Grave Encounters

British War Graves Desecrated In Benghazi

2012-03-04T14:37:00.000Z

Just before I headed off to bed last night I quickly checked Sky News. I was shocked and appalled to see that Second World War Graves in Benghazi, Libya have been vandalised. You can watch the report here on Sky News.

I have checked this morning on the website for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and can not see a post in relation to this, but I am sure than one will be posted in due course. I can not help but wonder whether the headstones will be replaced. Certainly, if they are, there is a further risk of more damage. Furthermore, and more importantly, is it safe to do so? Whatever is decided, these men whose bravery and sacrifice is commemorated here deserves to be remembered in stone.

This isn't a political post. It does though, demonstrate that headstones whilst made of concrete or stone, are in fact fragile and must be preserved.

Further links to the corresponding articles are below-

I was just about to post and had a quick check of the CWGC site and am delighted to say that a post has been made about the damage and a decision taken that the graves will be repaired. Which is excellent news.

…..A long way from home

2012-02-24T18:06:00.000Z

I always think it is sad to come across a gravestone of someone who passed away many miles from home. I don’t mean those who are born in one Country and live and pass away in another, I mean those to whom death occurs and is unexpected and occurs away from home.

The point of headstones is that there is a marker to indicate that behind the name and perhaps a set of dates a person existed. It is a visual spot whereby loved ones can pay their respects and mourn.

I live in the coastal town of Teignmouth on the South Devon coast of England. I have no specific reason to visit the cemetery and no one that I know is buried there. After a few years we paid a visit to the cemetery and simply wandered around. Looking at the headstones that were erected with love and now simply a testament that someone had cared enough to place a stone, but perhaps there is no one left to visit and lay flowers.

One headstone was dedicated to a Russian mariner. Teignmouth has a working port and ships regularly dock here, both now and in the past, loading and unloading their cargo. Knowing this fact I was not surprised to see such a headstone, commemorating the passing of an individual who died many miles from home. On the few occasions I have seen the grave there are no flowers left and it suddenly occurs to me that this individual passed away 100 years ago. Perhaps there are no family left who remembers this man, perhaps his name is simply a question mark in someone’s ancestry – his existence is known, but the details surrounding his death and burial place is not.

In October 2011 my husband and I visited the Island of Jersey which lies in the seas of the British Isles and yet rather confusingly is governed completely independently of the United Kingdom. The Island lies 14 miles off the coast of France. I was looking at a map as we planned the following day’s activities. In the smallest of print I spotted the following words “W.W.2 War Graves”. The next day we headed off to our planned destination by way of a detour to the park which hosted the graves mentioned.

The board of interest indicated that the grounds were given to the people of Jersey in memory of a local land owner whose son had perished in the First World War. We then followed the path to the War Graves.

There, we felt overwhelmed. In front of us lay two groups of graves. The graves represent Servicemen who died during the Second World War. Some individuals were named, others were not. These were men whose bodies were recovered during the War and were buried within the confines of the park with the respect they deserved. They were cared for in death by the population of an Island that was inhabited from 1940 by the German Army. Yet, despite those tough times, the local population wanted those individuals to be remembered.

As we walked along the rows of headstones, reading the names the grounds man was mowing the prestige lawn. The pattern created by the mower in uniformed strips. I stopped to talk to him and asked him about the headstones. He said rather sadly, very few people come here to see them. When I asked why, he said very simply “people forget they are here and time passes by…..”

He is right, time does pass by, but we should never forget this sacrifice. The majority of these men died many miles from home and now lie in a foreign land, some from within the UK and serving in the British Armed Services, others from the United States. Only one Grave represents Islander and that is the Grave of Maurice Jay Gould who had been born in England in 1924. His birthplace meant that he was deported from the Island at the start of the Occupation. He died in Germany aged just 19 in 1943. His body was returned to the Island in 1997 and buried in this special place.

On line Journal of Grave yard Rabbit

Guest Post at International Graveyard Rabbit

2012-02-23T15:05:00.000Z

I have been invited to be an international guest poster at the on line journal of Graveyard Rabbits.

You can read my guest post HERE

Stained Glass in Wales Online

2012-02-14T17:39:00.000Z

Press Release from The Church in Wales

Anyone interested in church history can now view and research more than 2,000 stained glass windows from hundreds of churches in Wales on line. http://stainedglass.llgc.org.uk/

From medieval to modern, the windows have been photographed and catalogued in a project by the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. The website allows all the windows to be searched thematically by date, artist or location.

The project was initiated by the artist and photographer Martin Crampin. “Stained glass is part of the visual vocabulary of many of our churches, and a pictorial manifestation of the church’s faith and tradition,” he said. “Yet often little is known of the artists or studios that made them, and sometimes the meaning of the windows is unclear to those that worship in their midst today.”

The catalogue covers stained glass from medieval times up to the present day, including the fine collections of medieval glass, imported continental glass, work by the large Victorian firms and artists of the arts and crafts movement, as well as more recent windows by artists trained and based in Wales from the second half of the 20th century up to the present day.

Although the funding for the project has come to an end, long before a complete survey has been possible, it is hoped that the catalogue will continue to grow in the future.

It is now possible to add further information and comments to the site. http://stainedglass.llgc.org.uk/

Howard Davis Park, Jersey, Channel Islands - Part Eleven

2012-02-13T15:40:00.000Z

Howard Davis Park, Jersey, Channel Islands - Part Ten

2012-02-13T15:30:00.000Z

The park is remarkably peaceful and quite pleasant to walk around. Throughout the Howard Davis Park there are seats with memorial plaques, along with a pond and a lovely rose garden.

Howard Davis Park, Jersey, Channel Islands - Part Nine

2012-02-13T14:48:00.001Z

Howard Davis Park, Jersey, Channel Islands - Part Eight

2012-02-13T14:42:00.000Z

Howard Davis Park, Jersey, Channel Islands - Part Seven

2012-02-13T14:33:00.000Z

Howard Davis Park, Jersey, Channel Islands - Part Six

2012-02-13T14:27:00.000Z

There are two plots of these graves. The plot on the left contains 31 graves plus this one that follows.

The reason this is slightly separate is that Maurice Jay Gould was born in England although living in Jersey at the time of the German Occupation. As a result of his birthplace he was deported to Germany where he died, just aged 19. His body was returned to Jersey in 1997 and is interned here.

Howard Davis Park, Jersey, Channel Islands - Part Five

2012-02-13T14:17:00.000Z

Howard Davis Park, Jersey, Channel Islands - Part Four

2012-02-13T14:09:00.000Z

Howard Davis Park, Jersey, Channel Islands - Part Three

2012-02-13T14:02:00.000Z

Howard Davis Park, Jersey, Channel Islands - Part Two

2012-02-13T13:53:00.000Z

We followed the path along to the War Graves. In front of us lay two groups of graves. The graves represent Servicemen who died during the Second World War. Some individuals were named, others were not. These were men whose bodies were recovered during the War and were buried within the confines of the park with the respect they deserved. They were cared for in death by the population of an Island that was inhabited from 1940 by the German Army. Yet, despite those tough times, the local population wanted those individuals to be remembered. Over the next few posts I will post photographs of all the graves represented here.

Howard Davis Park, Jersey, Channel Islands - Part One

2012-02-13T13:25:00.000Z

Mentioned in small print on the tourist map of Jersey is the name Howard Davis Park. Alongside the name of the park is the mention of "W.W.2 War Graves". It was seeing the mention of War Graves that made us visit the park in October 2011.

As you enter the park their is a building immediately on the left which provides some basic details and understanding on how the park came to be.

Inside there is a picture of Howard Leopold Davis and a framed frame of his medals and memorial plaque.

Happy Birthday - Grave Encounters!

2012-01-08T00:05:00.001Z

Where does the time go? It is a year ago today that I launched the Grave Encounters Blog focusing on all things memorial related.

My Grandmother always said, that two things were certain - death and taxes! What is beyond the paper trail of our existence? I don't mean, the question of life after death. I mean what is it we leave after we have passed away? A household of contents, a pile of memorabilia that meant something to the deceased and no one else?

What is beyond the death certificate? An Obituary, A funeral service, A memorial booklet presented at the service. Perhaps an internment of ashes or maybe a burial. Hopefully, a headstone. In some cases, a plaque somewhere that simply shows everyone that the deceased even existed.

As regular readers will have noticed, I am very interested in memorial plaques. Simple little examples that someone existed, and someone cared enough to remember them. They appear everywhere and in the strangest of locations. Of course the location would have meant something to the deceased or perhaps their relatives.

From the plaques that appear on benches at fisheries & lakes, to the large multiple named memorials of the Lockerbie Air Disaster, to the various memorials on the Channel Islands of Jersey, where the memorial is not just about remembering the dead, it is about conquering and holding on, believing that rescue will come, and finally to the memorial postcard of a Wedding, that was so unusual, that it deserved to be shared.

They are all plaques or memorials, worth recording and sharing across the superhighway, each one representing a life and a story behind that life.

Stay with me reading, as I complete the various memorials from our second break in Jersey and then onto the archives here of photographs from various cemeteries both within the UK and Overseas. I shall also author two articles for the International Graveyard Rabbits, so watch this space!

Wapperwell Lake, Chudleigh, Devon - Atkinson

2012-01-07T23:27:00.000Z

Wapperwell Lake is owned by the Newton Abbot Fishing Association and the lake is situated on the land belonging to Ugbrooke House. We had a quick drive out to the lake for my husband to see what the fishing would be like and took our small Border Terrier with us. You can see the photographs HERE.

Around the outskirts of the lake were a few seats provided by the Association, but half way round I spotted this seat, complete with memorial plaque.

In Loving Memory of Pat Atkinson 1927 - 1999

Lockerbie Air Disaster - Part 15 - Dryfesdale Cemetery

2011-12-19T00:15:00.002Z

Photograph taken April 2006

Lockerbie Air Disaster - Part 14 - Tree Plaques Dryfesdale Cemetery

2011-12-19T00:11:00.001Z

Photographs taken April 2006

Lockerbie Air Disaster - Part 13 - Tree Plaques Dryfesdale Cemetery

2011-12-19T00:08:00.001Z

Photographs taken April 2006

Lockerbie Air Disaster - Part 12 - Tree Plaques Dryfesdale Cemetery

2011-12-19T00:04:00.000Z

Photographs taken April 2006

Lockerbie Air Disaster - Part 11 - Plaques Dryfesdale Cemetery

2011-12-18T17:02:00.000Z

Photographs taken April 2006

Lockerbie Air Disaster - Part 10 - Dryfesdale Cemetery

2011-12-18T16:53:00.001Z

Photographs taken April 2006

Lockerbie Air Disaster - Part 9 - Dryfesdale Cemetery

2011-12-18T16:48:00.000Z

Photographs taken April 2006

Lockerbie Air Disaster - Part 8 - Plaques Dryfesdale Cemetery

2011-12-18T16:41:00.000Z

Photographs taken April 2006

Lockerbie Air Disaster - Part 7 - Wall Plaques Dryfesdale Cemetery

2011-12-18T16:39:00.000Z

Lockerbie Air Disaster - Part 6 - Wall Plaques Dryfesdale Cemetery

2011-12-18T16:38:00.001Z

Photographs taken April 2006

Lockerbie Air Disaster - Part 5 - Wall Plaques Dryfesdale Cemetery

2011-12-18T16:37:00.000Z

Photographs taken April 2006

Lockerbie Air Disaster - Part Four - Memorial at Dryfesdale Cemetary

2011-12-18T16:28:00.000Z

The Memorial to all the victim of the Air Disaster, those who were passengers and crew on the aircraft and the local residents.

Photograph taken April 2006

Lockerbie Air Disaster - Part three - Sherwood Crescent

2011-12-18T16:27:00.000Z

Photographs taken April 2006.

Lockerbie Air Disaster - Part Two - Tundergarth Parish.

2011-12-18T16:26:00.000Z

Photographs taken April 2006

Lockerbie Air Disaster - Part One

2011-12-18T16:24:00.000Z

The 21st December is a rather sad day in the history of the Scottish Border town of Lockerbie. Back in 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 exploded and crashed mid air over the Border Town.

It was an event that shook the world. My husband lived in a hamlet about 4 miles from Lockerbie and within walking distance of where the main fuselage rested, in the parish of Tundergarth, the tragic event also happened on his birthday.

Over the next few days I plan to share with you the various plaques and memorials that commemorate those who lost their lives. The information is devised into the following-

A Series of plaques at the Church in Tundergarth Parish, Lockerbie
A Memorial at the location where some locals were killed - Sherwood Cresent, Lockerbie
The Memorial at Dryfesdale Cemetery, Lockerbie
Plaques at Dryfesdale Cemetery, Lockerbie
Tree Plaques at Dryfesdale Cemetery, Lockerbie
Headstones within Dryfesdale Cemetery, Lockerbie

The main Cemetery at Lockerbie is called Dryfesdale. At the very top a Memorial Garden was created to host the main memorial as seen in the picture below. On the wall, either side of the main memorial is a series of plaques in memory of some of those who died, mainly those who were on the plane. There are also a series of tree plaques within the memorial garden. As you head back into the main area of the Cemetery is a headstone to a local family.

The Memorial Garden is a lovely spot. The area is well tendered by the local council and a place of solitude where locals and the families of those who perished in the disaster can come and show their respects. Whilst many of those named were strangers to the local community, they are all united in a truly tragic event.

Dryfesdale Cemetery and Memorial Garden

Photograph taken April 2006

A Marriage in Gretna Green, Scotland

2011-11-30T13:07:00.008Z

Quite recently I spotted this postcard and was immediately intrigued. Was this a case of young forbidden love, rushing across the border to tie the knot? The genealogist in me had to have a little poke about to see if I could identify anything about this couple. I know, but I could not help it!

A search of Ancestry.co.uk revealed that the couple Olive Emily RIDSDEL and Hector Graeme MAPPIN married in Billericay Essex in the June Quarter of 1929. Which implies that the couple married in Scotland at Gretna in April and married again in Essex in England in June of the same year. I say married in Scotland on the basis that this feels a little more than a young romantic gesture as the card indicates witnesses and the name of the priest was completed and is shown to be Jessie Rennison. Was one of the couple, or perhaps both, under age in England, but free to marry in Scotland in April then the individual had a birthday and was then of age to marry in England. Was perhaps Hector in the services and stationed in Scotland? I comment on this because it was quite common for servicemen to marry twice, as they had to have the permission of their commanding officer.

A look at the 1911 Census reveals the following and does show that in 1929 Olive would have been 20 and therefore under age to have married. It also reveals that her parents had been married for 5 years at the time of the 1911 Census.

Name

Relation

Condition/
Yrs married

Sex

Age

Birth
Year

Occupation

Where Born

Original
census
image

RIDSDEL, Ernest Bramwell

Head

Married

1882

Secretary To Limited Company

Nottingham N K

RIDSDEL, Lilian Ethel

Wife

Married
5 years

1881

Hebdon Bridge Yorkshire

RIDSDEL, Olive Emily

Daughter

1910

Bramhall Cheshire

RIDSDEL, William Bramwell

Son

1910

Bramhall Cheshire

SILVESTER, Helen Louisa

Single

1891

General Servant Domestic

Virginia Water Surrey


RG number: RG14	Piece: 3682	Reference: RG14PN3682 RG78PN138 RD42 SD2 ED29 SN144

Registration District: Bromley	Sub District: Beckenham	Enumeration District: 29	Parish: Beckenham

Address: 171 Venner Road Sydenham			County: Kent

I wondered where Olive's father was going to be in the 1901 Census. With a distinctive name he was fairly easy to find and was in 1901 located in London, is a boarder with a Salvation Army family and himself is recorded as an Salvation Army Officer and is aged 19 years.

UK Census 1901 London

A further search revealed that Ernest married Lilian Ethel Spencer in 1906 which is confirmed by the 1911 Census details. Usually the Spouses last name is not given for marriages prior to 1912, but a search does reveal that the surname of his bride is Spencer.

Name:	RIDSDEL, Ernest Brsmwell
Registration District: Help	Macclesfield
County:	Cheshire
Year of Registration:	1906
Quarter of Registration:	Apr-May-Jun
Spouse's last name:	Not available before 1912
Volume No: Help	8A
Page No: Help	329

In order to be consistent I had a quick look for Lilian Ethel Spencer in the 1901 Census and here she is with her parents and siblings. There was no obvious signs if Lilian's family were also involved in the Salvation Army, but her father had a business in Yorkshire.

UK Census 1901 Hebden Bridge Yorkshire

The research which reveals that there is an Salvation Army influence may well be one of the root causes of why there was two marriages, plus the additional issue that Olive was just under the official age limit to marry freely. I wonder if her parents knew that she had married prior to the event in Essex? A quick glimpse reveals that they at least had one daughter born in 1930 and a son a few years later.

I am going to enjoy the card for a little while, before seeing if I can reunite the card with the family. I did a quick Google search to see if that revealed any one researching the family or linked directly to the family. I was therefore very surprised to see the following newspaper article from the Singapore Newspaper, The Straits Times 22nd May 1929

Page 12

There was a further newspaper article in the Miami Post for 8th July 1929, which shows an earlier link between the families, and the rather fun personalities of the pair.

What a wonderful and romantic story.

....And all this from a postcard!

Littleham Churchyard, Exmouth, Devon

2011-10-29T16:47:00.002+01:00

The following is an article from the Express & Echo (Exeter) newspaper. Published 27th Oct - 2nd Nov 2011.

The article relates to grave plots that have been reserved at Littleham Churchyard. There are currently 70 reservations, but the church & cemetery officials do not have any records relating to 50 of them.

If you have a reservation at the church, please get in touch with the Church by 18th November 2011, otherwise the reserved plot will revert back to general use.

Published Express & Echo 27th Oct - 2nd Nov 2011 - Littleham Churchyard

Memorial - Maritime Museum Jersey - Part Two

2011-10-28T15:39:00.001+01:00

Just as you walk through the doors to the Museum, there are a further two plaques.

Memorial - Maritime Museum Jersey - Part One

2011-10-28T14:56:00.002+01:00

Outside the Maritime Museum stands a rather impressive memorial. The memorial is to those islanders who removed from the island and sent to concentration camps and prisons during the Second World War. Not all returned.

The following are pictures of the marble stones which bears the carvings of the 20 individuals who did return. Whilst the memorial is expressive, the stones are dreadful to photograph!

This Memorial
Is Dedicated
To the Twenty
People Who
Never Returned

"Lest we Forget"

Canon Clifford Cohn
John Dauny
Arthur Dimmery
George Fox
Louisa Gould nee Le Druillenic

Maurice Gould
James Houillebec
Frank Le Villio
William Marsh

John Whitley Nicole
Advocate Leonce L'Hermitte Ogier
Frederick Page
Clarence Claude Painter
Peter Edward Painter

Emile John Paisnel
Clifford Queree
Marcel Rossi, Jnr
June Sinclair
Joseph Tierney

This plaque is affixed to the side panel and is clearly shown in the first picture.

Interesting Marker - Rozel Bay Jersey - 10th October 2011

2011-10-20T09:33:00.001+01:00

Having arrived at Rozel Bay at lunchtime we enjoyed a sandwich and coffee and a tea shop. As we walked back in the direction of the car I spotted a marker situated outside the pathway to one of the houses. I snapped a quick picture planning to ponder on the purpose of such a marker.

A little later on in the week we visited a Jersey Heritage site and there I saw an explanation for similar markers.

Typically, These markers shows the owner of the property and the date and the details of all those who had rights of passage. What I find interesting about this marker is the word of conn..ble (4th row down). I believe the word actually says constable and is this in keeping with other odd markers spotted on the island. Very often there would simply be a stone with the engraved name of an individual, a date and the word constable.

I therefore think that this marker is in reference to the parish constable and those officials who had right of access to the parish or the parish building. The date is clearly shown as 1838.

As I have a curious nature I may well investigate further!

Cross posted to Anglers Rest

Seat Plaque at Rozel Bay Jersey - Roger Pryke

2011-10-20T07:34:00.001+01:00

Wall Plaque - Roy Flinn - Teignmouth, Devon

2011-10-09T18:23:00.002+01:00

Situated on the right hand side of the main corridor at Teignmouth Hospital.

Killerton House, Devon - Part Two - Plaques in the the Chapel

2011-10-01T12:54:00.002+01:00

More photos of the Chapel and our visit to Killerton House are HERE

Killerton House, Devon - Part One

2011-10-01T12:33:00.002+01:00

You can read about our visit to Killerton House HERE. The house and estate are owned by the National Trust.

As we walked along to the chapel which sits on the edge of the estate we could see these these statues of Urns, marking the pathway.

What a wonderful way to remember the work and contribution of a loyal employee. Arthur Godfrey worked at Killerton for just under 40 years; what an achievement.

Tree Plaque - Oliver William-Powlett Westpoint Arena Exeter

2011-09-25T18:28:00.001+01:00

Over the weekend we visited the Creative Stitches and Craft function at Westpoint Arena in Exeter. You can read all about it HERE, HERE and HERE. As we were leaving and walking back to the car, I spotted the following tree plaque.

Grave Markers at the Jersey War Tunnels

2011-08-06T11:05:00.002+01:00

Recently while on holiday on the beautiful Island of Jersey in the Channel Islands we visited the Underground War Tunnels. You can read about it -

Part One,

Part Two,

Part Three

Part Four

As the visit of the tunnels drew to a close. I spotted this.

Grave marker of US Airman, Lieutenant E.G.J. Pallantine whose aircraft was shot down

Memorial at Corbiere Lighthouse, Jersey

2011-08-02T06:20:00.001+01:00

Memorial Seat Plaque, Maritime Museum, St. Helier, Jersey

2011-07-24T14:15:00.001+01:00

Having been into the Occupation Tapestry, housed at the Maritime Museum in St. Helier we came out and sat for a few minutes to get our thoughts together. As I got up I spotted this plaque on the back of the seat.

Seat located immediately opposite the Maritime Museum in St. Helier Jersey

St Helier War Memorial, Jersey,Channel Islands

2011-07-22T09:47:00.006+01:00

Memorial Plaque - Albert Dock, St Helier, Jersey

2011-07-21T18:46:00.002+01:00

Fixed to a wall at Albert Docks, St Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands
it reads:

"On the evening of 28th June 1940
Heinkel aircraft of the German Air Force
Attacked the St Helier harbour
in an attempt to test
the defence of the Island

This plaque was unveiled
on 28th June 1990
in Memory of
Mr John Philip Mauger
Mr Harold Frederick Hobbs
Mr Robert Bunting Fallis
Mr Godfrey William Adolp Coleman
Mr Leslie Charles Henry Bryan
Mr Edward Henry Ferrand
Mr William Charles Moody
Mr Arthur William Parr
Who lost their lives as a result of this raid"

Scarcliffe Churchyard, Derbyshire

2011-07-11T13:44:00.001+01:00

On a visit up to the North East of England we stopped at Scarcliffe to see what graveyard remains there were to reflect the Goucher presence in the village.

We found three graves. Two of them are photographed here.

Grave of Henry & Sarah Jane Goucher

In Loving Memory of
Our Dear Parents
Henry GOUCHER
Died 1st December 1919 aged 69
And Sarah Jane GOUCHER
Died 3rd November 1941 aged 86
Reunited

In Loving Memory of
Lucy Ellen
Beloved wife of James GOUCHER
Died Oct 21st 1835 aged 50
Resting where no shadows fall

The third grave we found was of Ellen and John Goucher. The photograph has been too poor to reproduce with clarity, but a transcription of it is here

Loving Memory

Ellen, the beloved wife of

John GOUCHER

who died February 5th 1885

aged 60 years

Also John

Husband of the above

Who died January 14th 1908

Aged 83 years

Blessed are the dead which die in the lord

Teignmouth War Memorial

2011-07-02T12:48:00.001+01:00

Memorial Books

2011-06-26T15:36:00.001+01:00

Last weekend, my mother in law sent us a selection of photographs of the memorial headstone of my father in law. I say memorial headstone as my father in law was cremated and my mother in law has retained the ashes. There is also an entry in the memorial book for the 12th June which displays the following entry.

So, can you believe all you read? In this case definitely not!

The entry in the book (above) is actually incorrect. for issues that I won't go into, the names of the children from my father in law's first marriage are missing. There is also an addition of my sister in law who was adopted by my father in law and is the daughter of my mother in law from her first marriage. The grandchildren are also incorrect, as a nephew is missing because he is deceased, where as I would have added his name followed by (dec).

I can explain all the omissions and additions, but what of future generations? How would they know?

My husband registered the death of his father because my mother in law was in hospital at the time. Had she or my sister in laws registered the death there would again have been inaccuracies. The death was registered in Scotland and part of that process is to name previous spouses. My mother in law would have been furious and possibly argued the point and my sister in laws would not have known the details. The death certificate therefore, thanks to my obsession with family history contains the full and accurate details.

St Mary's Church Foulness Island, Essex

2011-06-01T05:42:00.002+01:00

I was alerted to the following for sale information.

Here are the details from the website (I have copied the data below for the benefit of preservation!)

"Foulness Church is situated centrally on the on Foulness island and surrounded entirely by open views to the horizon. The land however is controlled by the MOD and has a population of about 160. It is a drive of a few miles from the gate, across MOD land to the Church. The Church has been closed for some years and is now in need of considerable remedial repairs to re-instate it to a usable condition. Any repairs will need to be prior approved by the listed buildings authority.

You should also be aware of the following which we understand to be the situation regarding access and utilities:

• The public rights of access to the island are subject to tides and the range byelaws. When the tide is out and the flags are down, there is vehicular access along a byway from Wakering Stairs to Foulness Island along The Broomway (tidal) and then across the island. The MOD have said that long-term arrangements to use the private road can be agreed.

• Access to water supply will need to be addressed with the supplier and contracts agreed as presently this is not operational.

• The access to an electrical supply has been suspended and the cost of reinstating the supply is not known. The supply is off a private network managed by the MOD.

• We do not believe there is an existing connection to the main sewer.
If a connection is made, the MOD will need to be made aware of the plan first as there are vital services in the area."

The selling price is £9,000 and is a bargain for someone with the finances to put the Church into a liveable condition and the will to plough their way through the red tape!

Disclaimer - I am not connected with the current owner or the selling agent.
Abbreviation - MOD is Military of Defence.

Teignmouth Cemetery, Devon

2011-05-30T18:16:00.005+01:00

Not being native to Teignmouth we rarely visit the local cemetery. As I plan to photograph the graves for this blog we headed up to the cemetery last night to see how it has fared in the last 10 years, which was when we last visited.

I think it is fair to say that we were quite shocked of the deterioration of the grave stones. We photographed some, mainly general views and a few close up shots, some of which appear below and the rest are located on Flickr.

Devon Family History Society has transcribed the gravestone and a fiche of the transcriptions is available. Just as well given the deterioration.

Teignmouth Cemetery, a set on Flickr.

Mules Park at Eastcliffe

2011-05-29T12:27:00.003+01:00

Inspired by an article in the local paper about Mules Park we decided to explore. In the time we had lived here we had never heard of it. We had a lovely walk, despite the weather being miserable and Alfie made lots of new friends!

Teignmouth Post Friday 27th May 2011

As we started to walk round keeping an eye on Alfie we spotted memorials at the bottom of seats and on the backs of some of the park benches.

Click HERE to view the complete set of photos

Living in a church.....

2011-05-28T12:01:00.001+01:00

The weekly free paper usually plops through the letterbox on Thursday evenings, we know when it has arrived when Alfie, our Border Terrier, who makes up for his size with personality, barks to advise that something is happening at the front door.

I tend to come home from work on a Friday, collapse in a heap and while waiting for the kettle to boil flick through the paper removing anything that I want to keep for my Teignmouth archive. I was intrigued when I spotted a converted church for sale.

Well, it is out of our price range and we have no plans to move currently, although every now and again we do have a conversation about two of us, opps, no, three of us if we count Alfie rattling around in a house of this size,which we bought for a family we do not actually have!, but I vote we shelf the idea of moving for at least now. The thought of boxing up my study sends me into a panic of gigantic proportions!

From the main road not surprisingly, the spire of the property can be seen and I have often wondered what the property was, but never actually got around to investigating. So, from the confines of my newspaper and study with laptop I nipped onto the selling agents website and viewed the pictures. Picture number 10 of the slideshow reveals the gardens with headstones of those nuns buried within the grounds. There is also a Mausoleum in the grounds with the interred remains of the abbesses.

So, has any of these headstones been transcribed?, or are they, as they now reside in someone's garden, lost to researchers?

Disclaimer - I am not in anyway connected to the seller of the property or the selling agent.

Brick Pavers - Joseph Hamblet 1883

2011-05-08T13:15:00.001+01:00

Not a grave, or a grave marker, but worth preserving nonetheless.

Original Victorian Staffordshire blue brick pavers. Each paver has been stamped with the makers name, Joseph Hamblet and year of manufacture, 1883. Each brick paver measures 9x3x41/4" and there are at least 50 of them which have survived the test of time!

Joseph Hamblet founded the Piercy Brickworks in West Bromwich in 1851. The brickwork became well known for the blue bricks it produced. Joseph Hamblet died in 1894 and the business continued until 1915.

Liddlesdale Scotland War Memorial

2011-05-07T19:59:00.002+01:00

Taken in October 2008

Bob Davison (1921 - 1999) - Fingle Bridge

2011-05-02T19:58:00.001+01:00

On the edge of Dartmoor is a favourite spot for walkers, fisherman and dog walkers. We fell into all three of the categories as we did a trip out today, in the words of my hubby prospecting a new fishing adventure!

Along the banks of the River Teign is a country inn called The Fingle Bridge and as we sat with a coffee, resting and looking at the beautiful scenery I spotted a memorial stone to a former water bailiff, Bob Davison 1921-1999

For those interested in the general photographs taken click HERE

Blitz of Plymouth - 70th Anniversary

2011-04-25T11:57:00.001+01:00

Western Morning News Friday 22nd April 2011

With a contrasting picture of the memorial spot at the cemetery from 1941 and the Memorial Service in 2011.

Funerals on the web.....

2011-04-10T14:04:00.001+01:00

This morning via Twitter, I saw the following headline:

"BBC Devon News: Funerals to be broadcast on web: Live web casts of funeral services will be available at the new ..." with the link to read more about the story - Click HERE

I can obviously see an advantage. I have family members who have passed away overseas and I have been unable to attend, to pay my last respects and support my family.

We are in the 21st Century. Is this, the way forward?

Unknown burial - Sompting Sussex

2011-03-26T10:33:00.003Z

“The mystery surrounding some human bones, which were found in a gravel pit at Sompting on Friday, was not cleared up yesterday, when the West Sussex Coroner (Mr. F. W. Butler) held an inquest upon them at Worthing Fire Station.

Evidence was given by Police-constable Abbott, that the bones were found by a man named Dunk about two feet under the ground. The police had made extensive inquiries in the district, but could not form any conclusion as to how the bones came to be there. A German prisoners internment camp was in a meadow adjoining the pit in 1917 and 1918, but Police records showed no prisoners as having escaped from this camp, and two who escaped from a similar camp near by were recaptured. They could not ascertain that any prisoner had died and been buried there, and no person had been missing and unaccounted for in the neighbourhood for the last 40 years, one man who disappeared having been found a week later. There was no information available as to how the remains came to be buried.

Dr. W. O. Pitt, who examined the bones, said they were the remains of two human beings, probably a man and a woman. Their state showed that they could not have been buried for more than ten years, because had they been ancient bones they would have been well preserved or would have crumbled on being handled; actually, they only partly crumbled. One of the jawbones had been fractured, and he believed it to be an old injury, which might have been caused by a blow.

Dr. Pitt added that it would be interesting to have the view of an expert like Sir Arthur Keith.

The Coroner said there was nothing to show the cause of death, or how the bones came to be buried, and made an order for burial. This, it was stated, would probably take place in Sompting Churchyard.”

(Worthing Gazette, 5th March 1930)

The Oldest Stone - Graveyard Rabbit Carnival - January 2011

2011-02-16T23:38:00.008Z

The topic for the January 2011 edition of the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival was

The oldest stone.

"This topic was submitted by the Association. Post a photograph of the oldest tombstone in your family collection, your local cemetery, or one you just happened to bump into in your Rabbit travels. That would be the oldest burial date!"

I am always amazed that for some reason some headstones stand the test of time, yet others don't.

I submitted for this Carnival, the stones we found whilst on the Isle of Bute in July 2009.

Here is one of my favourite photos from this collection, which shows the mix of Graves stones.

John Matthews & Mary Elizabeth Matthews nee Elstone The Mount Cemetery Guildford

2011-02-04T22:50:00.004Z

As part of the Family History Writing Challenge I wrote a post relating to the grave of my Great Grandparents, which was mentioned in my Graveyard Rabbit post last month. It occurred to me that the photos below illustrated quite nicely what I meant about graves being neglected and forgotten.

Here are two photos of the grave, the first in 1937 and the second in 2007.

Graveyard Rabbits

2011-01-19T19:44:00.002Z

I am very proud to have been approached to be the seventy fourth in a series, which features members of the Graveyard Rabbit Association.

As a child I had routinely visited my Great Aunts, the sisters of my Grandfather. I would sit and play all the while listening to the conversations as they talked and reminisced about times past. It was those early conversations that sparked my love of genealogy and history.

I was in my early twenties and still visited my Aunts on a regular basis. By this time they were elderly and presumably looked forward to visits from younger members of the family. I started asking questions of my Aunts and jotting down the answers and suddenly realized that I wanted to plug the gaps in their knowledge and learn more about the family that I was part of.

My maternal family is from Surrey England. Indeed it is the County where I was born. As I started to research it was evident that for about 300 years my maternal family had moved no more than a 40 mile radius across the Counties of Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire. It was only after both my Grandparents had deceased that I established that they themselves were 6th cousins. I wonder what they would have made of that?

The day I spotted my Great Grandmother on the England Census for 1881 was truly amazing. This was the Great Grandmother that I had visited and sat with aged about 3 years old. Quite remarkable and I knew then, I simply had to know and read all I could about the ancestors and family members that I had helped me to be come the person that I am today.

I like cemeteries and memorials, they are the link from the present to the past and deserve to be treasured in whatever form that takes. I am always saddened when I see a grave, neglected because time has passed and now there is no one to care for the grave and as time passes it will become unreadable and perhaps unloved.

This is the case for one set of my Maternal Great Grandparents.They are buried in a Cemetery in Guildford Surrey. My Great Grandfather buried in 1931 and my Great Grandmother in 1937. About ten years ago I was emailed by a fellow genealogist, we share several surnames the same, but can not find any connection. Anyway, had I seen the notice about The Mount Cemetery? I replied that I had not and in due course a photo of the sign was emailed across to me. On my next visit to Surrey a few weeks later I went to the Cemetery, located the plot and photographed the grave. The plot had been purchased by my Great Grandmother on a lease for 75 years. That had been what the notice was about. I pondered and upon my return home I contacted the cemetery office and laid claim to the grave and asked that the grave now be placed in my ownership. In doing so, the plot can not be disturbed without my consent and I am responsible for any repairs necessary.

On the same visit, I attend the grave of my other set of Maternal Great Grandparents. The grave was purchased in 1943 when my Great Grandfather was interned and then in 1971 by Great Grandmother passed away. At the time, one of my Great Aunts visited the grave weekly and created a little garden on the plot. There was no headstone. Since then my Great Aunt has passed away and although there are family members who care, and remember my Great Grandparents they are removed from thinking about the grave. I wandered around the cemetery looking for the plot, tricky with no headstone, just by vague remembering. Eventually I phoned my Mum who likewise could not really recall the plot anymore than I could, but asked had the little block of wood with a number on, made by my cousin been removed. I remembered the little block with the number on it. But could I see it, yes, but the grave didn't look the same. I enlisted the help of the Cemeteries department who confirmed with me the grave number and directed me to the plot. The plot was not where the block of wood was. It was the row in front. I had a horrid sinking feeling had we been visiting the wrong grave all these years? When I got home I had a chat with my Mum and we established that while my Great Grandmother and Aunt had been alive we had been visiting the correct plot. However, once my Aunt had been too infirm to visit it was the task of the next generation to visit and tender the grave. Mum recalls being directed to the plot by another of her cousins a lovely man, who had the family tendency to be slightly vague and I suspect that this was the root of the problem. So with some amusement and sadness the wrong grave has been tended for more the 30 years. Ironic that the very grave in front should not have a headstone either. The question for me is what is worse to be loved and remembered with no headstone so that errors like that one happen or to have a headstone that no one visits?

Over the last 20 years I have taken lots of photos of churches, memorials and graves, simply because it was a lovely church, or a family grave or maybe just because the surname was one of my family surnames and perhaps might fit into the genealogical puzzle. By taking the photos it is recorded in time, as it deserves to be. I spotted a link to Graveyard Rabbits on someone's blog and was intrigued. Over the festive period I had chance to have a further read of the website and thought it was a fantastic way of utilizing the digital photos that I had currently on Flickr. So I decided to enlist the help of my husband. I showed him the website and asked him to help me think of a nice suitable name. He did and Grave Encounters was created. The plan is now to go through the piles of developed photos and upload them to the blog site, a rather large task for 2011.

What better way than to spend a lovely sunny day, not too much sun or it will affect the photos! and wander around your local cemetery. Take photographs and upload them to an online blog and become a Graveyard Rabbit. I recommend it! I have not had any formal photographic training, I have a camera that is nice - the point and shoot variety, but I have been known to use my iphone for taking photos if I have seen something that I want to record. Work at your own pace and record for future genealogists what maybe lost over time. Why not stop by Grave Encounters and see how we are progressing.

Isle of Bute, Scotland

2011-01-18T18:04:00.005Z

The Isle of Bute is 15 miles long by 4 miles wide and lies in the Firth of Clyde.It is one of the most accessible Scottish Island's.There have been inhabitants on Bute for over 5500 years and some of those early settlers left their mark. The pictures below are of the early Christian monastic remains dedicated to St. Blane who was born on the island. This is the parish of Kingarth.

Photos taken July 2009

Grayfriars Bobby Grave in Edinburgh

2011-01-16T12:35:00.007Z

Catching up on my newspaper reading I spotted the following and thought that I would share.

This is a newspaper article from the Western Morning News which is the regional newspaper for Devon & Cornwall England for Saturday 15 January 2011.

The caption which hasn't really come out that well in the photo reads

"To celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the One O' Clock Gun which fires daily from Edinburgh Castle. Here Brian McKenzie and dog Blue lay a wreath in Edinburgh at the grave of Greyfriars Bobby, the dog which walked the streets of Edinburgh in the 1850s."

Shackleford Church & Churchyard, Surrey

2011-01-13T21:48:00.002Z

Photos taken Jan 2011

Shackleford Church & Churchyard, Surrey

2011-01-13T21:42:00.002Z

Photos taken Jan 2011

Shackleford Church & Churchyard, Surrey

2011-01-13T21:39:00.003Z

Photos taken Jan 2011

Shackleford Church & Churchyard, Surrey

2011-01-13T21:21:00.004Z

The plot of my Great Aunt & Uncle

Photos taken January 2011

Torquay Cemetery, Devon

2011-01-09T18:29:00.002Z

Buried in section C, Un-consecrated ground

Pray for the souls of

LEWIN BENTHAM BOWRING CSI

Chief Commissioner of Mysore and Goore

J P for Devon

Who died Jan 14^th 1910 aged 85

And KATHERINE his wife

Née BELLASIS

Who died March 18^th 1915 aged 74

Requiescant in Page

Pray for the soul of

Captain VINCENT LEWIN BOWRING

Royal Navy

Died Feb 23^rd 1951

RIP

Section C line 18 Grave

From the Cemetery records we can establish that also buried in this grave is

EDWARD LEWIS LLANISLAS BOWRING

Who died 3^rd July 1885 aged 15.

The plot was purchased by Lewin B BOWRING.

Katherine purchased the grave of Lewin Bentham BOWRING at the time of his death. She purchased a double plot and they lay side by side.

At the time of her death Katherine was residing at 90 Hagley Road, Edgebaston Birmingham.

Graves Transcribed March 2000, Photographed June 2002

More details is on the Anglers Rest blog.

Bromyard Church, Herefordshire

2011-01-08T12:01:00.004Z

Photos taken May 2006

Bredwardine Church, Herefordshire

2011-01-08T11:58:00.005Z

Photos taken May 2006

Irongray Churchyard, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland

2011-01-08T11:46:00.005Z

Photos taken April 2003

Abbotsley Churchyard, Cambridgeshire

2011-01-08T11:31:00.003Z

Photos taken August 2007

Stoke New Cemetery,Stoughton Road, Guildford, Surrey

2011-01-08T10:53:00.005Z

Photos taken Feb 2009

Stoke New Cemetery,Stoughton Road, Guildford, Surrey

2011-01-08T10:47:00.002Z

Photos taken Feb 2009

Stoke New Cemetery,Stoughton Road, Guildford, Surrey

2011-01-08T10:40:00.003Z

Photos taken Feb 2009

Stoke New Cemetery,Stoughton Road, Guildford, Surrey

2011-01-08T10:22:00.007Z

Stoke Cemetery is situated to the West of Guildford and was opened in 1883. All new graves are situated in this cemetery. Separate areas are available: Church of England, Roman Catholic, Non-Conformist, Jewish, children and babies. A service chapel is available for all denominations.

Photos taken Feb 2009.

The Mount Cemetery, The Mount, Guildford, Surrey

2011-01-08T10:10:00.003Z

Mount Cemetery is situated to the south of Guildford on a hill overlooking the town centre. The cemetery is now full and is no longer accepts requests for burials unless the grave has been reserved or there is an existing family grave.

Photos taken Feb 2009.

Crematorium considers dissolving bodies ......

2011-01-04T13:30:00.006Z

I read yesterday in the paper of a Crematorium considers dissolving bodies here is the link to the UK newspaper - The Telegraph telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopic

Maybe I am getting old, but I do believe that Crematoriums and Cemeteries are sacred places and should not be disturbed. What is being suggested in this news article somehow, does not seem right, it seems disrespectful. What say you?.....

Cross Posted from Anglers Rest

Graves, Tombs & Memorials by Trevor Yorke

2011-01-01T23:43:00.001Z

Graves, Tombs & Memorials by Trevor Yorke
Published by Countryside Books, 2010, £5.99. ISBN - 978 1 84674 202 6

Published as part of the Britain’s Living History Series, this slim volume, for the book contains just 64 pages, yet contains a wealth of information. Written in a clear easy to read format with photographic illustrations and broken down into chapters complete with a concluding index. This book encourages us to delve beyond the name and dates on the headstone, and to look further at the style of the Memorial, the graphics upon it and the even the types of stone used to make it. Readers are encouraged to get out and about and explore their local churchyard using the knowledge within the book to gain further information about those commemorated upon the stones. The book further explores the how the churchyard and cemetery evolved within our Society, the styles of stones over the ages and how burial practices have changed with a the later section of the book dedicated to understanding the various carvings and what they mean, giving further information of the person they are dedicated to. This book is a welcome addition to any genealogist and family historian bookshelf and really does encourage us to get out their and explore.

Book Review for Federation of Family History Societies book club November 2010.

Cross Posted from Anglers Rest

Introduction......

2011-01-01T10:04:00.000Z

Over the last 20 odd years I have photographed numerous graves that have either had a certain appeal to me or perhaps the individual named on the headstone was a surname that I was researching, but perhaps didn't appear to have any connection to me.

When I stumbled across the Graveyard Rabbit website before Christmas I thought it was a great idea. I pondered for a day or so and then decided to create a blog, this one! and register with the Graveyard Rabbit website.

Initially I am going to post what I already have photos of, before I, in the Spring start exploring more.