Headstone To Eleanor And Charles Sanderson, South Enclosure

The headstone for Eleanor and Charles Sanderson, dating from around 1796, is located in the south enclosure of Bunhill Fields Burial Ground. Made of sandstone, the headstone features a shaped top and an inscription on one side. It commemorates Mrs. Eleanor Sanderson, who died in 1795 at the age of 43, and Mr. Charles Sanderson, who died in 1796 at the age of 76. The inscription includes an admonitory verse that reads: "In Youth or Age you all must Die, / And turn to Dust as well as I. / Death doth not always warning give, / Therefore be carefull how you live." It concludes with the phrase "Late of Hog Lane."

Bunhill Fields was established as a burial ground in 1665 and became London's main Nonconformist cemetery due to its location just outside the City boundary and its independence from any established church. Notable figures such as John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe, and William Blake are buried here. The burial ground was closed in 1853 and transformed into a public park in 1867, later being re-landscaped after war damage in 1964-65.

The headstone is recognized for its well-preserved condition and the unique, less solemn verse, which distinguishes it from other monuments in Bunhill Fields. It holds group value with other listed monuments in the south enclosure.