Elizabeth Palmer & Matthew Johnson

In the north cloister of Westminster Abbey is a marble wall tablet to Elizabeth Palmer, her grand daughter Frances and grandson Mathew Johnson. She was buried on 3rd July 1706. The inscription is rather worn but reads:

Near this place lyes interr'd Eliz. Palmer, daughter of Sir Geoffrey Palmer, Knight and Bart. [Baronet] Attorney General to King Charles II. Also Mathew Johnson Esqr. grandson of the said Elizabeth and younger son of Mathew Johnson Esqr. late Clerk of the Parliaments. Likewise Frances eldest daughter of the last mentioned Mathew Johnson and late wife of James Merest Esqr. Clerk Assistant in the House of Lords.

Her mother was Margaret, daughter of Sir Francis Moore. Her brothers were Thomas, Lewis, Geoffrey and Edward and her sister was Frances. She married Edward Palmer and their daughter Margaret married Mathew Johnson. The Johnson's son Mathew was buried on 25th May 1725 aged 43 and daughter Frances was buried on 17th November 1727 aged 40 (she had no children). It is assumed the family lived near the Abbey as they held posts in Parliament which is why they were buried here.

Further reading for Sir Geoffrey Palmer (1598-1670)

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2004

Location

North Cloister

Memorial Type

Tablet

Elizabeth Palmer & Matthew Johnson
Elizabeth Palmer monument

This image can be purchased from Westminster Abbey Library

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