This rather lovely photograph, taken by Laurie Manton, shows a broken tree – a symbol often used on gravestones to indicate a life cut short.
It is the grave of John Fowler and his wife Ann. John was born in 1809 and was a steel refiner. Just before he died, in 1859, he was living on Spital Hill and was the manager of a steel works. His son, William, was an apprentice to a manufacturer of files.
The Memorial Inscription tells us that the monument was erected by his friends ‘to record his many virtues and their regard for his public and private character’. A man held in great esteem.
Thank you to The Graveyard Detective via Facebook for permission to use this great pic.
