CH68. Black stone in floor
Here layeth the Body / of Mr. FRANCIS GODBY / late of the Strand London / who departed this Life / December the 15th / in the Year of our Lord 1770 / Aged 54 Years / Also Mrs: ELIZABETH GODBY / Relict of the above / died 24th: of September 1779 /
Aged 50 Years.
Buried under the floor of the church in the North Aisle are Francis and Elizabeth Godby.
The writing on the gravestone has survived remarkably well, this is what it says: Here layeth the body of Francis Godby late of the Strand London, who departed this life December 15th in the year of our Lord 1770 aged 54 years also Mrs Elizabeth Godby relict of the above died 24th September 1779 aged 50years.
A search on google led me to a genealogy website and a conversation on a blog between 2 members of the same family who had an ancestor that worked for Francis Godby. It seems that Francis Godby was a button maker with a business, possibly a shop, in the Strand, London. The burial register states that he is from the parish of St Clement which is in The Strand.
In the 18th century, buttons were mainly worn by men whilst women’s clothing used laces or hooks and eyes. Wealthy individuals in the 18th century bought hand-crafted buttons, sometimes made out of semi-precious materials, and hand painted or engraved. Many innovations in the world of buttons were noted in the 18th Century. Metal buttons were used and button covering was created. Buttons were used in most ancient civilisations, the earliest being thought to be in approximately 5000BC in Asia. Fascinating!!!
Christine Bartlett