This large marble effigy, carved in 1848 by Richard Westmacott, is a memorial to Sir William Petty (1623 to 1687), a Romsey-born polymath and one of the greatest minds of his age. Amongst other things Petty was both a professor of anatomy and also of music. He invented Europe's first catamaran, produced the first accurate map of Ireland, and was the first person to investigate economic theory in a scientific way. Sir William Petty was also a founder member of The Royal Society. The effigy figure holds a scroll with the seal of the Royal Society. More about Petty’s life can be seen on an information panel nearby.
Now, continue to walk down the centre of the Abbey (the Nave), passing the Churchwardens’ Staves (1928). As you walk, look around you at the symmetry and craftsmanship of the Norman and Early English arches. Imagine the thousands of people who have walked here before at significant moments in their lives, and the community of Christians who gather here each week. The place where heaven and earth meet in worship.
Turn right at the oak lectern; this is in the form of an eagle and dates from 1888. Stop in front of the brightly-coloured curtains.
