Hopton Monument, Stretton Grandison

This monument is to Sir Edward HOPTON, d.1668 and his wife Deborah, d.1702. Figures of Hope and Charity grace the pediment, and a genuine gauntlet from the Civil War hangs from beneath it.

The church has several other monuments to the HOPTON family. They lived at Canon Frome Court, but the church there was destroyed during the Civil War, so they were buried here at Stretton.

The inscription reads:

In Memory of Ed/ward Hopton of Cannon froom / knight
Who after many hazardes and experiences in warrs
in forrein parts served his Maj King Charles ye first
in ye quality of a Colonel of foot during all ye time
of ye intestine troubles
In many battells giving signall proofe both of his
courage & fidelity wherein he stood impregnable even
when ye pravity of ye times made Loyalty A Crime
He lived a Widdower seavnteen years and then he made
A second choyese & Married Deborah Jones Widow ye 4th
daughter of Robert Hatton of Thames Ditton in ye County
of Surry Sarjeant at Law by whom he had issue six Sonns
& two daughters Edward Robert Richard Charles Robert
James Alice & Deborah
After ye Restoration of King Charlis ye second he re-
tired to his private fortunes in ye County his last
imployments being A Deputy Leiutenant & Liutenant
Colonel of ye County Melitia & Gentleman Pensioner
to his Maj in Ordinary
1mo Apr Anno Domi M D C L X VIII being
ye Sixty fifth yeare of his Age he put off
ye Robe of mortality wth lyes here reserved
untill ye Restitution of all things
Post nullos Memorundus

IAlso / To ye Memory of
the Religious life and / pious Death of ye Lady Hopton
(late Wife of Sr Edwd Hopton &
as in ye other Table of this Monumt. is
recited) whose distinguishing Judgemt.
determined her Devotion to ye Worship
as it is practis'd in ye Church of England
Nor was She Religious only in ye
Temple (which by the ill Fate of the
late Civil Warrs was ruin'd in the place
where She dwelt yet that House of God
by her care and partly by her own free
Gift was afterwards rebuilt tho not
till after ye Intermt here of Sr. Richd.
Hopton & his lady & Sr. Edwd. their
Son) but also in all other acts of vertue
Eminently Conspicious
The said Lady left behind her to
Inherit ye Estate Richard ye only Child
of Edward Hopton Esqr. her
Eldest Son Obijt July 13th 1702.
Aet. 77.

(Transcription provided by Rosemary Lockie)