CH67. Black stone in floor
[The start of the inscription is now tiled over] / RICHARD POPE of this Parish yoman / who dyed Nov. ye 16 Anno Dom / 1651 Aetatis 34 / he Left a widdow and one Daugh / ter and tho Dead yet lives in ye good / name he hath Left behind Sending / forth its Sweet Savour like a Precious / Oyntment / The Bodys sown in weaknes here to lye / Til mortal puts on Imortality / yet while ye Body is to worms a feast / His Spirit lives with God in Sweetest Rest / Here allso Lyeth ye Body / of Mrs SUSAN ATLEE wife of
RICHARD / POPE & Late wife of Mr. JOHN ATLEE / of Fordhook in ye Parish of Ealing / Middx She departed this life Aug. / 28 1703 Aged 75.
On the floor of the North Aisle, there is large black gravestone marking the place where Richard Pope is buried. Richard died on November 16th 1651, so it’s pretty amazing that we can still read the inscription, given the number of feet that have walked over this gravestone stone over the centuries. He left a widow and one daughter. The inscription reads: “tho’ dead yet he lives in ye good name he hath left behind, sending forth it sweet savour like a precious ointment…his spirit lives with God in sweetest rest”.
Richard Pope is described as a yeoman which in English history which was the word used to describe someone in the class between the gentry and labourers. A yeoman was usually a landowner.
There are other people with the name Pope buried in the churchyard, they lived at Philpott’s Farm (the land between Pield Heath Road and Yiewsley), perhaps they were all part of the same family.
Christine Bartlett