Tomb of Frances and John Abel, Earlham Cemetery

The Tomb of Frances and John Abel, located in Earlham Cemetery, is a chest tomb featuring a horse statue dedicated to Frances Abel, who died in 1859. The tomb was crafted by Amos Hibbett, a monumental mason, and includes a later inscription for John Abel, who died in 1881.

Constructed from stone, the tomb has a rectangular shape oriented east to west. It is designed in a classical style with a moulded plinth, raised panels at the corners, and inset inscription panels on the north and south sides. The tomb is topped with a thick stone slab and a sculpture of a horse, which is depicted bowing its head and stepping forward with its foreleg raised. This horse is positioned beside a carved tree trunk covered in ivy, from which a carved acorn hangs.

The inscription on the south side reads: “SACRED/TO THE MEMORY OF/FRANCES/THE WIFE OF/ JOHN ABEL/ WHO DIED 11TH MARCH 1859, AGED 55 YEARS.” On the north side, the inscription states: “IN LOVING MEMORY OF/JOHN ABEL/ WHO DIED 5TH OCTOBER 1883/ AGED 80 YEARS/LET ALL THE WORLD BE SILENT FOR GOD ALONE IS JUDGE.”