The images of the 34 surviving Belvoir Angel headstones in Hickling are shown here in chronological order by the deaths commemorated:

• The earliest is that of John Caunt in 1702 and the most recent is that of Joseph Daft in 1758.
• The two earliest headstones (Caunt & Wollerton) feature an angel design which is quite different to those that follow; larger and looser in style
• The last headstone (Joseph Daft) does seem to be a transition piece and includes elements of the emerging fashions of the late 1700s and early 1800s.
• From this timeline it would be interesting to try and identify any patterns: progressive changes in styles which may indicate evolving designs or distinctive characteristics that might identify changes in stonemason, for example.
• Note 1: the gallery has been arranged according to the dates of death on the headstones; naturally, this isn’t necessarily an indicator of when the headstone was engraved/carved.
• Note 2: For double-sided headstones and headstones with more than one death recorded then separate entries have been made in the timeline – this is to enable easier comparison (but might also cause confusion …). In this way, the same headstone sometimes appears more than once.
• Note 3: the sketched plan (below) is numbered chronologically and it is noticeable that there is no pattern to the surviving headstones in terms of time/dates (although there are some identifiable family clusters).
• Please contact us, if you spot anything!

Click here: printable pdf – map & information sheet of the Hickling Belvoir Angels: