Row Of 10 Chest Tombs And One Table Tomb Against The South East Of Churchyard Wall Of The Church Of St John The Baptist

A row of 10 chest tombs and one table tomb is located against the southeast churchyard wall of the Church of St John the Baptist in Bishopsteigton. These tombs date from the early to mid-19th century, with one from the early 20th century, and are made of freestone and granite. They represent the character of Bishopsteignton as a fashionable early 19th-century town. The chest tombs have been repositioned as part of a churchyard clearance scheme and create an impressive display along the boundary wall.

From north to south, the tombs are as follows:

1. The northernmost tomb is a panelled chest with a plinth and corner pilasters, commemorating John Livett, who died in 1818.
2. The second tomb has a similar design with a moulded lid, commemorating Henry Templey, who died in 1830.
3. The third tomb, also similar in design, commemorates Amelia White, who died in 1844.
4. The fourth tomb has a similar design but with a broken lid, making the inscription illegible.
5. The fifth is a sarcophagus with a hollow-chamfered plinth and a coped lid, commemorating Mary Egerton, who died in 1845.
6. The sixth is a low, panelled freestone chest with corner pilasters and a moulded lid, commemorating Hester King, who died in 1855.
7. The seventh is a fine, severe granite sarcophagus with a moulded plinth and coped lid, commemorating John Sadler, who died in 1901.
8. The eighth is a freestone sarcophagus with a coped lid, commemorating H.T. Godwin, KGB, who died in 1854.
9. The ninth is a plain freestone chest with corner pilasters, but the inscription is illegible.
10. The tenth is a panelled freestone chest, with the inscription on the lid obscured by headstones.
11. Finally, the table tomb is made of freestone, resting on hair claw feet, with a moulded table top that shows evidence of former railings. The inscription on the lid commemorates Henrietta Abbot, who died in either 1851 or 1831, as the third numeral is indistinct.