John King And 2 Unidentified Monuments,About 0.5M East Of William Pearce Monument In Churchyard Of Church Of St Mary The Virgin

This listing describes a group of three chest tombs located about 0.5 meters east of the William Pearce monument in the churchyard of the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Berkeley. The tombs date from different periods: the northernmost is an unidentified late 17th-century tomb, the central tomb belongs to John King, who died in 1823, and the southernmost is an unidentified early 18th-century tomb.

All three tombs are made of limestone and feature flat tops. The first tomb has a moulded plinth on a base with heavy moulded capping that is very eroded. Its ends and sides are divided into two sections with plain rectangular panels, but the inscriptions have been obliterated. The second tomb, belonging to John King, has a moulded plinth and capping with indented corners. It features small ovals on the ends and larger ovals on the sides, which contain inscriptions on the north side and a heavy carved floral motif in the spandrels. The third tomb has plain unmoulded capping that appears to have been renewed, with no visible plinth. It has lyre ends that are badly eroded and feature hanging drapery on the returns. The sides include a central small inscription panel flanked by carved foliage panels, while the west end showcases a heavily carved circular panel with a flaming torch device.