Elizabeth Herrick

In the south aisle of St Margaret's church Westminster is a modern painted wooden tablet to Elizabeth Herrick, which replaced one which had disappeared from the church in the 18th century. She was buried in the church on 26th May 1630 and was said to be a niece of the poet Robert Herrick as he composed verses for her epitaph. Elizabeth Herrick daughter of William was baptised in the church on 31st March 1619, so this is probably her. (Robert's brothers were William, Nicholas and Thomas). The new memorial was unveiled in 1955. The occasion was used also to commemorate the American engineer James Rumsey on the same tablet as he had no memorial previously. The part of the inscription referring to Elizabeth reads:

In memory of the late deceased virgin Mistris Elizabeth Hereicke. Sweet virgin that I doe not set thy grave-verse up in mournfull jet or dapl'd [dappled] marble Let thy shade not wrathful seeme or fright the maid who hither at her weeping howres shall come to strew thy earth with flowres. No, know blest soule when there's not one remainder left of brasse or stone thy living epitaph shall be though lost in them yet found in me. Deare, in thy bed of roses then till this world shall dissolve (as men) sleepe, while we hide thee from the light drawing thy curtains round - Good Night.