Here lieth the body of Peter Isnel (30 years clerk of this parish.)
He lived respected as a pious and mirthful man, and died on his way to church, to assist at a wedding, on the 31st day of March, 1811, aged 70 years. The inhabitants of Crayford have raised this stone to his cheerful memory, and as a tribute to his long and faithful service.
The life of this clerk was just three score and ten, Nearly half of which time he had sung out _Amen_! In his youth he was married, like other young men, But his wife died one day, so he chanted _Amen_! A second he took—she departed—what then? He married and buried a third with _Amen_; Thus, his joys and his sorrows were treble, but then His voice was deep bass as he sung out _Amen_! On the horn he could blow as well as most men, So his horn was exalted in blowing _Amen_; But he lost all his wind after three score and ten, And now, with three wives, he waits, till again The trumpet shall rouse him to sing out _Amen_!
Palmers al our faders were,— I, a Palmer, lived here, And travylled till, worne with age, I endyd this world’s pylgrymage On the blyst Assention-day, In the cheerful month of May, A thousand with foure hundryd seven, And took my jorney hense to Heven!
To Thomas, son of Thomas Danson, late a Preacher in this town. Born Oct. 23, 1668; died Oct. 23, 1674.
Upon October’s three and twentieth day The world began, (as learned Annals say,) That was this child’s birthday, on which he died, The world’s end may in his be typified: Oh! happy little world, whose work is done Before the greater, and his rest begun.
Several years since, an inhabitant of Woolwich died, leaving a testamentary order that his tombstone should be inscribed with the well-known lines:—
Youthful reader, passing by, As you are now, so once was I, As I am now, so you must be, Therefore prepare to follow me.
The widow of the deceased, who did not honour her lord more than the ordinary run of wives, obeyed her late husband’s injunctions, but added a postscript of her own composition—
To follow you I am not content, Until I know which way you went.
In her life she did her best, Now, I hope her soul’s at rest; Also her son Tom lies at her feet, He liv’d till he made both ends meet.