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Memorial: M541

Wall Tablet in St Stephen’s Church, Bristol commemorating Martin Pringe d. 1626.

Location

St Stephen's Church, Bristol, England

Transcript

'To the pious / memory of Martin Pringe / Merchant, sometime General to the / East Indies and one of the / fraternity of Trinity House / The liuing worth of this dead man was such / That this Fayr Touch can giue you but A touch / Of his admired guifts, theise quartered Arts / Enrich'd his knowledge and ye spheare imparts / His hearts true Embleme, where pure thoughts did moue / By a most sacred Influence from aboue / Prudence and fortitude ore topp this toombe / Which in braue PRINGE tooke vpp ye cheifest roome / Hope, Tyme supporters showe that hee did clyme / This highest pitch of hope, though not of Tyme. / His painefull, skillfull trauayles reacht as farre / As from the Artick to th'Antartick starre. / Hee made himselfe A shippe, Religion / His onely compass, and the truth alone / His guiding Cynosure, faith was his sayles / His Anchour hope, A hope that neuer fayles. / His fraught was Charitie, and his returne / A fruitful practise: In this fatall vrne / This shippes fair Bulck is lodg'd but ye ritch lading/Is housd in heaven A hauen never fadinge'

Details

Description: Oval inscription tablet surrounded by female figures in relief representing Grammar, Mathematics, Geometry and Astronomy. The whole within an architectural surround with a broken pediment above, flanked by seated figures representing Prudence and Fortitude. In the middle of the pediment are the arms of the Society of Merchant Venturers of Bristol. The monument is supported by a mermaid with an anchor representing Hope and a Satyr with a scythe representing Time (supporters of the arms Merchant Adventurers of the Bristol). Between them are emblems of mortality - crossed pick and spade behind an hourglass.


Type: Wall tablet

People

Pringe, Martin
Age: 46
Date of Death: 1626
Cause of Death: Unknown
Rank / Occupation: Merchant adventurer
Organisation: Trinity House

Extra

Notes: Pevsner suggests much of surround is 18th century.
Bibliography: J.W. Damer Powell 'Bristol Privateers and Ships of War' (Bristol, 1930) p. 68; Dr Jean Wilson 'Ethics Girls', 'Church Monuments: Journal of the Church Monuments Society' vol xiii , p.93 (London, 1998).
Photographer: P. Lacey: B. Tomlinson
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