UPON Ye DEATH OF THOMAS KENDEL
HERE IN Ye EARTH IS LAYD ON OF Ye 7 OF THIS CHURCH FOUNDATION
SO TO REMAIEN TEL Ye POWRFUL UOICE SAY RIS INHERIt A GLORIS HABITATION
A PATARN OF PEACE & LOVE & FOR PEACE) HERE WE MOURN & MOURN WE MOUSt
BUt NOW ALAS HOW SHORt THIS RACE) TO SE ZION StONS LIK GOLD NOW LAYD IN DUSt
I have no clue what "layd on of ye 7 of this church foundation" might mean, but that's what the lettering looks like to me. Any guesses?
3 comments:
I can't say for certain, but the phrase "layd on of ye 7 of this church foundation" might be in reference to deacons in the local congregation. Kendel may have been one. This may refer to the practice of appointing seven deacons in a local assembly as done in the New Testament book of Acts, chapter 6. It's just a guess. I am only beginning to do broad research into colonial religious practices.
Another possbility is that he died in the 7th year since that church was established, or founded. It was common for the English to date events, etc. as being in the X year of the reign of a monarch; it may be that here they chose something of more local import as a "year zero".
Thomas Kendel's gravestone is analyzed in Figures in the carpet by Wilfred McClay. It is online as a Google book:
http://books.google.com/books?id=yfPAncKZnVsC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
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