Ragnall
St Leonard

Monuments and Memorials

There were two 17th century monuments on the north wall of the chancel. The Listing Description, written in 1967, describes them as follows:

'On the north chancel wall is a monument to William Reason, 16[27], decorated on the crown with a broken pediment and decorative cartouche, and on the apron with skulls and crossbones. There is a further monument to William Mellish, 1690, the sides being decorated with stiff swags, the apron with cherubs' heads and the crown with an arch surmounted by 2 urns and a central decorative cartouche.'

Chadwick (1924) provides the inscriptions of both monuments:

William Reason (died 1627)

grave in levity
span in brevity
glorias felicity
fire of misery
winds stability
in mortality.

 

His riches were like
corn lent to the field
what it received it
manifold did yield
his boddy hath a grave
his virtues none but
shall with time growe
grene when that is gon

 

stone wall, brass tower
decay as flower,
once gon their
good is loe here
they stood so
transitory is
our glory.

This is ye tomb or monument of William Reason Esqr.,
who died ye 21st day of March, A. D. 1627
in ye 68th yeare of his age.

William Mellish (died 1690)

Near this monument lyeth ye bodys of William Mellish, late of London, mercht. (2nd son of Robert Mellish of this place, esq.) who dyed ye 14th day of December, 1690,  AEtat suae 61, leaving no issue behind him. And of Dorothy, his wife, who in respect and love to her husband and his family ordered by her last will his body should be removed out of St. Andrew’s Church, Holborn, London, and carried with hers and interred both together in this church by his family. She dyed ye 14th day of May, 1702; AEtat suae 55. And was daughter of Sr. Humphrey Bennet, of Hamshire, Kt. who eminently signalized himself in ye service of King Charles ye first.”

Pevsner (1979) attributes the Mellish monument to William Stanton.

After the church was closed for worship in 1993 the Reason monument was moved to the south wall of the tower of Fledborough St Gregory.

The Mellish monument is now in St Andrew's church, Holborn, London, where he was originally interred before his wife had his body transferred to Ragnall as described in the inscription above.

In addition there were several floorstones recorded by Chadwick (1924). In the chancel:

William Mellish and Dorothy his wife

Robert Mellish Esq.

In the nave:

Eliza Moore, wife of Thomas Moore, who departed this life April 13, 1728