I AM collecting materials for a book on epitaphs, with reference to the North of England.

If readers know of any notable examples in the churches or churchyards of this county, I would be grateful to hear the details.

Inscriptions may be noteworthy for all sorts of reasons: because of the fame or notoriety of the deceased; because of the length or shortness of their lives; because of the elegance or clumsiness of the language employed; because of their verbosity or reticence - and for a dozen other reasons.

I would be pleased to hear about any which have attracted the attention of readers. All communications will be acknowledged.

J P G Taylor,

Holmes Drive,

Riccall, York.

Updated: 11:02 Monday, June 07, 2004