CH57. Tablet with urn above on a black surround above column
Sacred to the Memory of / JOHN MAUD Esq. of Hillingdon / who Died May 15th 1820, Aged 65. Also of / ELIZABETH MAUD his Wife / who Died March 5th 1820, Aged 60.
John & Elizabeth Maud
John & Elizabeth Maud both died in 1820 and I’m sorry to say that’s about all I can tell you about this couple!!! However one thing of note is that we have a name of the sculptor on this monument which is not rare but uncommon. His name was John Tomlinson of Uxbridge, and he was quite prolific in the area. There are examples of his work in Uxbridge, Ickenham and West Drayton churches as well as Hillingdon. His work is nearly always a white panel on a black background with a small range of motifs, in this case of John and Elizabeth Maud, a draped urn.
The drape over the urn represents God’s protection until resurrection, The urn itself represents a classical funeral urn used for cremains. A revived interest in classical Greece led to the urn being used a lot in cemetery symbolism, even though cremation was not terribly popular at this time (mid to late 1800s).
As well as the urn on this monument there are several others in the south aisle and also some outside on tombstones in the churchyard.
Christine Bartlett