Moving away from his usual interest in Egyptian mummies, Pettigrew here addresses another morbid interest in antiquities: the epitaphs and inscriptions of ancient sepulchers. Noting the absence of any complete or even piecemeal treatment of monumental tomb inscriptions in England, Pettigrew set out to remedy this oversight. He traveled the length and breadth of England to uncover and record such mementos of the departed. Naturally this interest led to great sayings left by other ancient cultures as well. The majority of this study, however, focuses on the epitaphs of England and surrounding regions that fall into several categories ranging from devotional to untruthful, from rhetorical to ridiculous. Laid out catalogue style with an index, this book was among the first of its genre and retains its value for readers interested in the perceptions of death as left in the monuments of the departed.

Thomas Joseph Pettigrew (1791-1865) was a physician with an interest in antiquities. He received his doctorate of philosophy from the University of Göttingen, and was a well-known fellow of several prominent societies. He had a particular interest in and became an authority on, Egyptian mummies.