John Prier - Swithland

HERE . LYETH . IN .

TERRED . THE . BODY

OF . JOHN . PRIER . TH

SON . OF . ROBART

PRIER . WHO . DEPART

ED . THIS . LIFE . THE . 8TH

DAY . OF . MAY . 1673:

A beautiful example of Seventeenth Century headstone from the church in Swithland village.  Although there is ample space below the inscription, the remainder of the inscription is on the reverse of the stone.

BEING OF THE

AGE

OF 15 YEARES

Although the lettering is considerably larger on the reverse side of the stone, the style is so close to that on the front that I have no doubt it was the work of the same mason.  The letters A and R are particularly distinctive.

I imagine the spelling of John Prier, could easily be recorded as John Prior in other places, just as Robart Prier might well be written as Robert Prior.