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JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
In the middle ages it was esteemed a sacred privilege to be 
permitted burial under the rood. 
Chaucer says — 
" He died when I came fro Hierusalem, 
And lieth in graue vnder the rode beem." 
There is a fine Perpendicular tower of three stages to this church, 
with embattled parapets, and very handsome octagonal pinnacles 
(crocketted), and with carved finials at the top. In the churchyard, 
under the shadows of the large and beautiful beech trees, are some 
very interesting tombstones. Two of these somewhat resemble 
cromlechs, though they only date back to the seventeenth century. 
They consist of a massive granite slab, supported at each end by an 
upright granite stone. So far as I know, they are peculiar to these 
Devon churchyards. There is one at Lidford a little older than 
these at Peter Tavy, and which once had a metal plate inserted on 
the slab, and there are several in the churchyard at Bridestowe. 
Some of them are elaborately, though rudely, carved in relief. 
One of those at Peter Tavy has this inscription on it, "Here lieth 
the body of Walter Cole, of this parish. Buried the 18th day of 
October, 1663. Aged, at death, 24." Nowaday we say a man 
was lorn on such a date, and died on such a date; but in the 
olden time the Christian's mortal life began and ended with the 
rites of the church ; and the custom of saying that he was "buried" 
instead of " died " continued in many places down to quite the end 
of the last century. 
On a monument within the church, on the north side, the 
date of which is 1590, is the following, to five infant daughters of 
Richard Eveleigh, rector of Peter Tavy — 
" Five infant sisters from one wombe, 
Here lie together in one tombe ; 
