Anyone live in Romford?

[Ruth]

Hi

This is a bit of a cheeky request  but I wondered if anyone living in Romford could check out a monumental inscription in the parish church (St Edward the Confessor)?

Apparently it's at the east end of the north aisle, and it commemorates one John Badger WELLER who died in 1757.  I'd love to know the full text of the inscription.

Here's hoping there's a Romford-dwelling kind soul out there...

Ruth

[Clincher]

Are you sure that it is inside the church? If you are I'll be glad to look it up in the near future. If you aren't then read on.....

I don't live in Romford but I needed to do this myself a year or two ago for one of my wife's tribe and his grave was in the churchyard right in front of the church and was the first one we looked at!!! It was in a bad condition and very difficult (but not impossible) to read. And it was not as old as your one.
But we had a bit of help - we had tracked down a list of monumental inscriptions which had been made (and I'm talking from memory here) about 100 years ago and there were lots of them all done in a quite meticulous way.
And when we went for a sit down in a local park after we had done that we discovered scores and scores of headstones which had been 'parked' there after building/extension work had been carried out at Saint Edward's in recent times.
To get to the point: because of the background described above I'd be happy to call in Romford library in the near future to look for your bloke in that list of MIs.

[Ruth]

Hi Clincher

Many thanks for your response.  Yes I am sure it's in the church.  This is one of my "posh" lot - very, very distant cousins.  I've found it difficult to get any decent evidence about them as it's all in published genealogies and the like - so it would be great to know what a "real" source said about him.  I found the reference to the inscription at the "east end of the north aisle" in the church (which I take to mean just down a bit and to the left of the altar) in an 18th century topographical guide to the Environs of London.

I've poked around a few churchyards in my time and I know what you mean!  Almost impossible to decipher.  I've also been grateful to scrupulous researchers from past decades who have recorded stuff which is no longer legible.

Thanks for your offer and I'd be grateful to hear from you again if you get a chance to visit the church.

Best wishes
Ruth

[Ruth]

Re-reading my response I realise that it's a bit much to state that I'm "sure" it's in the church.  After all my evidence is 210 years old...  Please don't go out of your way to check this out for me - just if you're in the area...

Ruth

[Clincher]

I'll fit it in to one of my usual journeys and let you know what I find in Church and library.

[Clincher]

I went to the Church today. It was built in 1850 to replace the original built in 1410 'cos it was falling down!!! The church was open and a very helpful chap explained to me that there was no inscription/plaque/monument in the present church for anyone named WELLER. I finished my visit with a nice cup of tea in the Church tea-shop which is a building built in 1480. Whoever would have thought anything like that could be found in Romford in AD2005.
I went to the reference library to make a start..but no time to finish. I'll follow up again soon

[Ruth]

Dear Clincher

Thank you so much for trying to locate the inscription.  I thought it might no longer be there, but it never crossed my mind the church wouldn't be!  Never mind - I really appreciate the effort you made.

Best wishes
Ruth

[Clincher]

I'll still do a library look-up tho

[kevan]

Hi,
   I think it  may be worth looking at what the EFHS has to offer on monumental inscriptions etc. A lot of the Family History societies sensibly kept records of many of these, as they perish quickly.
  Usually for a small-ish cost, you can get a complete record of all of those at a church; i.e. St Edwards, Romford. I know they sell a complete list of all graves at St Andrews, Hornchurch; and the Crow Lane cemetary until 1953. These are worth a look.
Best
Kevan