After her decease Mr. Roper lived a widow 33 years, even to the time of his death, January 4th, 1577, being then 82 years old, and left the following good character, viz. 'That he was very generous at home and abroad, mild and merciful, and the staff or support of those who were either prisoners, or under oppression, or in poverty.' He was buried in the same grave with his dear and beloved wife. The very diligent and exact Mr. Somner has preserved the following inscription or epitaph made for him, which was, it seems, with other funeral inscriptions for persons of that ancient family to be seen in his time in the chancel or chapel of the Ropers on the south side of the high chancel of St. Dunstan's church, but they are all now so totally defaced that not the least remains are left: nay one cannot so much as guess[O 1] whereabouts they were placed.
- ↑ Perhaps they were on brass fastened to their several tombstones which might be broken and defaced when they were taken up to make the vault. For the inscription of Edmund Roper, who died 1433, which was to be seen there in brass under his effigies, 1717, is now quite gone with a part of the stone, and of the brass effigies. So little regard do too many of the present age pay to the memory of either their own ancestors or of the ancestors of others.
