Hucknall
St Mary Magdalene

Monuments and Memorials

Chancel

Byron monuments

The vault containing the remains of the poet, Lord Byron, and his ancestors is under the chancel floor.

Lord Byron was buried at the church on the 16th July 1824 and there are three memorials to him.

A tablet on the south wall of the chancel has the following inscription:

IN THE VAULT BENEATH
WHERE MANY OF HIS ANCESTORS AND HIS MOTHER ARE BURIED,
LIE THE REMAINS OF
GEORGE GORDON NOEL BYRON.
LORD BYRON, OF ROCHDALE
IN THE COUNTY OF LANCASTER.
THE AUTHOR OF CHILDE HAROLD’S PILGRIMAGE.
HE WAS BORN IN LONDON ON THE
22ND OF JANUARY 1788.
HE DIED AT MISSOLONGHI, IN WESTERN GREECE, ON THE
19TH OF APRIL 1824.
ENGAGED IN THE GLORIOUS ATTEMPT TO RESTORE THAT
COUNTRY TO HER ANCIENT FREEDOM AND RENOWN.

HIS SISTER, THE HONORABLE
AUGUSTA MARY LEIGH
PLACED THIS TABLET TO HIS MEMORY

A profile medallion is located directly above the tablet. It was the gift of Sir J. G. Tollemache Sinclair, whose father was a friend of Byron at Harrow School. It reads:

Born 1788    BYRON    Died 1824

The Pilgrim of Eternity

A slab of rosso anitico marble, inlaid with brass and set into the chancel floor as close as possible to Lord Byron's coffin in the vault below, was given by the King of Greece in 1881. The brass wreath around the inscription was designed by R. C. Belt.

BYRON
BORN
JANUARY 22 1788
DIED
APRIL 19 1824

To the west of the Lord Byron monuments is one to his only daughter, Augusta Ada, who died in 1852.

IN THE BYRON VAULT BELOW
LIE THE REMAINDS OF
AUGUSTA ADA,
ONLY DAUGHTER OF
GEORGE GORDON BYRON,
AND WIFE OF
WILLIAM, EARL OF LOVELACE.

BORN 10TH DECR 1815,
DIED 27TH NOVR 1852.

R.I.P.

Directly beneath is a tablet to the Hon. Richard Byron:

IN MEMORY OF
THE HON. RICHARD NOEL BYRON,
WHO DIED IN AN AIR CRASH
IN WEST AFRICA
ON 22ND FEBRUARY 1985.
AGED 37 YEARS.

1948 – 1985

On the north wall of the chancel is a memorial to Richard, 2nd Lord Byron, who died in 1679.

Beneath in a Vault
is interred the Body of RICHARD LORD BYRON
who with the rest of his Family, being 7 Brothers,
Faithfully Served KING CHARLES the first in the civil war ;
who Suffered much for their Loyalty
and lost all their present Fortunes :
yet it pleased God so to bless the honest endeavours
of the Said RICHARD LORD BYRON :
that he repurchased part of their ancient inheritance
which he left to his posterity :
with a Laudable Memory for his great piety & Charity :
he departed this Life upon the 4th Day of October
An : Dom : 1679 - in the -74th- year of his age.
In the Same Voult is interrid the Lady Elizabeth
his first Wife Daughter of George Russell, Esqr.
by whom he had-10-Children.
And ye Lady Elizabeth his Second wife : Daughter
to Sr GEORGE BOOTH Knight & Barronet
who Appoynted this Monument
to be erected :
to the memory of her dear Husband
and for her great piety & Goodness
acquired a name better than yt
of Sones and Daughters

At the west end of the chancel, on the south wall is a brass to the memory of the Rev John Phillips:

TO THE GLORY OF GOD,
AND IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE OF THE
REV. JOHN EDWARD PHILLIPS. M.A.,
RURAL DEAN,
WHO WORKED IN THIS PARISH FOR 29 YEARS,
DURING 25 OF WHICH HE WAS VICAR.
HE ENTERED INTO REST THE 10TH DAY OF MAY, 1904,
AGED 58 YEARS.
THE PULPIT IS PLACED HERE BY HIS FRIENDS
AND PARISHIONERS, WHO
ESTEEMED HIM HIGHLY FOR HIS WORK’S SAKE
AND GREATLY REGRET HIS LOSS.

Across the chancel on the north wall is a brass to his son:

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
JOHN LANCELOT,
2ND SON OF THE REV: JOHN EDWARD PHILLIPS, M.A.,
AND HIS WIFE ELIZABETH,
WHO DIED IN CEYLON
FROM THE EFFECTS OF A CHILL IN 1902
AGED 21 YEARS.

“Fight the good fight.”

Lady Chapel

In the north-eastern corner of the Lady Chapel there are three marble wall tablets containing the tributes of eminent Victorians (such as Sir Walter Scott, Disraeli, Ruskin and Victor Hugo) to the genius of Byron. The tablets were the gift of Sir J. G. Tollemache Sinclair.

Tower

A Byron hatchment dating from the 18th century is on the north wall of the tower.

The hatchment was the gift of Lord Byron's mother.

Nave

At the west end of the nave is a 13th century cross-slab with a pair of shears and a wool weight showing it commemorates a wool merchant.

Behind the pulpit is a brass to the memory of the Rev John Godber:

In loving memory of
JOHN HANKIN GODBER M.A.
Hon. Canon of Southwell.
Born May 8th 1834
Died July 22nd 1906

He was the friend of all in need an unfailing
supporter of all Church work throughout
the Diocese, and a generous benefactor of
the Church and Town of Hucknall Torkard.
His love for the Parish Church is shewn by
the beautiful windows and mural decorations
almost all of which were given by him.

Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from
henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest
from their labours; and their works do following them.

South Aisle

On the south wall is a memorial to Elizabeth Godber (1856):

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF
ELIZABETH SARAH GODBER
WHOSE MORTAL REMAINS ARE ENTOMBED,
IN THIS CHURCH YARD.
SHE WAS THE BELOVED AND MUCH LAMENTED DAUGHTER,
OF
JOHN GODBER, AND ELIZABETH HIS WIFE,
OF WHYBURN HOUSE IN THIS PARISH:
BORN FEBRUARY XXVI MDCCCXXXI,
DIED APRIL V MDCCCLVI.

“EVEN SO FATHER FOR SO IT SEEMED GOOD
IN THY SIGHT.” MATT. XI CHAP XXXVI VERSE.

THIS TOKEN OF SINCERE LOVE IS ERECTED TO HER
MEMORY, BY HER  MOST AFFECTIONATE AUNTS,
ELIZA, SARAH, AND ANNE GODBER.

North Aisle

Monument to John Curtis and his family:

Near this place lieth interred
The body of
JOHN CURTIS Gentleman
Whose Ancestors
(As appears by antient writings)
Have resided in this Township
Upwards of FIVE HUNDRED years;
He departed this life July 10th 1777;
Aged 80 years
Also the bodies of
ANN his first wife
And LANCELOT their son:
Also of
ELIZABETH his second wife,
Who departed this life April 5th 1790;
Aged 89 years:
And
Of their three children
JOHN, LANCELOT
And ELIZABETH.

North Transept (Vestry)

Two monuments to the Rev Luke Jackson and his wife, Ann, are attached to the west wall.

SACRED
TO THE MEMORY OF
LUKE JACKSON, ESQ.
WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE
JANUARY XXI, MDCCCV AGED LXIII YEARS.
ALSO OF HIS WIFE ANN
WHO DIED OCTOBER II, MDCCCXXVI
AGED LXIX YEARS.
AND OF THEIR TWO CHILDREN ELIZABETH
WHO DIED FEBRUARY XXVIII, MDCCXCII
AGED XI YEARS.
AND CURTIS GORDEN
WHO DIED NOVEMBER V, MDCCXCVII
AGED XII YEARS.

SACRED
TO THE MEMORY OF
ANN THE WIFE OF THE REV. LUKE JACKSON.
DAUGHTER OF THE
REV. HENRY HOUSON, M.A.
OF SOUTHWELL,
WHO DIED DECEMBER XXV, MDCCCXXI
AGED XXX YEARS.
ALSO OF THEIR DAUGHTER
ANNE
WHO DIED JULY XXIV, MDCCCXX
IN THE SECOND YEAR OF
HER AGE.

South Transept

There is a monument in the toilet to all those buried in the churchyard whose graves were affected by the enlargement of the church in 1887-8.

SACRED TO THE
MEMORY OF
ELIZABETH BETTESON,
DIED 1759, AGED 76 YEARS,

JOHN BETTESON,

DIED 

1761, 

AGED 

82

YEARS

HANNAH HILL,

"

1763,

"

43

"

WILLIAM SPRAY,

"

1763,

"

9

"

MARY ALLCOCK,

"

1763

"

60

"

WILLIAM ALLCOCK,

"

1784

"

69

"

MARY, HIS WIFE,

"

1766

"

41

"

ANN PEAKE,

"

1772

"

46

"

FRANCIS HILL,

"

1777

"

68

"

GEORGE HOPEWELL,

"

1803

"

63

"

SARAH, HIS WIFE,

"

1816

"

70

"

KATHERINE JEFFREY,

"

1805

"

40

"

EDWARD ALLCOCK,

"

1818

"

71

"

KITTY, HIS WIFE,

"

1813

"

43

"

JOHN, THEIR SON,

"

1823

"

18

"

ANN, THEIR DAUGHTER,

"

1801

"

-

"

WILLIAM SPRAY,

"

1830

"

65

"

JOHN WALKER,

"

1840

"

67

"

ROBT WILCOCKSON,

"

1844

"

61

"

MARY, HIS WIFE,

"

1852

"

65

"

ELIZABETH WILCOCKSON,

"

1841

"

1

"

RICHARD WILCOCKSON,

"

1853

"

40

"

ALEXANDER SMITH,

"

1853

"

24

"

SYLVESTER SMITH,

"

1859

"

79

"

FRANCIS, HIS WIFE,

"

1863

"

82

"

SARAH BRICKNALL,

"

1850

"

77

"

WILLIAM ALLCOCK,

"

1852

"

65

"

ALICE, HIS WIFE,

"

1852

"

60

"

WILLIAM BRICKNOCK,

"

1854

"

81

"

ROBERT WILCOCKSON,

"

1873

"

29

"

FREDERICK, HIS SON,

"

1870

"

4

MONTHS

ELIZABETH, HIS DAUGHTER,

"

1873

"

8

"

HAROLD CURSON,

"

1884

"

7

"

AND OF M, DAVEY,
RICHARD CONTLY,

DIED 

1751, 

AGED 

23

YEARS

ELIZABETH TONGUE,

"

1755

"

40

"

GEORGE TONGUE,

"

1780

"

36

"

WILLIAM CANNER,

"

1818

"

73

"

ELIZABETH, HIS WIFE,

"

1829

"

76

"

ANN BREEDON,

"

1857

"

47

"

JOHN FOSTER,

"

1868

"

52

"

WILLIAM CRITCHLEY,

"

1873

"

58

"

THOMAS, HIS SON,

"

1857

"

13

"

WHOSE GRAVES WERE ENCLOSED WITHIN THESE WALLS
AT THE ENLARGEMENT OF THIS CHURCH.
A.D. 1887-8. THOS FISH & SON.

Visitor's Centre (former Baptistry)

On the south wall there is a brass to the memory of Emmeline Needham Ball:

IN
LOVING MEMORY OF
EMMELINE NEEDHAM
BALL,
OF BEACON HILL,
WHO ENTERED INTO REST
JULY 18TH 1909.

“NOT DEAD BUT LIVING UNTO THEE.”

ERECTED BY HER TWO NIECES

IDA & GRACE SMITH.