Flamborough, Bridlington, East Yorkshire, England, British Isles

On 20th November 1518 Marmaduke Constable (age 61) died after swallowing a frog while drinking a glass of water. He was buried at Church of St Oswald, Flamborough. His tomb in Flamborough church is described by a writer in the ‘Gentleman's Magazine' of 1753 (p. 456): ‘This epitaph is written on a copper plate fixed into a large stone, which is placed upon a large stone coffin or chest in which the body was reposited, and beside it is the upper part of a skeleton in stone; the ribs project greatly and the breast is laid open, in the inner side of which appears what by tradition is held to be a toad at the heart (of which he was supposed to die), but it bears little or no resemblance of a toad.' The brass has now been separated from the coin and skeleton, and their connection with each other forgotten (Prickett, Bridlinqton, p. 187).

Here lieth Marmaduke Constable of Flaymburght, knight,

Who made adventure into France for the right of the same;

Passed over with King Edward the Fourth, that noble knight,

And also with noble King Harry the Seventh of that name.

He was also at Barvik at the winning of the same

And by King Edward chosen captain then first of any on,

And ruled and governed there his time without

But for all that, as ye see, he lieth under this

At Brankiston Field [Flodden], where the King of Scats was slain

He then being of the age of threescore and ten,

With the good Duke of Norfolk that journey he hath ta'en

And couragely advanced himself among other there and then,

The king being in France with great number of English men.

He, nothing heeding his age there, but Jeoparde him as one

With his sons, brethren, servants, and kinsmen,

But now, as ye see, he lieth under this stone.