Apart from the chapter "In God's Acre" (which includes a picture of Hitchin Churchyard) plus a frontispiece "The home of the author's manuscripts" this book would appear to have nothing relevant to Hertfordshire.

In God's Acre

This chapter discusses epitaphs and includes a number from Hertfordshire churches

Snow Scene in Hitchin Churchyard

Ashwell

ELIZABETH CHRISTY. OB. 1800

She made haste and delayed not to learn the law of God for she did greatly delight in his commandments whereby she became exceedingly wise and graceful, pious, chaste, sincere, loving, obedient, pleasant, patient and guarded in all her senses. She was mild and tender in her mood not grave with sternness nor with lightness free.

Against bad examples resolutely good

Fervent in zeal and warm in charity

She was a pleasant Child She was a very dear daughter.

 Is she not one of the Lord's redeemed?

For she was not defiled she was a Virgin

And in her mouth we found no guile

It is said of such they shall sing a new song

Unto the Lord which no man can learn

but the hundred and forty and four thousand

O Lord give us Thy heavenly grace that we with her

May so follow her good Example that

We may be made partakers of everlasting glory

Stevenage

MARY UNDERWOOD. OB. 1741

This world's a City full of crooked Streets

Death is the Market Place where all men meet

If life were Merchandise as Men could buy

The rich would always live the poor would only die.

An epitaph much in use at the time. I have met with it in ten graveyards in Hertfordshire alone. It comes out of an ancient ballad collected in Percy's Reliques

Watford

INSCRIPTION OVER AN ALEHOUSE WITH THE SIGN OF AN ANCHOR, AT WATFORD

Above behold the painter's touch

Does smiling Hope express

I vainly hope to do as much

'Tis drawing I profess

Tho' brush and pencil I use not

Nor do I much like chalk

Yet when my drawings go to pot

My Heads themselves wilt talk.

Cottered

What to vain mortals can a pleasure be

When no one part is from consumption free;

The head, the hand, the knee a palsy shakes,

The blood runs chill and every member quakes.

Death will the end of all my sorrows be,

And then I launch into eternity

Bennington

Here continues to rot the Body of Walter Clibben who with two of his sons robbed many persons. He was shot the 28th Dec. 1780 by Geo. North whilst he and his two sons were cruelly treating Mr. Benjn Whittenbury His Master. One son was executed for this crime in March 1783.

Illustration by William Heath Robinson

Illustration by William Heath Robinson

Wheathamstead

THOMAS NASH. OB. 1797

Here lyeth one that had several Brothers

And he was kind unto some others

Part of his wealth he gave away,

And for his cloaths his Brothers this Rail do pay.