Wednesday 6 June 2012

"Deserving of Imitation:" The John Fox Memorial Stone, Colney St Andrew's

At St Andrew's Church, Colney, above the porch door, is an intriguing memorial stone that illustrates the church's historical location on a main (ie traffic-heavy) thoroughfare into Norwich. The stone reads:

"Sacred To the Memory of JOHN FOX who on the 20th of Dec 1806 in the 79th Year of his Age was unfortunately kill'd near this spot having been thrust down & trampled on by the Horses of a Waggon Tho his Life was humble yet it is deserving of imitation He was a worthy & useful Member of Society an honest & industrious Labourer READER If thou drivest a team be careful & endanger not the Life of another or thine own"

Nearly two hundred years later, a near-namesake of the deceased, John Foxx, would record several songs - 'Crash,' 'Crash and Burn,' others - heavily influenced by the Ballardian fascination with the traffic accident. No real connection, of course, but still.





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