Katherine Bovey

In the south aisle of the nave of Westminster Abbey is a monument to Katherine Bovey, philanthropist. The white and coloured marble memorial, with a coat of arms, was designed by James Gibbs and the sculptor was J.M. Rysbrack. A figure of Faith, with a book, and Prudence, who once held a mirror, are shown with a small portrait relief. The inscription reads: 

To the memory of Mrs KATHARINA BOVEY whose person & understanding would have become the highest ranke in female life & whose vivacity would have recommended her in the best conversation. But by judgment as well as inclination she chose such a retirement as gave her great opportunitys for reading and reflection: which she made use of to the wisest purposes of improvement in knowledge and religion. Upon other subjects she ventured far out of the common way of thinking, but in religious matters she made the Holy Scriptures, in which she was well skilled, the rule and guide of her faith & actions: esteeming it more safe to rely upon the plain Word of God than to run into any freedoms of thought upon revealed truths. The great share of time allowed to the closet was not perceived in her oeconomy: for she had always a well ordered & well instructed family, from the happy influence as well of her temper and conduct, as of her uniform & exemplary Christian life. It pleased God to bless her with a considerable estate, which with a liberal hand guide by wisdom and piety, she imployed to His glory & the good of her neighbours. Her domestic expenses were managed with a decency & dignity suitable to her fortune; but with a frugality that made her income abound to all proper objects of charity; to the relief of the necessitous, the incouragement of the industrious & instruction of the ignorant. She distributed not only with cheerfulness but with joy, which upon some occasions of raising & refreshing the spirit of the afflicted, she could not refrain from breaking forth into tears flowing from a heart throughly affected with compassion & benevolence. Thus did many of her good works, while she lived, go up as a memorial before God & some she left to follow her. She dyed Jan.21 1726/7 in the 57th year of her age at Flaxley, her seat in Glocestershire & was buryed there, where her name will be long remembered & where several of her benefactions at that place, as well as others, are more particularly recorded.

Below on the sarcophagus:

This monument was erected with the utmost respect to her memory and justice to her character by her executrix Mrs MARY POPE who lived with her near 40 years in perfect friendship never once interrupted till her much lamented death

A further monument was erected at Flaxley where she is buried.

Further reading

"Catherine Bovey" by A.W. Crawley-Boevey, 1898

"James Gibbs" by T. Friedman, 1984

Her will is at The National Archives, Kew, Surrey