Grave Slab In The Angle With The Tower And South West Aisle Of Church Of St Peter

The grave slab, dating from around 1503, is a memorial to William and Elizabeth Netilton and is located in the angle between the tower and the south-west aisle of the Church of St. Peter. Made of ashlar, the slab is broken into two pieces with a missing south-west corner. It features an incised slipped cross and a damaged marginal inscription that reads: "Orate pro Willi Netilton valecit' dni Regis Eduardi." The inscription is noted to be much damaged and has been quoted by Kirk as "quarti qui obii5 ... "Elizabeth uxon's quae obiit...di aplis a dni MDIII." The text is carved in fine raised Gothic script. It appears that the word "valecit" was mistakenly carved instead of "valecti," which comes from "valettus," meaning yeoman. This grave likely belongs to William Nettleton, who became the park-keeper of Roundhay in 1488 and was succeeded by Sir John Nevell by February 21, 1503. He held the lease of the manor of Thorner during the reign of Henry VII. This slab is the oldest monument still present in either the church or the churchyard.