Thy Smiles I court not

Things are going well for the Littlecoates Community Centre since we let the St Michael's-owned building to a specially created arms-length community group.  There are enough volunteers to keep on top of things like the grass.  There is increased use so rents are covering the normal bills.  And grants have just paid for this new kitchen and for new windows like this.  It all depends on a group several of whom are church members but several of whom are not.

Meanwhile, my attention has bee  drawn to this gravestone at St Nicolas' - one of the earliest surviving there.  I wonder who bothered putting the broken pieces back together when so many other such stones were lost?  And when?

I've discovered it is the grave of Timothy Smithson, whose mother may have been a Garness, and Martha Coldwell, who were married in 1778 aged 27 and 17, and that the youngest of their children was baptised the day after Martha died.  I've also discovered that Timothy's Will is in the Lincolnsire County Archive, so I've ordered a copy.  The poem was what particularly struck the person who drew my attention to it.

Sacred

[To the] Memory of

[TIMOTH]Y SMITHSON

[Who Depart]ed this Life

1^st day of April 1819

AGED 69 YEARS

Also of

MARTHA SMITHSON

Wife of the above: who died August the

24th 1801 – Aged 41 years.

Fare wel vain world.  I’ve had enough of thee,

And now am careless what thou say'st of me:

Thy Smiles I court not; nor thy Frowns I fear.

My Cares are past; my head lies quiet here.

What Faults thou saw’st in me take care to shun,

There’s quite (?)  enough within thee to be done.