A Strange Memorial – The Flying Coffin
By Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (21497)
London, England
March 23, 2022 12:49pm CST
When this unusual monument was built, Pinner was a small village about a day’s walk from London. Now it is part of Greater London with a Tube Station for a journey into the city that takes about 25 minutes.
In the little, unassuming, church of St Joseph the Baptist stands the monument to the Loudon family. William died in 1809 and Agnes, his wife. in 1841. Their son John was a well known landscape gardener and wrote on horticulture, including a book on all the trees and shrubs of the UK. He also designed cemeteries. He died in 1843 and is buried in Kensal Green.
The Loudons are not in the airborne coffin, but buried under the triangular stone.
No one knows why this monument is there, but there are stories of an oddly written will that states a bequest will be paid as long as the loudons are above ground.
The monument was protected and listed in the 1980s.
The church dates from the 14th century, but the external flint was added in the 18880s.
8 people like this
9 responses
@Deepizzaguy (122151)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
23 Mar 22
The coffin story is very odd.
2 people like this
@Deepizzaguy (122151)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
24 Mar 22
@Ronrybs You are right about Victorians marching to the beat of their own drummer.
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (21497)
• London, England
24 Mar 22
@Deepizzaguy If you want someone to do it bigger and louder, call the Victorians!
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (91297)
• United States
24 Mar 22
The triangular ones look like fireplaces.
2 people like this
@RebeccasFarm (91297)
• United States
25 Mar 22
@Ronrybs The peace of those places, as you know I always miss England Ron
2 people like this
@Ronrybs (21497)
• London, England
26 Mar 22
@RebeccasFarm I am quite fascinated by church yards and their history
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (174419)
• United States
23 Mar 22
I'm glad you explained that "Pinner" was the name of the village. In the US a "pinner" is something else entirely. 
That's a weird monument. I guess I don't understand. How is the monument keeping the family "above ground"?
That's a weird monument. I guess I don't understand. How is the monument keeping the family "above ground"?2 people like this
@Ronrybs (21497)
• London, England
23 Mar 22
Lots of little villages were swallowed up as London grew, but they live on as neighbourhoods. I suspect this is a bit of Victorian over the top display, but we are unlikely to know why it was made this way. The bit about the will is most likely just local myth
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174419)
• United States
23 Mar 22
@Ronrybs Small towns here get swallowed up into developing cities, too. And yeah, most of them still keep their names. People are weird now but they were more weird in the past.
2 people like this
@Ronrybs (21497)
• London, England
23 Mar 22
@DaddyEvil As a nation we used to be just eccentric, now we are getting weird, too!
2 people like this
@thislittlepennyearns (68246)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
23 Mar 22
I have missed these posts. I am glad you are still making them. I love this history stuff !
2 people like this
@Ronrybs (21497)
• London, England
25 Mar 22
@thislittlepennyearns It was on and off for several months at a time. Just got lazy and there was always the worry of catching it, even after vaccination.
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (68246)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
24 Mar 22
@Ronrybs How long did they enforce a lock down on you guys?
We never got to experience it, because we were deemed essential workers. The kids were out of school in 2020 from Spring break to the end of the school year in May. But that was it.
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (54715)
• United States
2 Apr 22
@Ronrybs it will remain a mystery.
1 person likes this
