Nursling, Hampshire

Mathematical Gazetteer of the British Isles


St Boniface's Church has a tomb of Andrew Munday (died 3 Dec 1632) with three brass plates containing three Chronograms. [1] The top, diamond-shaped plate has an astronomical illustration showing Gemini about to enter the winter solstice and "LXI LVX MVNDI", giving MDLLXXVVII = 1632. I wonder if the upper LXI is his age?? Towards the bottom of the main plate is:
Vt cereI fVnVs aC phoenICI CInIs
Vesper ApoLLInI sIC MIhI fInIs,
giving MCCCCCLLVVVVIIIIIIIIIIII = 1632 again.

The bottom plate, again diamond-shaped, has the family crest and motto: NEC ZENITH NEC NADIR. The church guide says:
The numerical letters contained in this motto compose the third chronogram - very difficult to decipher - but indicating the day and month of his decease as well as the year.
This completely baffles me. Possibly it refers to small letters enclosed within the ribbon of the motto but which are too small to be distinguished on the photo I have. Or possibly it refers to some cryptic reading of the letters CICDI??
See THIS LINK


References (show)

  1. Photo and a copy of the church guide-book from Peter Ransom

The Mathematical Gazetteer of the British Isles was created by David Singmaster.
The original site is at THIS LINK.