Tombstone Tuesday - All Saint's Edmonton, London

On Saturday I dragged the OH to All Saint's Church in Edmonton where his 3x Great Grandmother, Maria Steers was buried on 19 December 1881.

Unfortunately the graveyard has had many stones removed and those that remain are in poor condition. We didn't manage to locate Maria's final resting place, but it was nice knowing that we had been to the ground at least.

I did photograph some of the stones as the iconography was interesting; it's these photo's I'm sharing with you today.

This image was taken from the end of a chest tomb.

Cherub above Skulls

This image is the evolution of “the Death’s Head” which was championed by the Puritans in the early 16th Century. By the 18th Century the original Skull had been replaced by a human face and “the Death’s Head” was now called a “soul effigy” and by the mid 19th Century a human face had been replaced by the Cherub shown here. I believe that the skulls below the soul effigy pay homage to the origin of the icon. 

Gravestone of Mrs Eliz.th Stevenson
The cherub blowing the horn is a symbol of resurrection. The two horns either side of the cherub are cornucopia, also known as the Horn of Plenty. They symbolise an abundant life.

Thos Darton 

This is a very plain stone; however it has survived since 1760. I went to the churchyard looking for a stone from 1881.

William Burrall
I love the fact that this stone gives more than the “normal” information. Mr Burrall was the Parish plumber and glazier. Along with the “soul effigy” and horns symbolising resurrection there is also a veil or curtain, which is a symbol of passage from one world to another.

Sources Used:

• http://www.graveaddiction.com/symbol.html
• “Stories in Stone; A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography”, Douglas Keister, 2004

Tombstone Tuesday - Iorwerth ROBERTS & Siblings

When I first started looking at my ROBERTS ancestors my dad told me that one of his Grand Uncles was re-interred at St. Margarets Rhewl Mostyn Cemetery, Denbighshire so on a nice afternoon we took a drive.


We found the grave of his Grand Uncle but we also came across this hand made gravestone

In Memory

Four Children

who died at birth

Also

Iorwerth

Who died aged 1 day old

 Dear Children

 Edward and Louisa Roberts

6 Prior Street Ruthin

Neither my dad or I are fluent Welsh speakers so we had to get some help deciphering it and the translation is above.


Much later on I found a cousin via Ancestry. Her side of the family had kept in touch with Edward and she gave me the following information:

"During the 1920's they lost five infants. All were stillborn with the exception of Iowerth who lived for one day. Edwards sister, Lizzie recalled that Edward carried the bodies of his babies across the fields from Ruthin to Rhewl chapel graveyard where he buried them. He went to Blaenau Festiniog - the paternal home of Louise and carried a small slab of slate on which he carved the memorial to his lost children. The stone became their tombstone and was placed in Rhewl Chapel cemetery. They had no other children."


It is indeed a very sad tale, but thanks to my cousin this story has been told to a new generation and so the children are remembered. It is my hope that by including their story here, they will always be remembered.

Tombstone Tuesday - Edward John Davies

St. Mary's Parish Church, Nercwys, Flintshire

Treasured Memories Of

EDWARD JOHN DAVIES

Died 11th May 1932

Aged 36 Years.

Also his son

THOMAS GORDON DAVIES

Died 18th June 2005

Aged 75 Years.

My Great Grandfather; Edward John DAVIES. As mentioned in previous blogs Edward was killed in a road traffic accident when he was knocked off his motorbike on the way to work. This stone was not erected until his son, Thomas GORDON DAVIES had his ashes scattered on his father's grave in 2005. Notice that the age of death is given incorrectly as 36; Edward was 31 when he died.

This reminds me that age of death on gravestones is a great starting point, but not an absolute guarantee.