Headstones of Josiah Weld, Mary Weld, Daniel Weld and William Weld

This listing describes a group of four 18th century headstones marking the graves of members of the Weld family. Each headstone is carved from a single slab of ragstone and is located 8 meters east of the Church of St Andrew, which mainly dates from the 15th to 16th century and is listed at Grade II*.

The headstones are rectangular upright slabs featuring ornate carvings and scrolls at the shaped upper portions of their faces.

The headstone of Josiah Weld includes a skull, a cherub’s face, and decorative scrollwork. It is inscribed with “Here lies the body of Josiah Weld who departed this life the 27th of March 1758 Aged 43 Years.” There is a smaller inscription below that is partly legible, as the headstone was encrusted with lichen during the survey in 2021.

Mary Weld's headstone features curvilinear shaping at the top, adorned with scrolls, foliate decoration, cherubs’ heads, and two figures standing on bones and skulls. The inscription reads, “MARY the Wife of WILLIAM WELD died the 9th of May 1757 in the 26th year of her Age.”

Daniel Weld's headstone also has curvilinear shaping with foliate decoration and a cherub’s head on top. It includes crossed trumpets and an hourglass resting on a mound of bones and skulls. The inscription states, “DANIEL WELD died the 24th of February 1776 in the 65th Year of his Age.”

William Weld's headstone, which has curvilinear shaping at the top, is very worn, making most of the inscription illegible. However, the word “surgeon” is discernible, identifying it as the grave of William Weld, the husband of Mary Weld, who was known to be a surgeon and apothecary and died on 3 May 1783.