In the south transept of Chester Cathedral — once a separate parish church known as the Church of St. Oswald — lies a story etched in brass and stone: the story of my 10th great-grandfather, Charles Farrington.
Charles Farrington served as Sheriff of Chester in 1653, when England was reeling from the aftermath of civil war and adapting to the new rule of the Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell. The role of sheriff, then as now, was one of civic responsibility: upholding law and order, executing court judgments, collecting taxes, and representing the Crown (or Commonwealth) locally. That Farrington held this office in such a politically fraught period suggests he was a man of considerable trust and status in the community.
Chester, a walled city in northwest England, had strategic and political importance. During the English Civil War, it had been a Royalist stronghold, holding out for King Charles I until its eventual siege and fall in 1646. Just seven years later, Charles Farrington would take on the duty of helping maintain peace in a city still recovering from that conflict.
He died on the 10th of March, 1666 and was laid to rest within the then Church of St. Oswald. By the late 19th century, this church was absorbed into what is now Chester Cathedral, preserving his final resting place within one of England’s most historically rich ecclesiastical buildings.
A brass plate affixed above the tomb commemorates not only Charles Farrington but also several members of his family. Though time has worn away parts of the inscription, it remains legible. Until recently, I didn’t know the name of Ann, my 10th great-grandmother. The baptism records of her children - as was typical for the time - listed only their father's name. Nor did I know where Charles had been buried.
The image of the plate surfaced unexpectedly as a hint on my Ancestry family tree. An American visitor to Chester Cathedral had taken photographs of various tombs and memorials, uploading them to FindAGrave.com. One of those photos — a simple image of a weathered brass plaque — was later transcribed and became a hint for anyone researching Charles Farrington. That chance photo bridged centuries of silence.
Seeing this physical artifact — a small, timeworn plaque that has survived revolutions, reformations, and centuries of change — creates a powerful connection across time. Charles Farrington may have lived during a turbulent chapter of English history, but his service - and his memory - are not lost.
For me, this discovery is more than a genealogical footnote. It is a deeply personal reminder of the resilience of family, the legacy of civic duty, and the quiet stories preserved beneath cathedral stones.
Brass memorial plaque of Charles Farrington in Chester Cathedral.
Appendix: Transcription of the Farrington Brass Plate
Here lyeth interred the body of Charles Farrington
who was Sheriffe of this Citty Anno 1653 and dyed the
10th day of March 1665. Here lyeth the body of Charles
Farrington sonne of Samuell Farrington who died the 5th
day of July 1680. Here lyeth the body of Elizabeth
daughter to Samuell Farrington who died
the 7th day of March 1683. Here lyeth interred the
body of Samuell Farrington son of Charles Farrington
who died the 2nd day of March 1693. Here lyeth the body
of Samuel Farrington sonne of Samuell Farrington who died
the 21st day of September 1695. Here lyeth the body of
Mrs Ann Farrington wife to the foresaid Mr Charles Farrington
shee died the 11th day of March Anno 1696.
This plaque provides a remarkable family record, chronicling thirty years of burials within the same tomb.
(South Transept, Chester Cathedral – formerly Church of St. Oswald)
Linda EYE on the PAST
