Monument With Railing Surround To Thomas Gadd Matthews

This monument, dedicated to Thomas Gadd Matthews, is located in Arno's Vale Cemetery in Bristol and dates from around 1860. It features a sarcophagus, a plinth, and railings, constructed from Carrara marble, Forest of Dean sandstone ashlar, and cast iron. The large plinth has concave sides and angle console buttresses, adorned with inscribed sunken panels that have foliate surrounds. Atop the plinth sits a large sarcophagus supported by lion feet, with a gadrooned top and an acroterion finial. Surrounding the monument are iron railings with ten battered piers set on Pennant plinths. Originally, yews were planted at each corner and box hedges lined the railings. The total cost of the tomb was £1,000. It was constructed to allow Thomas Gadd Matthews, an oil and indigo merchant and dry salter, to be buried in the Anglican section of the cemetery while his wife was interred in the nonconformist part; this required the diversion of the original dividing path. His obituary was published in the Bristol Times in June 1860.