Anna Bartlett monument - St Winifred - Branscombe, Devon
Posted by: SMacB
N 50° 41.409 W 003° 08.421
30U E 490085 N 5615378
Memorial monument to Anna Bartlett (nee Mitchell) in St Winifred's church, Branscombe.
Waymark Code: WM15ZMY
Location: Southern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/01/2022
Views: 0
Memorial monument to Anna Bartlett (nee Mitchell) in St Winifred's church, Branscombe. She was daughter of John Michell, MP, of Truro (
visit link) and Jane Michell (nee Killigrew). She married Ellis Bartlet of Branscombe, died 31 Jan 1606 age 47.
The monument comprises a chest tomb carved with cartouches, the lid is supported on pairs of Ionic columns. The plaque above has an architectural frame in a similar style. The inscription includes an interesting epitaph:
MANS LIFE IS BUT A SHADOWE.
DECEMB: 20: 1608.
WHEN DEATHE DID ME ASSAYLE
TO GOD THEN DID I CRYE,
OF JACOBES WELL TO MOYSTE MY SOLLE
THAT IT MIGHT NEVER DYE.
HERE LYETH INTUMBED THE BODIE
OF A VERTUOUS AND
GODLY GENTLE WOMAN
NAMED ANNE ONE OF THE
DAUGHTERS OF JOHN MITCHELL OF
TREWROW IN THE COMTIE
OF CORNWALL GENT SHE WAS
MARIED TO ELLYS BARTLETT OF
BRANSCOMBE GENT AND HAD
ISSUE BY HIM ONE CHILDE
SHE LIVED THE AGE OF XLVII
YEARES AND DEPARTED THIS
LIFE THE LAST DAY OF JANUARY
1606"This inscription is remarkable in two respects : one, the lady was of gentle descent, a countrywoman and, doubtless, friend of her neighbour, the other Cornish lady resident at Edge, with whom she lived contemporary; and secondly, it most suspiciously resembles in phraseology what is recorded in Prince as having existed to the memory of the mother of the Founder, as if one pen, at least, had written them both."
SOURCE - Memorials of the west, historical and descriptive, Rogers, William Henry Hamilton, b. 1828 (p.150) (
visit link)