why are a scull and crossbones on each gate post at the church of st
james the great gawsworth near macclesfield cheshire england

Hello.

According to the following web page about Gawsworth, the skull and
crossbones at St James the Great church are there as "memento mori," a
symbol to remind parishioners that death is unavoidable.

"Coming from the lychgate the post of the inner gates showing the
skull and crossbones as a Memento Mori."
source: Gawsworth
http://www.macccam.co.uk/Redes+Sidding+Gaws/gawsworth0703.html


'A memento mori is a form of image that urged a European person of the
late Middle Ages to "remember thy death." To do this, a memento mori
might represent death as a human skeleton--perhaps as the Grim Reaper
gathering his harvest--or it might depict human bodies in an advanced
state of decay. Its purpose is to remind the viewer that death is an
unavoidable part of life, something to be prepared for at all times.'
http://www.cmp.ucr.edu/terminals/memento_mori/

Also see:
Wikipedia: Memento mori
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_mori

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search strategy:
"st james" gawsworth skull
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I hope this helps.