This gravestone is in All Saints Church, Kirby Underdale, a small village near York, and is one of a number of memorials featuring the same crest and motto 'I like my choice'. Mottoes are often Latin inscriptions and I was slightly surprised to find an English example so investigated further.
Buried here is Edward Fredrick Lindley Wood (1881 -1959) 1st Earl of Halifax. Amongst his many public roles he was Member of Parliament for Ripon 1910-25, served in WW1 as Lt Col Queens own Yorkshire Dragoons, was Viceroy and Governor-General of India (1926-31), Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords 1935-37, and Chancellor Oxford University 1933-59. He was also Master of Foxhounds for the Middleton Hunt.
The coat of arms was granted in 1944 so during his lifetime. A life in the service of his country, and also of enormous privilege. I wonder what he considered to be his choice?
Taking part in Taphophile tragics
That is interesting, especially since the life and careers he chose don't sound like any that afforded much freedom of choice!
ReplyDeleteVer interesting and unusual. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHerding Cats
I was keeping the motto "I like my choice" in mind as I read your history narrative and ended with the same question you did! It's a handsome crest, though.
ReplyDeleteHah! Perhaps he was gay ...
ReplyDeleteThat would have been an interesting time to have been Leader of the House of Lords: just at the time of the abdication, if I have my dates firmly held.
Perhaps he simply designed his own crest, being the first earl of that title, and was chuffed with his handiwork. It seems to have jesters, minstrels, and dragons licking ... something ...
Yeah ... definitely gay ...