Ghostly Gravestones

Following another wet day, I sought inspiration after dark when the rain had stopped. I stumbled upon these wonderful old gravestones in the corner of a wall at the local church. In summer they would be hidden by the elder growing in front but this evening they were perfectly illuminated by a handy floodlight. 

The gravestone on the left dated from 1771 but most of its detail had crumbled. The other one detailed a large family by today's standards, but not in the 1800's; seven children all of whom but one son died before the mother. Two of the seven died in infancy, so common then with all the childhood illnesses, and four of the remaining five died in their thirties. Maybe of tuberculosis or typhoid which was rampant back then. Looking at this old gravestone gave me pause for thought. At a time when the NHS is often in the news, we are phenominally fortunate to live in an era of vaccinations, antibiotics and the rest!