departed
this Life 25th of September 1816
aged 21 Years
Ally on that come our grave to see
As we are now so must you be
Prepare in time make no delay
We in our youth were calld away
Also Jane their daughter
who departed this life 17th
October 1820 aged 20 years

Remarks

Between lines 2 and 3 there is no inscription, a gap of 45cm has been left

Memorial No.			F9
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	172	87

*eader
Adam Bowker Ye Love &
Ye beloved husband of Liz
Bowker was buried here
March 9 1682

Memorial No.			F10
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	91	62

HP is the only readable inscription .

Memorial No.			F11
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	174	89

Here Resteth the Body of Mar
tha yates Daughter of John and
Alice yates of Astley who Depart
ed this life Ye 19 and was inter
red the 22 day of March ano
Dom 1710 Aged 16n

Remarks.

Note the unusual line breaks in this inscription, evident on the photograph.

Memorial No.			F12
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	177	88

Thom Ye loving & the
beloved Son of Joseph
*angley was interred here
Dec 16 1683

Memorial No.			G2
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	186	89

Samuel Newton's Bu
Place 2 Brea
Here resteth the Bod
Samuel Newton of As
departed this life Septe
1817 aged 78 Years
Here resteth the Body of
Samuel Newton his son
who died Decr 3d 1796 Aged
21 Years and 10 Months
Dear Friends repent whilst you have Time
For I was taken in my Prime
Here resteth the Body of
Bettey the wife of Samuel
Newton of Astley who Dep
arted this life December 9th
1801 in the 65 Year of her Age

Remarks.

The top right hand corner of this inscription is missing.

Memorial No.			G9
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	175	78	10

Here Resteth the Remains of
Peter Cleworth of Astley
who departed this Life
March 22nd 1812 Aged
63 Years Also Ann his Wife
who departed this Life
June 29th 1808 Aged 63
Years Also Sarah their
daughter who departed this
Life January 28th 1842 Aged
71 Years
2 Breadths

Memorial No.			G10
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	183	92

HERE
Resteth the Body of
Richard Cleworth of Astley
who died November 19th 1844
Aged 61 Years
Also Elizabeth his sister
who died April 1st 1850 Aged
76 Years

Memorial No.			G11
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	192	92

IN MEMORY OF
Mary Ann the wife of Thomas
Keeling of Bedford who died
July 22nd 1846 aged 23 years

Memorial No.			G12
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	190	92

George Kniveton's Burial

Memorial No.			H2
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	191	94

SACRED to
THE MEMORY OF
Martha Hurst late Teacher
of the Infant school who died
Oct 15th 1850 aged 21 years
This stone was laid here by
her bereaved friends out of
respect to her memory
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord

Memorial No.			H10
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	198	89

here
Resteth The body of
Reuben Son of Catharine
Walton of Winton who
Departed this life June
11th 1827 Aged 26 Years

Memorial No.			H11
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	176	74

Alice Ye wife of John Speakman
was here interred July Ye 27th
1726

Henry Green

Memorial No.			H12
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	182	89

In Memory of
Alexander Heyes
Fustian Manufacturer
who departed this Life 3d July 1782
in the 64th Year of his Age

Memorial No.			H26
Type	Height	Width	Thickness
Ledger	189	90

IN
MEMORY
OF
Barbara McKie wife of Andrew
McKie of Pinighan in the
county of Galway Scotland
who died March 2nd 1819 aged
50 Years Also Alexander
Keavon McKie Son of the above
died December 20th 1818 aged
11 Years