Ordsall
All Hallows

Monuments and Memorials

North Aisle

The most striking monument is on the north wall of the north aisle. It depicts a figure of a man in Elizabethan dress – a doublet with padded sleeves, a white ruff around his neck and a long gown. He is kneeling before a desk on which there is an open book. The monument is canopied and has unfluted columns. The monument bears the coat of arms belonging to the Bevercotes family, who once lived in the nearby village of that name. It is known to be in memory of Samuel Bevercotes, son of Anthony Bevercotes of Ordsall. He was a barrister of some repute and was buried in September 1603.

The monument is of alabaster and the style is Dutch. It is likely to have been carved by one of the emigrant Dutch carvers who settled in England and were active in the 16th and 17th Centuries. Nicholas Stone was active between 1613 and 1647 and was based in London. The Hollemans were based in Burton and the Jansens (anglicised Johnson) in Southwark, London. As there is no mark on the monument it is difficult to identify the carver. The source of the alabaster is unclear, although it may be from the Fauld mine in Staffordshire.

The monument was moved from the nave to the ringing chamber in the tower at the time of the 1831 restoration where it remained for 100 years. It moved back to its present position in 1931. It may originally have been backed by a niche although there is no evidence of this and the hands are missing and one of the pillars is detached and in storage. The book has also recently been removed for safety reasons.

South Aisle

There is further evidence of alabaster in the surround of a mural in the south aisle to the memory of Henry Halfhide. He died at the age of 66 on 26 March 1689. The marble tablet details his wives and children. The date is too late for it to be from the Stone school, although it is probable that later carvers took on the Stone style. The alabaster used for this surround could also be from the Fauld mine. It is very finely carved and appears to have been fitted in small sections. Henry Halfhide was a patron and benefactor and gave land for charity.

Henry Halfhide aged about 66 died
March ye 26 Ano Dmi 89 & buried in
the North Quire nere his wife Margret
who died ye 4th of March 1658 by who
had 3 Daughters Mary Sara:& Bridget
all Deceased
By Martha his second wife had 4
Sonnes & 4 Daughters Jer: Will Martha
Rebecha & Geo Eliz Hen & Ann of
which Will & Rebecha : Dead
Cristus Resurrexit

There are several brass plaques either side of the Halfhide memorial of different shapes and sizes. All relate to burials from the 17th and 18th centuries.

To the left a rectangular plaque has a coat of arms and bears a Latin inscription relating to Johannes Pigot and his wife Elizabeth who died in 1727 and 1718 respectively. The inscription reads:

JOHANNES PIGOT, A.M.,
Ecclesiae Cathedralis et Metropoliticae
CANTUARIAE
a Sex Concionatoribus
Ecclesiae de SOUTHWEL Canoniens
et hujusce Ecclesiae Rector.
Obijt Aug. 21. A.D. 1727.
82 annos natus.

ELIZABETHAE Uxoris ejus cineres
juxta sunt depositi
Obijt Jan. 4. A.D. 1718.
60 annos nata.

It can be translated as: 'John Pigot, M.A. One of the SIX preachers of the Cathedral and Metropolitan Church of Canterbury, Canon of Southwell, and Rector of this Church, died 21 August, 1727, aged 82. The ashes of Elizabeth, his wife, are deposited near. She died 4 January, 1718, aged 60.'

Immediately below that is a smaller rectangular plaque relating to the death of John Johnson who died aged 43 on 30 October 1680. He was buried on the 1 November. The inscription reads:

Here lyeth the body of John Johnson who dyed
October 30th 1680 and was buried November ye first
 in the 43 yeare of his Age, hee was the son of Stephen
Johnson of Ordsall and Anne his wife and married
Katherine the daughter of william brownelow of
Ossington by whom hee had Issue one son Stephen
deceased and one daughter Elizabeth surviving
aged 11 yeares.

The memory of the Just is blessed.

There is a further brass plaque just below, small and rectangular which reads:

I have fought a good fioght
I have finished my course

There is no indication whether this relates to any of the other adjacent memorials.

To the right of the Halfhide memorial there is a shield-shaped brass plaque. It refers to the interment of Robert Coe of Ordsall who died on 23 March 1718. He was the grandson of Robert Coe who is commemorated nearby. It implies the plaque was placed where he was buried. There is evidence that the plaque was originally on the floor of the south aisle.

Here lieth Interr'd the Body
of ye truly just and virtuous
Robert Coe, of Ordsall, Gent.,
who departed this life
for a better, March ye 23rd,
in ye year of our Blessed Lord 1718,
and in ye 74th year of his age.
As the Life, so the End."

There is also evidence of removal from the south aisle floor of a larger rectangular brass plaque which is now below the shield relating to Elizabeth Coe, also implying that she was buried beneath. She was the widow of Stephen Coe who had 'fower' sons and 'fower' daughters and died on the 21 May 1653. The inscription reads:

Qualis vita, finis ita
Here resteth the body of the truely pious
and Virtuous Elizabeth daughter of Mr
Thomas Fluellin of Whitchurch in Salop late
wife of Stephen Coe of this parish, who had
issue by her said husband fower sonns and
fower daughter She exchanged this life
for a better the 21st of May 1653 being aged
42 yeares and 5 moneths

When I awake I am still with thee

The final brass plaque now placed below also once sat on the floor of the south aisle. The inscription is in Latin and relates to Stephen Coe:

HIC IACET DNVS STEPHANOS COE IN
ARTIBVS MAGISTER QVONDAM RECTOR
ISTIVS ECCLESIAE QVI ANIMAM DEO
REDDIDIT SECTO DIE APRILIS ANNO
DNI 1614

The translation reads 'Here lies Stephen Coe, M.A., once Rector of this church, who gave back his soul to God, April 6th 1614. He was Rector 1589 to 1614 and had asked in his will to be buried "in the earth" at Ordsall Church.'

Immediately below the Halfhide memorial there is a far less grand stone tablet commemorating Halfhide’s eldest son who died in 1727 aged 68. The inscription reads:

M . S.
Near this Place lieth interrd
The Body of Jer: Halfhide Gnt
Eldest Son of Hen: Halfhide
(By Martha his second Wife)
Who died belov’d & lamented
On the 27th Day of Novembr

 

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Of his Age 68

In the Year

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Of our Lord 1727

A large marble mural to the left of the south porch is in memory of Mr Richard Brownlow of Thrumpton who died in 1706. His daughter is also commemorated on the tablet. The elaborate stone surround is headed by a coat of arms, and below is carved a skull with wings.

Near this place lyes Inter’d the Body of
MR RICHARD BROWNLOW
of Thrumpton in this Parish
Who departed this life the 31th day
of January Anno Dom 1706.
in the 69th year of his Age.

Near lyeth the Body of Mis Anne Turnell
Widow Dawter and only Child of Mr Richd
Brownlow of Thrumpton in this Parish who
departed this life Nov: the 6th 1727
in the 56th year of her Age

His grave marker lies on the floor inside the south porch, close to the font. The inscription head is towards the south, the inscription reads:

Here Lyes the
Body of Mr RICHARD
BROWNLOW of Thrumpton
Who Departed ys Life Ian:
31 1706 Aged 69 years

Here lyeth the Body of
Mrs Ann Turnell Widow
[...] only Child of Mr Richd
Brownlow of Thrumpton
in this parish who depart
ed this life Novem ye 6th 1727
in the 65 year of her Age.

Immediately inside the south porch door there is a large black grave marker which faces the opposite way to the Brownlow memorials. This commemorates Simon Fowe (1788-1829):

SIMON FOWE
of Ordsall was born
16th Novr 1788 and died Feby 28th 1829

There is evidence of three grave markers in the south aisle, the most easterly being that of John Johnson, (see the brass plaque above), the second is to that of his wife Catherine and the third is unfortunately too worn to read. John Johnson's grave marker reads:

HERE LYETH
THE BODY OF
JOHN JOHNSON
OF ORDSALL WHO
DEPARTED THIS
LIFE OCTOBER 30th
1680
WHEN I AWAKE
I AM STILL WITH
THEE
Here Also Lyeth the Body of
Catherine Johnson Wife of
John Johnson Here Interred
Who Dyed the 30th Day of
August Anno Dom 1718

West Wall

On the west wall there is a tablet in memory of Walter Wharmby who died 26 January 1854 aged 22 years. His father was superintendent in her Majesty's Customs at Liverpool:

IN MEMORY OF
WALTER WHARMBY ESQR,
SECOND SON OF CHRISTOPHER AND
ANN WHARMBY,
WHO DIED 26TH JANUARY 1854,
AGED 22 YEARS,
AND WAS INTERRED
NEAR THIS PLACE.
HIS FATHER WAS A SUPERINTENDENT
IN HER MAJESTYS CUSTOMS
AT LIVERPOOL.

On the same wall is a memorial to the role of the railwaymen in the parish. The presentation of a model railway engine was reported in the parish magazine of July 1954:

'Since the coming of the M.S. and L. railway to Retford, first Thrumpton, and then the Great Northern stations have stood side by side with the ancient Parish Church of Ordsall. Countless railwaymen have worshipped in the Church. On their way to the 'great terminus' their bodies have been buried in the hallowed acre just across the meadows from the main line. As a token of this close association, and as a memorial to railway servants who have passed on, Mr Alan Peglar and Gainsborough Railway Society of which he is President, have presented a miniature replica of the Atlantic 4433 locomotive, which in the L.N.E.R. days used to operate from Retford sheds. The commemorative silver plate is inscribed 'In memory of the Railwaymen of Retford since 1847'. It will stand on an oak shelf in the North East corner of the church.'

North Aisle

There are several memorials to the Mason family. The first Mason recorded as a vicar of the parish is Edmund in 1614. George Mason was vicar 1727 to 1743 and married Elizabeth the daughter of John Pigot, his predecessor. The memorials are to the later generations – sons and grandsons – William Mason 1747 to 1803, Jane, his wife, 1751 to 1825.

SACRED
To the Memory of
WILLIAM MASON Esqr
of Welham, who was born
29 Jany 1747, and died
21 Sepr 1803.

JANE Relict of
WILLIAM MASON Esqr
of Welham,
born 28 March 1751
died 12 Fedy 1823.

('Fedy' is how it is spelt on the memorial).

The Rev. George Mason M.A., second son of William and Jane who died in 1851 at Cuckney, where he is interred.

IN MEMORY OF
THE REV GEORGE MASON, M.A.
SECOND SON OF
WILLIAM AND JANE MASON,
WHO DIED AT CUCKNEY, IN THIS COUNTY,
(WHERE HE WAS ALSO INTERRED)
OCTOBER 25TH 1851,
AGED 64 YEARS.

William Mason, their eldest son, who had lived in London but who is buried in Ordsall churchyard, lived from 1784 to 1856.

THIS TABLET IS ERECTED
IN MEMORY OF
WILLIAM MASON ESQRE
LATE OF 26 DUKE STREET,
MANCHESTER SQUARE, LONDON;
ELDEST SON OF
WILLIAM MASON ESQRE OF WELHAM
AND OF JANE HIS WIFE,
WHO WAS BORN JULY 17TH 1784,
DIED OCTOBER 22ND 1856,
AND WAS INTERRED IN THE
CHURCH YARD OF ORDSALL.

A memorial to Robert Moody also has the Mason connection through his wife Jane who was the daughter of George and Elizabeth Mason. Their son Robert who was vicar of Beckingham is also commemorated and predeceased his parents in 1837 aged 54.

SACRED
To the Memory of
ROBERT MOODY ESQRE
who departed this Life March 29th 1841,
Aged 88 Years.

ALSO of JANE his Wife,
(Daughter of GEORGE MASON ESQRE
of Eaton and ELIZABETH his Wife)
who died April 19th 1840 Aged 82 Years.
ALSO of the REVD ROBERT MOODY
Rector of Beckingham Lincolnshire,
who departed this Life
February 2nd 1837, Aged 54 Years.

 

SACRED
To the Memory of
ANNE MASON of
Eaton in this County
who was born the
10 March 1743 and
died 8th Jany 1795.
And
CATHARINE MASON of
Eaton in this County
who was born 6th Octr
1745 and died 15 May 1807.
And
GEORGE MASON Esqr of
Eaton in this County
who was born the
18th July 1741 and
died the 29th June 1809.

The wooden board which records the incumbents is also attached to the north wall below the memorial to the Rev. George Mason.