Group of six Kipping headstones approximately 4 metres south of the nave of the Church of St Mary

TQ 63 49 7/46

HADLOW CHURCH STREET Group of six Kipping headstones approximately 4 metres south of the nave of the Church of St Mary

GV II Group of six headstones. Dated between 1718 and 1781 in memory of members of he Kipping family. All are sandstone upright slabs with variously shaped heads and stand between approximately 800mm and 1.3m high. They all face east and are inscribed with Roman serif upper and lower case lettering. The group is made up of two rows of three headstones.

The best front row left: its head is carved in low relief with a biblical or allegoric scene. It features a bearded figure holding a spade and with his other arm up in resolve against the pleas of a kneeling woman. To left a mother holds a baby with two crosses behind and to right another figure holds a shroud. The inscription begins in Gothic lettering and includes some italics. It records the deaths of Henry Kipping and his wife Grace in 1781 and their daughters Grace (1775) and Sarah (1767).

Front row centre in memory of William Kipping (d. 1781), its head carved with a winged cherub's head amongst flowing foliage. Front row right another good one in memory of Mary Kipping (d. 1777), its head carved with children reading books.

Back row headstones all have curvilinear shaped heads with recessed panels. The left one has projected scrolled ears; it records the death of 17 year old John Kipping in 1732. The middle one is small and narrow and commemorates six year old Ann Kipping (d. 1718). The right one has a double head. It is barely legible and only John Kipping (d. 1734) can be read although it includes his wife and daughter.

Listing NGR: TQ6344949700