Graveslab

The National Monuments Service's description

From Potterton (2005, App. 13, 398-9, No. 6):
Sixteenth-century slab (Martin/Delapatrick 1541 et seq.) (Fig. 7.10)
This coffin-shaped limestone slab was discovered by gravediggers in the old chancel of St Patrick's church (ME036-048012-) in 1844, erected by Butler in the porch, removed, broken and stored in the rectory coach-house until it was inserted by Archdeacon Berry into the north wall of the vestry (Conwell 1872-3, 397-8). It was still in the vestry in 1906 but was subsequently set into the east wall inside the tower, where it is the northernmost of the three memorials (Anon. 1906, 448). The four broken pieces of the slab have been crudely reassembled and the whole is set in modem stone frame. The lower part is decorated with a plain, short, eight-armed cross in false relief within a circle, rising from five steps. The cross has a diamond-shaped centre within which is a small Greek cross, and below the circle [on the left as one views it] is a Tudor rose. The remainder of the slab has a raised and incised gothic inscription, much of which is now missing (one detached flake, measuring 12 x 13cm x 4mm, with part of the inscription, is stored in a display cabinet at the back of the nave). There is a comma after each word of the inscription, which reads HIC I[ACET W]ALTERUS MARTI 1NUS [QUONDA]M DE TRYMI [BURGENSIS] CU PARENTIBUSI [AVIS ET PR]OAVIS SUIS ET ETIAI [JENETA D]ELA PATRICK UXOR EIUSI [QUI OBIIT MEN]SE IUNII ANNO SAL/[UTIS 15]41. HIC QUOQue JACET! [NICHOL\AUS MARTINUS FILIUSI [DICTI W]ALTERI ET IENETE CUMI [UXORE] SUA KATHER1NA ASPOLLI QUI OBIIT XXV° DIE IUNII ANNO DNI 1590 CUIUS FILIUSWALTERUS, MA/[RTINUS ET JEN]ETA GERRY EIUSI [UXOR HOC MONUMENjTU FIERI FEZ A break in the slab has made a line illegible here (it may have given the date of the erection of the memorial).

Beginning upside-down on the right side of the bottom step of the cross (first three words) and then running vertically up the left side of the slab is an inscription that reads HOC EST SIGNU/ HUMANE REDEPTIONIS ET INSIGNE XIANU/BAPTISIMATE/ (the word BAPTISIMATE appears on the steps) DATU QUO MORS XI RECOLITUR ET DIABOLUS/ FUGATUR/. Beneath the word FUGATUR is the Tudor Rose. To the right of the cross (as one views it) there is an incomplete vertical
inscription (running downwards), in a different style of lettering, which reads YMIA NOS G\ANUIT\... NITIS YMIA GA\/... ASTRA COLUNT ANIMAE CORPO[RA TERRA T]ENET. There is also a raised ‘blackletter’ inscription on the shaft of the cross, which has not been recorded, and is now illegible. It was possibly the sculptor’s name. [Length: 165cm; Width: 70cm at top, decreasing to 57cm at base; Thickness: Conwell (1872-3, 397) was able to give the thickness of this slab as 4" [c. 10cm]]. (FitzGerald 1921-5, 220)

Date of upload: 15 February, 2015

References

FitzGerald, Lord W. 1921-5 Trim: St Patrick's Churchyard. Journal of the Associateion for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead, Ireland, 11, 71-6; 219-23.

Conwell, E. A. 1873 A ramble round Trim. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, vol. 12, 361-430.

Anon. 1906 Excursion, Wednesday, October 3rd, 1906. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 36, 448-50.

Potterton, M. 2005 Medieval Trim: history and archaeology. Dublin, Four Courts Press