Laois - St. John's Cemetery, Athy Parish *********************************************** Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives Laois Index Copyright ************************************************ File contributed by: C. Hunt ST. JOHN'S CEMETERY, ATHY PARISH [From Lord Walter FitzGerald, F.R.S.A.I., &c., &c.] "The churchyard of St. John's is a small one; it lies in the middle of that portion of the town of ATHY which is situated on the Queen's County line of the Barrow. 'The following inscription is the only one carved in relief; the "3" in the date might easily be mistaken for a "7" and would have been but for the same figure occurring in the day of the month' : - "WILLIAM - WATSON NOVEMBER 30TH 1635" [Raised letters] ________ 'On another slab is the following' : - "HERE LYETH YE BODY OF MR. GEORGE HARMAN WHO DIED YE 24th OF JVNE 1720 - aged 57 and of his son, HENRY HARMAN who died ye 25th of March 1728 - aged 30 of Jane HARMAN wfe [SIC] TO Mr. George HARMAN WHO DIED THE 31TH [SIC] OF March 1728 - aged 72" ________ EPITAPH'S IN ST. JOHN'S GRAVEYARD [From the Most Rev. M. Comerford, Lord Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, M.R.I.A., &c.] "In Memory of James FAULKNER, late Sergeant in the ancient British Light Drags. native of the City Chester, England who departed this life Febry. 8th, 1799 - aged 25 years. "WILLIAM WATSON 1672' Qr. Is this the same man as given above by Lord Walter FitzGerald, under the date 1635 ? - Ed. ________ "Beneath this stone is deposited all that was mortal of Samuel WALLER Esqr., 2nd son of the late Sir Robert WALLER Bart. He departed this life August 19th 1798 aged 23 years. Adiew blest shade alas too early fled None knew the living but lament thee dead A soul .......... so free from stain So tried by sickness and so proved by pain His Christian pain against torture strove Till Heaven advanced him to the joys above. Mrs. Catherine CHAPMAN sister of the above and wife of John CHAPMAN of East . en .itohel, Esqr. Departed this life the 6th of March 1794 aged 23 years." ________ "Erected by the brethren of Lodge No. 356 in the 9th Regt. of Drag. in memory of their late dearly beloved brother Wm. ARMSTRONG who died 22nd March 1792 aged 30 years." ________ "Near the Stone a tender infant lies Who left this world to live above the skies. John STRITH depd. this life Septd. 30th 1798, aged 10." ________ "Erected to William DOVE of Hinderstay in the County of Norfolk late a Private Soldier of Captain Bunbury's Company of the 80th Regiment who departed this life on the 15th November 1833. Aged 35 years. This memento was placed at the joint expense of the officers and non-commissioned officers and Privates of his company to record their regret for the loss of a good and honest soldier. Such was the deceased." SOURCE: Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead in Ireland FHL# 1279252