Sundial

                                      The secrets of the Sundial.
In the grounds of Angela Court stands a sundial.
Majestically it has stood on the front lawn of the house from the days when it was a vicarage,  standing firm as the estate became a private house, then a children's convalescent hospital and  up to the present day.
Over this time the reason why it was originally sited there has long been forgotten but having spoken to a few people whom were curious to find out, I started digging around for any information about its past..
Mr M Jenkins ( our local sundial guru) with his expert knowledge of sundials informed me that the brass sundial face was made pre 1854 by Dollund of London and that it is quite unique as it sits on a square stone plinth. 
On each side of the stone are latin inscriptions. On the North it reads 'sole', East - 'necasti', South - 'quare' and West - 'splendidius'.. Many people have tried to translate the latin. -
         "  Why did you kill more splendidly than does the sun"        John Shilke
         " Why did you kill the sunshine? Why did you kill the brightness of the sun?
             Why did you extinguish the glory of the sun?"     Rev Clinton Crawshaw
In context another translation could be  "thus the brightness of the sun is extinguished" meaning a grief so profound, the sun seems to shine less brightly.
My thoughts were that this sundial was a memorial to someone, (maybe your knowledge of latin can tell me different?)
The vicarage was first occupied by the Rev Augustus Archer Hunt MA and his wife Sarah Emily. He lived there from 1844 until 1889, whilst serving as Vicar of Tipton St John church. His father was Major Richard Burges Hunt  R. Art. and A.D.C. who was highly respected in the British Army and a magistrate of Devon . He served at Hanover in 1805, Copenhagen 1807 and The Battle of Ciudad Rodrigo, ( his medal from this battle sold online, in 2002 for £1500). The altar window in Tipton St John church is dedicated to him and also Augustus and Sarah were added at later dates.
The Major died in Devon in 1849. As the sundial had to have been made at this time I believe it to have been made as a memorial for Major Burgess Hunt from his wife (who lived at the vicarage after his death) and his son the Rev Augustus Hunt.
The sundial has been standing, silent and majestic for over 150 years. You could almost say that it is one of Tipton's oldest monuments. I am so glad that we were able to tell it's story again - that of a Tipton vicars bereavement and love of his father.
                                Long may it continue to tell the 'Tipton time'!

Acknowledgement to Martin Jenkins, Ann Knight, Rev Clinton Crawshaw, Ancestry, British Newspaper Archives and Angela Courtv