Gravestone of Joseph and Sarah Whitley

The gravestone commemorates Joseph and Sarah Whitley and dates from 1889. It is constructed of sandstone ashlar, with bronze plaques, pink-marble columns, and painted ceramic tiles created by Louis Le Prince.

The memorial stands attached to a churchyard boundary wall dating to the 1820s, located approximately 10 metres north of the Church of St John and running east-west. The gravestone is situated just beyond the middle of the wall, approximately 14 metres north-east of the church tower. The design incorporates a large sandstone ashlar frame, featuring a central carved band supported by slender pink-marble columns with stylized capitals and bases. Above this, a semi-circular decorative carving takes the form of two Gothic arches intertwined with two fleurs-de-lys, resembling a window or doorway. Bronze plaques with molded edges and floriated fixings, believed to be from Joseph Whitley's company, are set between the columns. The upper plaque memorialises Sarah Robinson (died 1888, aged 72), while the lower plaque commemorates Joseph Whitley (died 1891, aged 74). Decorative Arts & Crafts painted tilework by Louis Le Prince, damaged and worn, adorn the side panels and upper section of the memorial. The side panels depict tall urns, while the upper section features a Calvary scene with two crossed swords and the Latin phrase 'FIT VIA VI' (strength is the way), flanked by vases, foliage, and poppy heads. Louis Le Prince’s signature (his initials) and the date 1889 are incorporated into the tile at the bottom right of the memorial. The grave plot is enclosed by sandstone coping stones with canted edges.