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TL0847 : St Mary, Cardington, Beds - MonumentTL0847 : St Mary, Cardington, Beds - Monument

The memorial in the left-hand image is to Samuel Whitbread I who died in 1796. It was executed by John Bacon in 1799. "He lies half-draped on a Grecian couch. By his head, Faith points to Heaven; a mourning woman kneels by his feet. The Pelican beside her is a familiar Bacon motif but this is a work more moving than Bacon usually tries to be and was his last major work, completed by his son." (O'Brien & Pevsner, 2014)

That on the right commemorates Samuel Whitbread II (died 1815) and his wife Elizabeth (1846), and is by Henry Weekes. In a "Grecian background, husband and wife kneel in prayer; her gesture is intensely affecting, One of Weekes' best works".

In the foreground of both images is seen the Wedgwood black basalt font given in 1783 by Harriot Whitbread. "It stands on a tapering square fluted pillar and inside the bowl is a small circular stand for a christening cup." Harriott's sister Mary gave an identical font to the church of Essendon TL2708 and a third copy was given by Emma St John (née Whitbread) to Melchbourne TL0265 and is now in a museum in Birmingham, Alabama. A slightly smaller version was also made for Moreton Say SJ3264 and is now in the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight, Wirral.

Thanks are due to Geograph member Stanley Howe for drawing attention to this series of fonts and the Whitbread-Wedgwood connection.