Memorial To Ely Hargrove In Churchyard 1 Metre South Of Church Of Saint John The Baptist

The memorial to Ely Hargrove is a chest tomb located in the churchyard, one metre south of the Church of Saint John the Baptist. It dates from the second quarter of the 19th century and underwent restoration in the mid-20th century. The tomb commemorates Ely Hargrove, who died in 1818, his wife Christiana, who died in 1780, and their daughter Mary. It is made of gritstone and features a moulded plinth, an octagonal fielded panel at each end, and a central octagonal fielded panel flanked by hexagonal fielded panels on the sides. The large top slab has roll-moulded edges and deeply-incised lettering. The inscription praises Ely Hargrove as "the celebrated historian of this town and the surrounding country" and highlights his literary pursuits and integrity. The tomb was relocated to its current position from outside the west end of the church during landscaping in 1973. Ely Hargrove was born in Halifax in 1741 and moved to Knaresborough in 1762, where he worked as a printer and bookseller. He also served as a librarian at Harrogate and published 'The History of the Castle, Town, and Forest, of Knaresborough, with Harrogate, and its medicinal springs' in 1775, which became a widely referenced source on the town, running to seven editions by 1832.