There are two public information boards approved and put up, both in Lichfield:
- Near where Petit is buried, in St Michael’s churchyard, approximately 100 yards along the path running eastwards from the small parking area below the church
- On Tamworth St, where the house that the Petit family lived in, Redcourt, used to stand. This will be found on the right hand side walking up from the centre, where the car park reaches to the street.
Additional boards are planned at Longdon where Petit had a summer house, and at the church that he built at Caerdeon near Barmouth.
The St Michael's Information Board
This board was planned and put up in 2020. Here we describe the occupants and the inscriptions of the family tomb; and then give the full latin text and translation of JL Petit’s inscription
Occupants
The tomb contains JL Petit, his two younger brothers: Peter and Louis, and four of his seven sisters, those who died without children: Emma, Elizabeth, Louis and Susanna.
Inscriptions
On the top:
Louisa Petit (b 1812), ‘6th daughter of Rev’d John Hayes Petit and Harriet his wife: From a life of almost uninterrupted suffering, which she bore with true Christian patience, she was released by a merciful providence 30th November 1842’
Louis Peter Petit (b 1816), Barrister at Law, third and youngest son, died 28th May 1848.
On the far panel
Peter John Petit (b 1806-52), Lieutenant Colonel of HM 50th Regiment died February 15th 1852.
Left panel
Emma Gentille Petit (b 1808), died January 30th 1893.
Susanna Petit (b 1814), died February 12th 1897.
Right panel
Elizabeth Haig (b 1810) died July 5th 1895
Other Siblings Buried Elsewhere
Petit had three other sisters: Harriet Laetitia Salt (1803-83), Mary Anne Chetwynd (1805-88), and Maria Katherine Jelf (1818-1904), who were buried elsewhere with their families.
JL Petit’s Inscription
The facing panel has a long inscription in Latin dedicated to JL Petit.
It reads:
HIC JACET MORTALE EST
VIRI REVERENDI JOHANNEIS LUDOVICI PETIT AM
CUJUS INGENIUM NULLI SECUNDUM POENE OMNIA COMPLECTENS
MODESTIAE BENEVOLENTIAE LIBERALITATI LONGE CESSIT
CUJUS HUMILEM IN DEO FIDEM
FERVIDUS ERGA HOMINES AMOR
CONTINUE ET FIDELITER EXPRESSIT
ILLUM OMNES AMANTEM AB OMNIBUS AMATUM
AD CHRISTI DECEDENTEM GREMIUM
Die 2 Dec 1868 Aet Suae 67
PIO OMNES PROSEQUIMUR DESIDERIO ET PROSEQUEMUR
Our preferred translation reads:
His genius, second to none, embraced almost all subjects
Yet was exceeded by his modesty, benevolence and generosity
His humble faith in God,
His heartfelt love towards mankind,
Steadily and faithfully showed forth.
Loving all and loved by all,
He passed to the embrace of Christ on
The second day of December 1868 aged 67.
We will strive to follow his example
An alternative translation reads:
His intellectual ability, second to none, embraced almost all subjects
Yet by far it gave way to his modesty, benevolence, and liberality
His humble faith in God,
his glowing love towards mankind,
steadily and trustingly showed forth.
Loving all and loved by all,
he passes to the bosom of Christ on
the second day of December 1868 at the age of 67.
As we all follow his example, we follow with sense of loss.
The Tamworth Street Board
Additional information will follow once the content of the board is fixed and the board on its way to be put up.