Tomb of Elizabeth Beacham, in the churchyard of St Nicholas

Summary

Tomb of Elizabeth Beacham, dated ?1716, and situated a short distance to the west of the Church of St Nicholas, Sutton.

Reasons for Designation

The tomb of Elizabeth Beacham in the churchyard of St Nicholas, Sutton, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:
* As a headstone of probably 1716, with a bold silhouette, and well-executed relief carving and lettering;

Historic interest:
* Though the inscription is partly illegible, enough survives to tell us the name, age and date of death of the subject, and the occupation of her husband;

Group value:
* The church of St Nicholas is listed at Grade II*, and a number of other tombs within the churchyard are listed at Grade II.

History

The manor of Sutton belonged to Chertsey Abbey from before the Norman conquest to the Dissolution when it passed to a succession of mostly non-resident owners. In the C18 the village became a coaching stop on the route to the races in Epsom and then Brighton and by 1800 it was a small village sprawling up the hill from the common (now the Green) to the Cock Cross Roads. The arrival of the Sutton to Epsom railway in 1847, the Epsom Downs line (1865) and the more direct line to London via Mitcham Junction (1868) led to rapid change. Middle class development took place at Benhill and in the area around the railway station, while Newtown, east of the High Street, was more working class. The High Street shops developed quite rapidly, probably largely in the 1870s and 1880s and by 1900 Sutton was a small commuter town in the countryside beyond London. In the 1920s and 1930s the whole area was engulfed by suburban development.

The present Church of St Nicholas is a rebuilding of earlier churches on the site; the earliest was a Saxon church built by the Abbot and monks of Chertsey Abbey who had been granted the manor of Sutton in AD 675. This church was partly re-constructed at the end of the C13 by the Abbot of Chertsey, John de Rutherwyck, and the list of Rectors dates from 1291.

Following an increase in the population of Sutton it was decided in 1862 that additional church accommodation was necessary, and the architect Edwin Nash was employed to rebuild the earlier church; the earlier monuments were re-sited in the new church.

The churchyard has retained its form since that time.

The tomb of Elizabeth Beacham is situated a short distance to west of the church. The inscription is only partly legible, but the date of death appears to be 1716, which would be consistent with the style of the headstone. The inscription tells us that Elizabeth was the wife of John Beacham, a citizen and vintner of London.

Details

Tomb of Elizabeth Beacham, dated ?1716, and situated a short distance to the west of the church.

MATERIALS: stone.

DESCRIPTION: headstone, facing west. The top of the headstone takes the form of a bold cartouche, carved in relief, with volutes to the sides, framing a skull and crossbones, turned to the left. The main body of the stone is shouldered, with notional capitals supporting the volutes, and a round-arched panel bearing the inscription. The upper part of the inscription reads: ‘In Memory of / ELIZBETH BEACHAM / Wife of JOHN BEACHAM / CITIZEN & VINTNER OF LONDON / Who died January [1716 In the] 32 year of her age.’ The text below is largely illegible, though the lettering is well crafted. The reverse of the headstone is more roughly hewn.

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