poliphilo

On second thoughts I don't think 18th century gravestone makers can have had pattern books, because if that had been the case the same designs would crop up all over the country- and they don't. What you get are local and regional styles. For instance, I can't think that crowded figure compositions of the kind I featured in yesterday's post occur anywhere outside the South East- and possibly not outside Kent.

Here's a gravestone featuring resurrection symbolism from Leicestershire- from the churchyard of All Saints, Blaby. It's very different- even though some of the elements are the same.

In Leicestershire they made their gravestones out of slate- which, if not eternal, weathers very much better than friable Kentish sandstone.