Group Of 4 Collingridge Memorials Approximately 1 Metre East Of South Aisle Of Church Of St James

This group of four headstones, known as the Collingridge memorials, is located approximately 1 metre east of the south aisle of the Church of St. James. They date from the late 17th century and are made of limestone and marlstone. The small headstones consist of two made from limestone and two from marlstone, each featuring plain panels below shaped beads. All the headstones display a cross standing on a skull, flanked by crossed bones. The inscriptions are partly illegible but commemorate members of the Collingridge family, with dates recorded as 1688 and 1690. These stones are the earliest in a group of around 20 memorials, along with several footstones, dedicated to the same family, extending into the early 20th century. Most of these memorials include a representation of the cross, which is a very unusual feature before the mid-19th century and may suggest a Recusant connection.