The Mystery Memorial

There are more questions than answers!

Where did this memorial originally come from?  

Why does it have figures of women carved upon it, when it is in memory of a man and a child? 

Was it 'recycled? 

Was it moved to the Cathedral from somewhere else? It is made out of slate, which is unusual.

This 'memorial stone' is possibly the oldest one inside the Cathedral. It dates from 16th century according to the Roman numerals on the stone which might read  MDIV 1504 (although the date is confusing and eithe poorly carved or the mason didn't  know his Roman numerals very well!). This suggests that the stone was carved during the reign of King Henry VIII and the two women carved on the stone are wearing dresses that look like they come from this period. 

Also on the memorial stone is the name Timothy Dixon and a date that has been worn away away over time, it is just possible to make out the numbers 17, but then the rest is obscured. He was a local water mill owner. His first mill stood on the exact site that Salts Mill now stands in Shipley and was one of the first woollen mills in Bradford Dale.

The child's name on the bottom of the memorial is another mystery. It is a memorial to John Emmott who died aged just nine years. It is possible that he was one of the  Emmotts who lived at Emmott Hall, Laneshawbridge, Colne, near Skipton. The Emmotts were another family of mill owners. However we don't really know if John was a member of this family. What we do know is that he died in 1732 and that he was one of the many boys and girls who died in childhood.

16th century women's clothes.