![William Smart’s memorial is an example of how a wealthy and influential upper middling officeholder was remembered within his parish community. Smart was a merchant connected to the cloth trade. He served the important port town of Ipswich through multiple offices during his life including treasurer, coroner, claviger (warden), a member of the council of twelve, portman, justice, bailiff and treasurer of Christ’s hospital. In keeping with its location in a church, the memorial celebrates Smart’s Christian charity to the poor of the town, including gifts of food, clothing and the setting up of schools. His memorial comes in the form of an acrostic – a word puzzle or poem. By using his name as the basis for the acrostic, the memorial suggests that Smart had the same qualities mentioned within the verse. Smart is also depicted on the bottom right of the memorial, kneeling in prayer and wearing his civic robes. In this way, the memorial encourages viewers to admire Smart as an exemplary, godly individual through the combination of word and image.<br />
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The text on the acrostic reads: <br />
What can a deade man feede and cloth and holy precepts giue?<br />
It can not be tush tel not me I know he stil dooth liue<br />
Liue then sweete soule in ample rest example to rest,<br />
Like thine his ground must low be laid that high will build his nest<br />
If none think now on thank: if out of sight be out of minde:<br />
Although tis wrong: yit light’s thy los, that heuenly thank dost finde<br />
May neuer yet faire Ipswich nye be foully so unkinde<br />
Schooles, Churches, Orphanarye rooms shal keepe ye stil in sight,<br />
Men, Weem’n, Children, ould and yung, shall wail the day and night<br />
Alas then not for ye wee cri out for our selues alas, <br />
R[ece]uing the want of such a wight as al thine age did pas.<br />
Thus I le poore Man one did moorne, thus gras bewayled gras<br />](https://cloudtour.tv/middling-culture/images/items/42.jpg)
William Smart acrostic memorial
William Smart acrostic memorial (Memorial), 1599William Smart’s memorial is an example of how a wealthy and influential upper middling officeholder was remembered within his parish community. Smart was a merchant connected to the cloth trade. He served the important port town of Ipswich through multiple offices during his life including treasurer, coroner, claviger (warden), a member of the council of twelve, portman, justice, bailiff and treasurer of Christ’s hospital. In keeping with its location in a church, the memorial celebrates Smart’s Christian charity to the poor of the town, including gifts of food, clothing and the setting up of schools. His memorial comes in the form of an acrostic – a word puzzle or poem. By using his name as the basis for the acrostic, the memorial suggests that Smart had the same qualities mentioned within the verse. Smart is also depicted on the bottom right of the memorial, kneeling in prayer and wearing his civic robes. In this way, the memorial encourages viewers to admire Smart as an exemplary, godly individual through the combination of word and image.
The text on the acrostic reads:
What can a deade man feede and cloth and holy precepts giue?
It can not be tush tel not me I know he stil dooth liue
Liue then sweete soule in ample rest example to rest,
Like thine his ground must low be laid that high will build his nest
If none think now on thank: if out of sight be out of minde:
Although tis wrong: yit light’s thy los, that heuenly thank dost finde
May neuer yet faire Ipswich nye be foully so unkinde
Schooles, Churches, Orphanarye rooms shal keepe ye stil in sight,
Men, Weem’n, Children, ould and yung, shall wail the day and night
Alas then not for ye wee cri out for our selues alas,
R[ece]uing the want of such a wight as al thine age did pas.
Thus I le poore Man one did moorne, thus gras bewayled gras
| Object Type | Memorial |
| Year | 1599 |
| Material | Wood and paint |
| Owned By | Church of St Mary Tower, Ipswich |
| Keywords | worshipping; remembering; giving; looking; belief; church; memory; reading; literacy performance; death; wood; carving |
| Image Credit | Memorial, Church of St Mary Tower, Ipswich. Image held at 1066.co.nz, no copyright infringement intended. |