Description: Sir Thomas Parkyns was famous as the most enthusiastic athlete and wrestler of his time. After being educated at Westminster and Cambridge, he took up his residence at Bunny, and taught wrestling gratuitously to some of his friends amongst the nobility and gentry, establishing an annual wrestling-match in his park, the prize for which was a gold-laced hat value twenty-two shillings, and three shillings for the second best. The Baronet published a book, entitled 'The Inn Play, or the Cornish Hugg Wrestler,' giving full directions how to 'break all holds, and throw most falls mathematically.' The third edition, published in 1727, was 'sold by Humph. Wainwright at Bunny, in Nottinghamshire,' and a very quaint and curious little volume it is. Wrestling and classics were to Sir Thomas the constant joy of his life, and while he sedulously promoted the one, he was proud of his acquaintance with the other. He distributed Latin quotations throughout his book, and had them inscribed freely upon buildings in the village. Some time before his death the eccentric Baronet caused his own monument to be carved and to be placed opposite his pew in the chancel, that he might look upon it every Lord's Day and say, 'What is life?'. He made a collection of stone coffins, and when death gave him the back-fall, which it did in his seventy - eighth year, he was buried in one of them in 1741. His remains lie in the vault at the east end of Bunny Church, and on the north wall is his monument, representing him, life size, in wrestling- dress, potent and postured, ready for either flying horse or Cornish hugg. His attitude is the first position in wrestling, and on either side of him are the words 'Artificis status ipse fuit.' On the other half of the monument is the wrestler stretched on the floor, having been cut down by Time, and the words: 'That Time at length did throw him, it is plain, Who lived in hope that he should rise again.' There are also the words 'Tempus edax rerum,' a Greek quotation, and some Latin verses, which may be rendered thus: 'Here lies, O Time, the victim of thy hand, The noblest wrestler in the British strand; His nervous arm each bold opposer quelled In fields of strength, by none but thee excelled, Till, springing up at the last trumpet-call, He conquers thee, who wilt have conquered all'. The monument is stated by Throsby to have been 'wrought out of a fine piece of marble by his chaplain in a barn.' (information from www.nottshistory.org.uk)