John Varnam

John Varnam or Varneham, gardener of Westminster, was buried in St Margaret's Church on 15th December 1586. But he now has no memorial or gravestone but a long epitaph was recorded as once being on a plate (presumably a brass) in the north aisle put up by his wife and remaining child. This read:

A memorial on the death of John Varnum, Gardener, who deceased the XIth day December 1586, aged 46. O mortal man that lives on earth consider well thy end, remember that thou must depart when God for thee doth send.This life is but a Pilgrimage so soon it doth decay and all the riches of this world shall fade and pass away. As by example daily showed before our eyes we see, that rich and poor to earth are brought for their iniquity. Let us that live on earth behind to God for mercy call with woeful heart and wringing hands and He will bless us all. And now to speak of this good man John Varnam called by name who in his life he lived well by labour, travaile and paine in helping of the fatherless and widows very poor and setting ever them of worke which went from door to door. A gardiner by art he was great skill he had therein and prospered well in all his life with every living thing. That he at all times took in hand to God be given all praise that did increase this honest man with riches many ways. The poor they had great work of him by weeding of his ground and he to them was well content to leave assurance sound of land and living to releave the fatherless in need. So he confirmed this his mind by will it was decreed Agnes Varnam left behind his loving wife most sure. By her he had four sons, likewise four daughters virgins pure, who all being dead and none alive but Elizabeth by name. And in remembrance of his life they have set up this same. He willingly did yield himself in God was all his trust. And in the last houre of his death he showed his faith most just to leave this world most cheerfully desirous to depart, asking forgiveness of the world and forgiving with all heart, to those which he at any time in deed or word offended. Most joyfully his was then unto the Lord commended and thus he left his mortal life in brief to tell you plaine hoping in Heaven to be received for ever to remaine. A.D. 1586

He married Agnes (Annes) Pyster at the church on 14th January 1571. She married secondly Edmund Dobleday in St Margaret's on 23rd March 1587 and was buried there on 30th November 1589. John leased two houses adjoining the Gatehouse outside the Abbey and another in Tothill Street. His daughter Elizabeth inherited his lands and tenements in Gravesend, Kent. By his will if she were to die without children then Agnes would have these in order to pay to the churchwardens of St Margaret's a sum for the poor each year, given out at the tomb of Geoffrey Chaucer in the Abbey. If both had died the obligation would fall on John Varnham, his nephew. This endowment seems to have lasted into the early 19th century.