The Gravestone of John Renie

The gravestone of John Renie is very unusual because of the inscription that carved on it takes the form of a grid, 19 squares across and 15 squares high. It comprises a rectangular carved 285-letter acrostic puzzle. In each square is a letter. The center row, for example, reads “o J s e i L e r e H e r e L i e s J o.” You can make out some clear words. “Here” and “Lies” are in that in that string above, and you can see the start of “John.” Renie was a house painter who died in 1832 at the age of 33. The gravestone was Grade II listed on 8 October 2005. 

 

Inscription on John Renie's Gravestone

It is claimed that the sentence may be read a total of 46,000 different ways. It is likely that Renie carved the stone himself. Writer and cleric Lionel Fanthorpe has suggested that his intention may have been to confuse the Devil, so ensuring Renie his passage to heaven. In fact, Renie's remains lie elsewhere, as the stone was moved from its original position at a later date.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary%27s_Priory_Church,_Monmouth

http://listverse.com/2014/07/08/10-mysterious-graves-that-defy-explanation/?utm_source=more&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=direct

Pic Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DYK_John_R_in_Monmouth.jpg