The 18th Century Monuments in All Saints Church Weston, Bath. No 5. The Mural monument to Sophia Cotton and her sister Sidney Arabella Cotton. . Slight return.........

 

The Monument to Sophia Cotton (b. c 1704 - died 1767).

 and Sidney Arabella Cotton (b. c.1709 d. 1781).

 Daughters of Sir Thomas Cotton, 2nd Baronet and Philadephia Cotton.

Sisters of Thomas Salusbury Cotton; Henry Cotton; Anne Cotton; Sir Robert Salusbury Cotton, MP, 3rd Baronet; Philadelphia Cotton and 10 other siblings.

 The monument which is not inscribed was obviously made in the Bath workshop of the Fords father and son.

John Ford I  (1711 - 1767) and John Ford II (173 - 1803) who described himself as a Statuary.

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2025_10_24_archive.html

The Monument was probably put up shortly after the death of Sophia in 1767.

 For an in depth look at the works of both father and son see -

 

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2025/10/monuments-by-ford-of-bath-bath-abbey.html

 The monument could do with a very gentle wash which would reveal the delicate detail and allow the quality to be more easily assessed.

 A notable feature is the textured background of the relief which appears on several other of the earlier monuments by the Fords.

 Variations of this relief were used by the Fords on several other monuments including - that of Robert Cox monument at Piddletrenthide, Dorset where the urn is slightly different and the sarcophagus on the right is replaced with a Palm tree.

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It is strange that as time progressed the quality of the workmanship of the Ford monument reliefs gradually deteriorated. I suspect Ford Jnr had little to do with the carving.

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The Robert Cox d.1777 and George Cox (d. 1777) Monument in All Saints Church, Piddletrenthide, Dorset.

Clearly inscribed on the supporting bracket Ford Bath. Fct.

Another Monument inscribed Ford to William Cox d.1790 is also in the church.

Memorial on the Floor of Bath Abbey.

In a Walled Grave / are deposited the Remains of / John Cox / Esquire / fourth Son of the late / William Cox Esquire / of Piddletrenthide / in the / County of Dorset / Died / 20th. January 1814 / Aged 41.

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John St Albyn - Funerary Monument - 1766 -

 Stringston, nr Bridgwater. Somerset.

 Inscribed Ford Bath Ft on the supporting bracket.

Day (or Dawe) family member - Funerary Monument, 

The inscription is illegible.

 St Mary Magdalene - Ditcheat, Somerset.

 

The form of the skull on the apron should be noted - it is repeated on other Ford monuments - including on the reliefs with the grieving child on both the  Coward Monument at Bath Abbey, the Phillips Monument at Bathford, and the Smith monument at Combe Hay.

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The Monument to Richard Long - d. 6 May 1760.

Church of St Mary's Steeple Ashton, Wiltshire.