Thursday 29 November 2012

Epitaph on a Tombstone in Lydford Churchyard, Devon


I found a blank picture post card (circa 1920) in a box in our attic. Although there is absolutely no connection, as far as I know, with the watchmaker Kover, I thought the Epitaph might amuse my readers. Here is the text:

Here lies in a horizontal position
The outward case of
George Routleigh, Watchmaker.
Whose abilities in that line were an honour
To his profession.
Integrity, was the mainspring,
And prudence the regulator
Of all the actions of his life.
Humane, generous, an'liberal,
His hand never stopped
Till he had relieved distress.
So nicely regulated were all his motions
That he never went wrong,
Except when set agoing
By people
Who did not know
His key,
Even then he was easily
Set right
He had the art of disposing of his time
So well,
That his hours glided away
In one continual round
Of pleasure and delight
Till an unlucky minute put a period to
His existence.
He departed this life
November 14, 1802,
Aged 57,
Wound up
In hope of being taken in hand
By his Maker
And of being thoroughly cleaned and repaired
And set agoing
In the world to come.
 
I found many references to the Epitaph on George Routleigh's grave, here are a couple (for more links simply search for "george routleigh watchmaker" or "george routledge watchmaker"):


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