Group Of Six Monuments In The Churchyard Of The Church Of St Peter Circa 4 To 8 Metres East Of The Church Path And Porch

A group of six monuments stands in the churchyard of St Peter's Church, located approximately 4 to 8 metres east of the church path and porch in Little Barrington village. The group comprises three chest tombs and three headstones, all constructed from limestone.

The first chest tomb commemorates Joseph and Ursuly Beauchamp, who died in 1726. An inscription on the north side details their passing, enclosed within a rectangular plaque with a moulded border. Above the inscription sits a winged angel’s head, flanked by rectangular marginal panels also with moulded borders. The capping stone has a gadrooned margin.

To the east, approximately 5 metres away, is a headstone marking the grave of James Busby, son of Thomas and Sarah Busby, dating from the 18th century. The headstone features a winged angel's head at the top, accompanied by foliate decoration and a vine scroll below the inscription.

A third chest tomb, situated around 3 metres south of the previous monument, belongs to Thomas Williams and other members of his family, also dating from the 18th century. It has a moulded plinth and three sunken inscription plaques with moulded borders on the south side. The central plaque commemorates Thomas Williams, featuring a winged angel’s head at the top. Smaller plaques are dedicated to Jane and Ann Williams, Thomas's wives. A partially legible inscription is flanked by fielded marginal panels. The capping stone possesses a moulded margin and a rectangular upper capping stone.

A pair of headstones are found approximately 0.5 metres east of the Thomas Williams tomb. The right-hand headstone features a winged angel's head at the top and a cartouche-like surround to the former inscription. The left-hand headstone, dating from the late 17th or early 18th century, has a partially legible inscription now partly obscured underground, and its top is formed by a pair of scrolls.

The final monument is the chest tomb of Thomas Heming, also from the 18th century. It features a moulded plinth and inscriptions on all four sides. The main inscription, on the south side, commemorates Thomas Heming with a winged angel's head at the top, enclosed within a Baroque-style surround and flanked by raised foliate scrollwork on the marginal panels. The left-hand marginal panel is eroded. A plain inscription on the north side, now partially eroded, commemorates Thomas Heming’s wife. Plain marginal panels border the inscription. The east end bears an inscription within a sunken plaque with an inset segmental head, while a similar, illegible plaque occupies the west end. The capping stone has a moulded margin and a hipped upper capping stone with a roll-moulded ridge, the upper surface of which is badly eroded.