Monument To Elizabeth Stiff And Others, West Enclosure

The monument to Elizabeth Stiff and others is a mid 18th century headstone located in the west enclosure of Bunhill Fields Burial Ground. It is made of Portland stone and features an upright slab with a scrolled and shaped top. The top has a worn relief carving that appears to depict two amorini (winged cherubs' heads), an hourglass, and a coffin lid. The inscription lists several names, including Elizabeth, wife of Peter Clugh of the parish of St Botolph Aldersgate, who died around 1748, and Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Stiff, who died in 1777. Below the names, there is a warning that reads, "Reader be thou also ready."

Bunhill Fields was first enclosed as a burial ground in 1665. Its location just outside the City boundary and its independence from any established place of worship made it London's principal Nonconformist cemetery. Notable figures such as John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe, and William Blake are buried here. The burial ground was closed for burials in 1853 and was laid out as a public park in 1867. It underwent re-landscaping after war damage by Bridgewater and Shepheard in 1964-1965.

The monument is listed for its richly-carved Baroque design and its clear admonitory inscription, which reflects contemporary attitudes towards mortality. It also has group value with other listed tombs in the west enclosure of the Grade I registered Bunhill Fields Burial Ground.