Tomb of Cecil Talbot in the churchyard of St Nicholas

Tomb of Cecil Talbot, 1720, situated a short distance to the north-west of the church.

MATERIALS: grey stone, or possibly weathered marble.

DESCRIPTION: the tomb takes the form of a sarcophagus with pedestal feet on a panelled base. The west and east ends are coved, with projecting sloping panels to the north and east, and there is a cornice with a bold oversailing torus moulding below a shallow pyramidal lid. The west and east ends are carved with Talbot and Matthews arms in cartouches; the projecting north and south faces carry inscriptions. There are two repairs to the stonework, one to the north and one to the south face; on the south face an inserted section of stone has been carved with lettering. On the north face: ‘In memory of M[…] CECIL TALBOT / Only daughter & heir of CHARLES MATTHEW / Of Castle y. Menich in ye County of Glamorgan Esqr ; And wife of CHARLES TALBOT Barrister at Law / To whom She bore five sons, and left four surviving; / She died in this parish on the 13th of June 1720, / And chose this place for her grave / in the 28 year of her Age.’ On the south face: ‘She had a quick apprehension ready wit and solid judgement / Improved by usefull […] knowledge. / With a sweetness of temper scarce ever to be ruffled / How mild beneficent she was to her domesticks / How anxiously tender of her children and rationally instructive / How invariably zealous in her just concerne / for the honour & interests of her Country, / of her Family, and of her Friends, / How dear, how reciprocally affectionate & faithfull / to her (alas! now lonely) Spouse, / All her acquaintance know, these lines are meant / to witness to posterity: / After a short life, led under a constant and deep sence / Of the excellence of Virtue, She is gone to God in peace. / Go Thou, and beg of him to give Thee grace, / in what Thou may’st to imitate the bright example.’