This plaque is on the north wall of the chancel, and is the oldest in the church, dating from the time when the church was rebuilt.
William Castell was a shipbuilder and there are a number of not very complementary references to him in Pepys diary in 1662 when he married his second wife, the daughter of Sir William Battern, an Admiral. The family were established along the Thames in the early 17th century including Deptford and Rotherhithe.
On the plaque, Redrofiam is the word for the modern Rotherhithe, also recorded as Redriff Road (London SE16), and "R Carolo 2nd" is King Charles II. "Siste Viator" means something like "Attention, traveller!" A full translation would be welcome.
This page updated 23 September 2010