] 96 Some Account of the Parish of Monkton Farleigh. 



The north side is certainly more full of graves, and it was there, 



too, that a " Butter Cross" stood within the memory of Thomas 



Sweetland — born 1801. He used to hear of people coming* to 



market there from Bath and Bradford, and he himself has played 



on the steps, where the cross stood, which were flat at the top. 



There is but one tombstone worthy of full record, and it is 



that of Daniel Taylor, blacksmith and churchwarden, who died 



April 17th, 1795. It runs thus :— 



" My sledge and hammer lie declined, 

 My bellows they have lost their wind. 

 My fire's extinct — my forge decayed, 

 And in the dust my vice is laid. 

 My coal is spent — my irons gone, 

 My nails are driven, my work is done. 

 My fire-dried corpse lies here at rest, 

 My soul well smoked soars to be bless d ." 



There are epitaphs almost word for word similar to the first six 

 lines of these at East and Mid Lavant, near Chichester, and at 

 Hatfield, near Doncaster. 



That at Hatfield is to John Seaton, of Stainforth, and is of date 

 1802. Those at the Lavants are to John Ewen and Richard Sanford 

 respectively, and are of date 1750 and 1825 respectively. Here the 

 families were related, and the Churches close together, but I can 

 trace no connection between them and that at Doncaster and our 

 own epitaph. 



The Rectory. 



The old rectory stood about 20 yards below the present house, on 

 the site of what is now partly lawn and partly stables. The present 

 house was built in 1844-6 by the Rev. Edward Brown, rector, at 

 his sole charge, and at an expense of £2120 3s. 6d. The architect 

 was Mr. Hicks, and the contractors, Messrs. Wilcox & Co., of Bristol. 



The present rector, Mr. Tooke, has added very materially to the 

 accommodation and comfort, and has completed the design of the 

 house ; and, whether we consider its site, its proximity to the Church 

 and the parish, its accommodation, its present interior ornamentation 

 and arrangements, or its outward form and aspect, it would be diffi- 

 cult in all Wiltshire to find a more beautiful and suitable parsonage. 



