Daughter of Walter and Mary Gatford, born c.1742
Assumed not to have married 1
Died on the 8th of July 1799 and buried at the Old Baptist Chapel, in Worthing Road, Horsham.
1 "Another remarkable night funeral I have heard my father say was that of Miss Elizabeth Gatford, a most eccentric lady, who died the 8th July, 1799. She willed, in 1790, that her corpse was not to be buried for one month, and that spirits of wine was to be used for its preservation. Accordingly between £30 and £40 [2006: £1,945.95 - £2,594.60] was spent in this manner; she also willed that she was to be buried in four coffins — a shell, and one each of lead, oak, and stone, and that the ceremony should not take place until after 10 o'clock at night. She was buried in a vault at the Old Baptist Chapel, in Worthing Road, at 12 o'clock mid-night, the Rev. Evans, of Worship Street, London, preaching the burial sermon. The chapel and burial ground were crowded with church folk and dissenters of all sects. In her will she left £15 [2006: £972.97] per annum to support, till they died, certain animals, cats, dogs, parrots, guinea pigs, &c., whom she had lived with; and also £5 5s. [2006: £340.54] per annum to be given in bread to the poor, a charitable bequest that is still regularly discharged. "
'Reminiscences of Horsham' Henry Burstow 1911 book (with acknowledgements to http://www.hiddenhorsham.co.uk/41/unitarian.htm )
2 Memorial inscription in Horsham North Chapel.