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This stone was erected by friends and admirers of Thomas Coward, Musician.

The last of the "Waits" of this ancient parish who died on the 6th of Feb 1845 Aged 61 years.

Mute is the music. Motionless is the hand
That touched with "Magic bow" the trembling strings.
But memory hath enbalm'd those viol tones
Which fill'd the enraptured ear and charm'd the soul.

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From "The Life and Times of James Catchach", talking about life in Alnwick towards the end of the 18th century.....

At nights the streets were considerably enlivened by the strains of the borough waits.

Waits, according to Dr Busby is a corruption of Wayghtes (hautboys) a word which has no singular number. The word, he says, has been transferred from the instruments to the performers, who are in the habit of parading our streets by night at Christmas time. There is scarce a young man of any fashion who does not make love with the town music. The Wait often helps him through his courtship.

Hautboys were anciently their musical instruments but afterwards fiddles, with whic hthey nightly serenaded the inhabtants between Martinmas and the end of January. Their ordinary dress consisted of blue coats, yellow breeches and vests, and their hats were usually decorated with a profusion of lace. From 1770 to 1823 the family of Coward acted as waits, of whom Thomas Coward was the last of his race. Mr Tate, the Alnwick historian declared that although he had listened to Paganini and ther celerated performers on the violin, none of their strains had such charms for him as the Border Airs when played by Thomas Catchach.