Author: shadowsflyaway

Always fascinated by cemeteries in the stories they tell.They area backdrop for my photos due to their atmosphere and, in large Victorian cemeteries,

The blank eyed stare of a marble congregation – Part 2 of a visit to Knebworth – The Lytton Chapel, St Mary’s Church

On By shadowsflyawayIn Visits4 Comments

 

Sir William Lytton. ©Carole Tyrrell
Sir William Lytton.
©Carole Tyrrell

Everywhere I looked, as I stood in the Lytton Chapel, a well-upholstered, well dressed 18th century gentleman stared impassively back at me.  They seemed to jostle for space in the small chapel and, although these past members of the Lytton family, couldn’t take it with them, you certainly knew that they’d had it when they were alive.  These were powerful men and there’s plenty of beautifully sculpted marble on show in the Chapel.   Nowadays, people would ask an artist or sculptor to make them look slimmer but here the subjects are unashamedly larger than life.

All three of the memorials are in the baroque style which was made fashionable by the Italian sculptor, Bernini.  It was a technique that achieved effects in carving such as flesh, hair and textures that were remarkably realistic as well as other pictorial effects that had previously only been attempted in 2D paintings .  And yet English Baroque was dismissed as mundane.  However the three tombs in the chapel seem anything but that.

Both Pevsner and Simon Jenkins in ‘1000 Best Churches’ mention the Chapel.  Indeed the latter describes  it as having ‘the best of 17th and 18th century monumental art (is) on parade and ‘three of the Knebworth tombs are among the finest 18th century monuments  In England.’   It was originally built in 1520 and then rebuilt 200 years later.

The first one as you enter is Lytton Strode Lytton who stands perfectly posed in his shell niche dressed fashionably in his coat and shoes with some of his coat buttons undone to display the buttoned up waistcoat beneath, Too many power lunches perhaps?  He died young at 21 as his epitaph reveals but he looks older with an almost feminine face and full lips. Lytton is guarded on either side by winged cherubs, or Cupids, as Historic England describes them..  One is copiously weeping and the other is in prayer and the whole memorial has been attributed to Thomas Green of Camberwell.here is a helpful English translation of the Latin epitaph:

‘Here lies Lytton Strode Lytton Esq., sole son and heir of Sir George Strode (of Etchinham in the County of Sussex_ and also heir of Sir William  Lytton of this parish, his great-uncle. He married Bridget Mostyn, the eldest daughter of Richard Mostyn, Eds., of Pembedwinthe county of Flint. He died without issue at the age of 21 in 1710.  He left the ancient patrimony of the Lytton family to his dearly beloved relative William Robinson, who erected this monument at his own expense as a pledge of his own affection.’

 

Then you turn and are almost crowded out by the other two:  Sir William Lytton to the left and Sir George Strode on your right. Their heads are both inclined towards Lytton Lytton as they lie semi-recumbent on marble beds, sheets rumpled and you almost feel as if you’ve disturbed them in conversation.  Sir George Strode was Lytton’s father and Sir William was his maternal great-uncle so it’s not surprising that they both look to their cherished heir and once the bearer of the Lytton dynasty hopes.

Both of these memorials are credited to Edward Stanton. (1681-1718).   He was a very successful mason who carved 40 monuments between 1699-1718 and in 1720  became a mason to Westminster Abbey where he remained until his death.  Stanton was married 3 times and one wondered where he found the energy.  He has his name prominently displayed at the base of one of the pillars on Sir William Lytton’s huge monument.

The carving on Sir William’s cravat, cuffs and wig as well as the delicate lacing of the Grecian style boots on two life size allegorical female figures or Virtues on either side of him is beautifully detailed. However, his opposite neighbour, Sir George Strode, has a wig that reminds me of waves of whipped cream.  Both men face each other and lie in the fashion of old style glamorous Hollywood stars with their rumpled marble sheets and supporting cushions.  But, perhaps in a feat of one-upmanship, William’s shrine is bigger than George’s as it’s laden down with figures and decoration such as the two Virtues dressed in flowing robes and showing a fair bit of leg.  There are also 3 winged cherubs heads under the cartouche decorated roof with swags of fruit and flowers.  But if you look up still further there are two small female figures, possibly children, perched on top of the roof and one appears to be playing an accordion.  The English translation of the Latin epitaph is:

‘Here lies Sir William Lytton, Knight, son and heir of Sir Rowland Lytton, Knight of the ancient family of the Lyttons de Lytton in the County of Derby (which has flourished happily in this neighbourhood since the time of King VII) in the direct line of descent.  He married first Mary the daughter of Sir John Harrison of Balls in the county of Hertford, then Philippa the daughter of Sir John Keyling of Southill in the county of Bedford; he died without issue, his second wife surviving him. 14th Jan AD 1704-5’

 By contrast, his neighbour, Sir George Strode, Lytton Lytton’s father, is far more restrained as there wouldn’t have been enough room in the chapel for another tomb as large as William’s.  George appears to be in mid-conversation with his hands making a gesture and one thumb indicating the epitaph above him.  This translates in English as:

‘Sacred to the memory of Sir George Strode of the ancient family of the Strodes, the eldest son of Sir Nicholas Strode of Etchinham in the county of Sussex, and his wife Judithe the oldest daughter  of Sir Rowland Lytton of Knebworth in the county of Hertfordshire, who piously and peacefully fell asleep in the Lord on the 9th of June, 1707, whose remains repose at his own wish in the Church at Etchinham aforesaid, who married Margaret Robinson (the daughter of John Robinson Esq., of Geursylt in the county of Denbigh). She survived him and from this union was born one son with the Christian name of Lytton, who by the will of Sir William Lytton his maternal great-uncle changed his family name from Strode to Lytton, and this became styled Lytton Lytton to whom the aforesaid Sir William Lytton bequeathed the ancient patrimony of his family.  He has dedicated this monument at his own expense as a tribute of piety and affection.’ 

The motto underneath George’s figure  reads:

‘Life is the gateway to death, and death in turn the gate of a new life and learn to die to the world, and live for God.’

 Comforting words for a man who lost his only son at an early age.

And so I left them, perhaps in an eternal interrupted, silent conversation, after marvelling at the skill of the mason’s work.  They are all behind iron railings, presumably to stop visitors touching them, but I also felt that the figures were so realistic that it might also be to stop them coming to life and lunging at sightseers.

 ©Text and photos unless otherwise indicated Carole Tyrrell

References

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1295771

http://hetrfordshirechurches.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/knebworth-1.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Stanton_(sculptor)

http://217.204.55.158/henrymoore/sculptor/browserecord.php?-action=browse&-recid=2558

https://www.britannica.com/art/Western-sculpture/The-Baroque-period#ref401564

http://217.204.55.158/henrymoore/sculptor/browserecord.php?-action=browse&-recid=52

http://hertfordshirechurches.weebly.com/knebworth-churches-hertfordshire.html

 

 

 

 

11 symbols for the price of one! – The Anne St John memorial, The Lytton Chapel, St Mary’s Church, Knebworth

On By shadowsflyawayIn Symbol of the monthLeave a comment

 

St Mary's church Knebwoth, view from the House. © Carole Tyrrell
St Mary’s church Knebwoth, view from the House.
© Carole Tyrrell

Most people associate Knebworth with huge rock concerts and as a Gothic backdrop to many well-known films including The King’s Speech.

But it has other claims to fame apart from gargoyles and lovely gardens.  It also has a wonderful mausoleum in its own field and the Lytton Chapel which, according to Pevsner and Simon Jenkins, has the finest 18th century memorials in England.

The Knebworth church is officially known as St Mary’s although it’s actually dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St Thomas of Canterbury or Thomas a Becket.  It sits facing the House with its own small graveyard and surrounded by trees and railings.  This is where many of the past owners of Knebworth are buried and you enter under a lovely lychgate.  But why is it there?

St Mary’s was originally part of the medieval village of Knebworth and was first recorded in the Domesday Book. But when the village was moved after the creation of Knebworth Park in the late 1300’s , St Mary’s stayed in its place.  It’s a church steeped in history and an architectural jigsaw as so much of it comes from different periods.  The nave and chancel, for example, date from 1120 AD.   When you first enter, the interior appears very plain but St Mary’s real glory is the Lytton Chapel in a side room near the altar.

However, amongst its impressive marble monuments was a memorial tablet mounted on a side wall, to the left as I entered.

The Anne St John wall memorial, Lytton Chapel, Knebworth in it's entirety. One of the most fascinating examples of iconography I've ever seen. ©Carole Tyrrell
The Anne St John wall memorial, Lytton Chapel, Knebworth in it’s entirety. One of the most fascinating examples of iconography I’ve ever seen.
©Carole Tyrrell

This is dedicated to a woman who died on the last day of February 1601, Anne St John, and for anyone fascinated by iconography it has a rich display of symbols.  She was the wife of Sir Rowland Lytton who was her second husband. Sir Rowland’s memorial slab is on the church’s floor and he died in 1674 at 59.  Anne died comparatively young at 40 and I wondered if this is why there are so many references to death on her tablet.    The motifs on Anne’s memorial are beautifully carved and delicately coloured. It’s a wonderful example of a memento mori. According to J C Cooper:

‘This was an image or item that urged people to remember their death.  It was a reminder that death was an unavoidable part of life and to be prepared at all times.’

Memento Mori is a Latin phrase which translates as: ‘Remember you must die’ and often expressed in art through symbols as in this memorial.

The epitaph is in Latin but, helpfully, there is an English translation provided.  It reads:

‘Here lies the most illustrious Lady Anne Lytton, daughter of Oliver, Lord St John who had previously married Robert C – of Morton C—— Esquire, by whom she had two daughters, Elizabeth, who married Sir Henry Walop, and Anne, who married Adolphus Carye, Esqre, by her second husband, Rowland Lytton, Esqre of Knebworth, she had 3 sons, William, Rowland and Philip, and four daughters, Anne, Judith, Elisabeth and Jane.  She lived 40 years, a noble, handsome and pious lady, beloved alike by God and men.  She died, greatly d—– on the last day of February 1601 for the fulfilment of whose noble life give praise to God, and pray that you may be in communion with her among the blessed ones.’

NB:  The gaps are where my camera decided to play up and rendered the words unreadable.

This was my favourite memorial in the Lytton Chapel because of its modest size and unusual iconography. I apologise for the quality of the photos – the light levels are low in the Chapel and I didn’t have much time.

Let’s begin at the top of the tablet:

Anne St John wall memorial. The mace and the spade are meant to symbolise power and the humble labourer but Death levels them all. ©Carole Tyrrell
Anne St John wall memorial. The mace and the spade are meant to symbolise power and the humble labourer but Death levels them all.
©Carole Tyrrell

Top panel:

It’s no accident that the skull takes centre stage, as it, Death. is the ultimate conqueror of life.  There is no escape and one recalls Hamlet and Yorick’s skull.  The crossed mace and spade beneath it are representations of both high and humble stations in life.  The mace is a representation of absolute power whereas the spade indicates a labourer.  This demonstrates that it doesn’t matter what your status was in life as Death makes us all equal.

Detail of side panel of Anne St John wall memorial. Note vase of broken, dying flowers in vase at top with open Bible at Daniel chapter 10 with the hourglass and scythe at bottom. ©Carole Tyrrell
Detail of side panel of Anne St John wall memorial. Note vase of broken, dying flowers in vase at top with open Bible at Daniel chapter 10 with the hourglass and scythe at bottom.
©Carole Tyrrell

Left hand side panel.:

Vase of broken or drooping flowers:   According to Howgate, this signifies ‘the brief transience of life before death intervenes, even in the first flowering of youth.’    I have discussed in a previous post the significance of roses in funerary iconography and broken rose blossoms also indicate a life cut short as the flower never blooms. But flowers are a representation of the brevity of life.  Beneath is a Bible which is open at Daniel, chapter 10 which refers to Daniel going through 3 weeks of mourning.  At the bottom of the panel is an Hourglass.  This has been discussed in a previous post but it means that the ‘sands of time’ have run out.   J C Cooper describes it as indicating

‘Time is passing quickly…everyday comes closer to the hour of their death, Life and Death is the attribute of the Grim Reaper, Death and Father Time.

When the Grim Reaper or Death is depicted as a skeleton he is often holding an hourglass and a scythe which is the next symbol.  This is one of the most potent symbols of Death as the Grim Reaper is always depicted as holding one.  He cuts down lives like cutting down crops or grass. Cooper adds:

‘…also symbolises the harvest which, in turn, implies death, rebirth, destructive and creative powers of the Great Mother.’

However, Keister says: ‘…form of a scythe is a union of the masculine, upright and cutting with feminine as curved and reaping.

Right hand side panel:

Detail of side panel of Anne St John memorial. Note thread of life on spool with Hand of God about to cut it and the slightly ajar coffin waiting below. ©Carole Tyrrell
Detail of side panel of Anne St John memorial. Note thread of life on spool with Hand of God about to cut it and the slightly ajar coffin waiting below.
©Carole Tyrrell

At the top is a spindle on which is wound the thread of life. Beneath it, the Hand of God or, as one commentator has suggested, the Hand of Fate, emerges from a cloud with a fearsome pair of shears to cut the thread and indicate that life is at an end.  He is in charge of making that decision. Underneath is an empty coffin with the lid slightly ajar awaiting its next incumbent.

The bottom of the memorial – The Day of Judgement

Ann St John wall memorial. This is at the bottom of the memorial and depicts the resurrected dead on teh Day of Judgement. One of the shapes has their hands joined in prayer. ©Carole Tyrrell
Ann St John wall memorial. This is at the bottom of the memorial and depicts the resurrected dead on teh Day of Judgement. One of the shapes has their hands joined in prayer.
©Carole Tyrrell

Due to time constraints I didn’t look at the bottom of the memorial in detail.  But Howgate reveals that it is an ‘image of the resurrection of the dead on the day of judgement.’  He goes onto to say that ‘The lumpy looking resurrected dead, some with hands joined in prayer, appear to be gasping for breath as they emerge with difficulty from the earth.’    Although this isn’t a very good photo I can see one person with their hands in prayer at least and I have to admit that when I saw the panel, it didn’t register as an image of people.  A return visit to have a closer look is undoubtedly in the offing.

Two of Anne’s 4 daughters, Judith and Anne, are commemorated nearby in the church with floor memorials.  They both lived to ripe old ages.

I am indebted to Revd Jim Pye who very kindly emailed me an informative article based on a talk given in 2008 by Michael E Howgate on the St John Memorial and the contentious panel on William Robinson Lytton Strode’s monument.  My grateful thanks to him and to the 2 very helpful volunteers who were on duty in St Mary’s on my visit.

NB: Due to malicious thefts St Mary’s is only open during services and on Sundays 2-4pm during July and August – check the St Marys or Knebworth House websites for info in 2017.

© Text and photos Carole Tyrrell

References:

Remembrance of the Dead (based on a talk given at St Mary and St Thomas church on Sunday 5th October 2008 – Michael E. Howgate M.Sc

An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols, J C Cooper, Thams & Hudson, 1978

How to Read Symbols, Clare Gibson, Herbert Press, 2009

Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography, Douglas Keister, Gibbs Smith, 2004

 

http://www.knebworthparishchurch.co.uk/worship/stmary.htm

http://www.knebworthhouse.com/

 

The Terracotta Trio – The Doulton mausolea of West Norwood and Nunhead – Part 3 The Stearns Mausoleum, Nunhead

On By shadowsflyawayIn Cemetery Stories2 Comments
View of the Stearns mausoleum - note stepped roof and water spouts. copyright Carole Tyrrell
View of the Stearns mausoleum – note stepped roof and water spouts.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

This is the last of the trio and, in contrast to the ones in West Norwood, wasn’t designed by Harold Peto.  He had left Peto  and Geoge by then and it has been suggested that the building was actually designed by an anonymous assistant who worked from previously rejected designs.  It’s very different from the other two, both in style and decoration.   It was built in 1901 to house the coffin of Mrs Laura Stearns.   She died in 1900 and came from Twickenham.  William Chillingworth, her father, is buried next to her in his own vault.

He was a wine merchant and they owned Radnor House in Twickenham.  It was known as Pope’s House as it was built on the site of Alexander Pope’s original house.  It no longer exists as it was demolished in 1940 after being hit by a bomb.  There seems to be no mention of a Mr Stearns.  In the 1930’s Mrs Stearns’ coffin was removed from the mausoleum by her relatives and interred behind it.

The interior was never finished which is why it is so plain.  However, 20 years later, an anonymous builder glazed it with bland tiles.  There are two simple, unadorned stone coffin shelves set into each of the side walls.  A trefoil shaped window on the back wall lets light in as the side windows are blocked up.

The mausoleum is decorated in the Romanesque style.  This is an architectural style of medieval Europe which possibly dates from the 10th century and was characterised by the use of semi-circular arches. It was used extensively throughout Europe and in Britain is referred to as Norman Architecture.  The word ‘Romanesque’ originally means descended from Roman and most surviving examples are on churches.

It is also characterised  by its use of columns and, on the Stearns vault, we can see that the two small ones on either side of the entrance are carved with birds etc in a medieval style.   The carvings are very tactile and I can never walk past within wanting to touch them.  The side window columns are also patterned but not as beautifully as the entrance ones. Romanesque was also a highly decorative style as can be seen from the arched bands of stylised leaves over the entrance.

Close-up of Romanesque semi arch over entrance with stylised leaves. copyright Carole Tyrrell
Close-up of Romanesque semi arch over entrance with stylised leaves.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

The 19th century saw a Revival of Romanesque although it was decried by some writers as ‘barbaric ornament.’    The Natural History Museum in London is highly decorated in Romanesque Revival style and is well worth seeing.

It’s the only surviving mausoleum within Nunhead Cemetery and, although a tree tried to grow through it while the cemetery was abandoned, it’s still in good condition.  When I first visited Nunhead in 1989, it was rumoured that the only person who now rested within the mausoleum was a passing tramp.  It now has a wrought iron gate to protect it.

References:

Nunhead Cemetery, An Illustrated Guide by The Friends of Nunhead Cemetery . 1988, FONC Publications, London

http://www.victorianweb.org/art/architecture/cemeteries/30.html

http://www.mmtrust.org.uk/mausolea/view/322/Stearns_Mausoleum

http://thelondondead.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/stearns-mausoleum-nunhead.html

The terracotta trio are all so different and unique and  all three are Grade Ii listed and although, in comparison to other mausoleums such as  Highgate’s Beer vault and Hannah Portnoy’s vast Egyptian Revival sepulchre in Brompton, they are relatively modest.  However, I feel that  they deserve their own special place in 19th century English funerary architecture..

©Carole Tyrrell Text and photos unless otherwise stated.

The Terracotta Trio – the Doulton mausolea of West Norwood and Nunhead – Part 2 The Doulton mausoleum, West Norwood

On By shadowsflyawayIn Cemetery StoriesLeave a comment
Path sign in West Norwood named after the Doulton mausoleum. copyright Carole Tyrrell
Path sign in West Norwood named after the Doulton mausoleum.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

 

Doulton - note cross on roof and relief lettering on front. copyright Carole Tyrrell
Doulton – note cross on roof and relief lettering on front.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

It’s easy to find the Doulton mausoleum in West Norwood Cemetery – just look for the Doulton Path sign and you’ll soon come to its lovely wrought iron  doorway.

This is the second of the Doulton mausolea and, although similar in shape to the Tate Mausoleum, the external and interior decoration and style are very different.

Sir Henry Doulton (1820 – 1897) commissioned this mausoleum after the death of his wife, Sarah, in 1888 and it was built in 1889.   He entered the family firm of Doultons in 1835, enlarged its range of wares  and took it over completely on his father’s death.   In fact it was Sir Henry who invented the weather resistant type of terracotta used on all three vaults and he was knighted in 1887.

Sir Henry Doulton www.doultons.org
Sir Henry Doulton
http://www.doultons.org

Sir Henry asked Harold Peto to design a similar building to the Tate mausoleum on a nearby plot and they are within walking distance of each other.  Sir Henry’s son, Henry Lewis Doulton,  followed him into the business and is also interred in the mausoleum.   There is a memorial tablet to both Sarah and Sir Henry on the interior back wall of the building.

 

 

The interior of the Doulton mausoleum showing the two memorial tablets to the family on the back wall. Used by kind permission of Jeane Trend-Hill. ©Jeane Trend-Hill
The interior of the Doulton mausoleum showing the two memorial tablets to the family on the back wall. Used by kind permission of Jeane Trend-Hill. ©Jeane Trend-Hill

The sepulchre’s exterior is covered in relief ornamentation.  This includes small busts of angels on either side of the entrance door, the Lamb of God on the back of the roof and Gothic revival medieval style heads along the roof border below it.  Sir Henry ordered green glass for the windows on either side which are protected by wrought iron grilles and as, no expense was spared, the rear window is glazed with rippled Venetian glass.

The external decoration has been credited to Mark Marshall who was Doulton’s chief artist but I have also seen George Tinsworth also mentioned which even I’ve heard of as he was one of Doulton’s most renowned artists.   I am indebted to Jeane Trend-Hill for the lovely photos of the stunning  marble interior and mosaic ceiling.  The mausoleum is not open to the public.

A Doulton descendant still comes and mows the grass around the mausoleum every Sunday and so it always looks at its best.

Both  of the West Norwood mausolea were restored in 2002 and so are in very good condition.  The architect, Harold Peto, is said to have also been responsible for the extensive use of terracotta in buildings along Pont Street in Mayfair.

© Carole Tyrrell all text and photographs  unless otherwise stated.

References:

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1325950

http://www.mmtrust.org.uk/mausolea/view/306/Doulton_Mausoleum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Doulton

http://www.victorianweb.org/art/architecture/cemeteries/13.html

 

Part 3 – The Stearns Mausoleum, Nunhead Cemetery

 

 

The Terracotta Trio – the Doulton mausolea of West Norwood and Nunhead – Part 1 The Tate Mausoleum, West Norwood Cemetery

On By shadowsflyawayIn Cemetery StoriesLeave a comment

 

 

My first encounter with the Doulton mausolea was seeing the charming Stearns mausoleum in Nunhead Cemetery.  I fell in love with its dainty proportions and beautiful Romanesque decoration.  When I first saw it in 1989, its coffin shelves were empty, the entrance was open and it was rumoured to be the preferred hotel of choice for any passing vagrants.

But first,  a brief history of mausoleums.  The word comes from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus which was near the modern day city of Bodrum in Turkey.   It was the 140ft high, highly decorated, last resting place of King Mausolea who was the Persian Satrap or Governor of Caria.   It was created by his wife, Queen Artemesia Ii of Caria after he died in 353 BC and it was one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Mausoleums were very popular with the Romans and were usually created for deceased leaders and other important people.  The via Appia Antica near Rome contains the ruins of many private mausolea  but the coming of Christianity made them fall out of favour.

A mausoleum is literally a house of the dead and usually contains a burial chamber either above ground or with a burial vault below the structure. This can contain the body or bodies.  However, some mausolea contain coffin shelves above ground as with the Kilmorey Mausoleum  near Richmond where the coffins are still in situ.    One of the most famous mausoleums is the Taj Mahal in India.

The three Doulton mausolea are all made of red brick with terracotta facing.  It’s a surprisingly durable material and is a very warm colour.  Indeed it almost seem to glow when the sun shines on it.   As the name implies, they were all built by the famous firm of Doulton & Co – now Royal Doulton –  who had a factory at Vauxhall.  They made many ceramic items including stoneware and salt glaze sewer pipes and are still in existence today. The firm and especially Sir Henry Doulton pioneered the use for terracotta and provided unlimited amounts of it to the mausolea builders.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleum

http://agraveinterest.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/mausoleums-crypts-and-tombs-oh-my.html

http://www.mmtrust.org.uk/about_us/the_trust 

Mortal Remains; The History and Present State of The Victorian and Edwardian Cemetery, Chris Brooks, 1989, Wheaton Publishers

 

Here lies Mr Cube copyright Carole Tyrrell
Here lies Mr Cube
copyright Carole Tyrrell

Part 1 – The Tate Mausoleum – West Norwood

This is the first of the three and was commissioned t in 1884.  It was designed by Harold Peto of the firm of Peto and George and Doulton craftsmen worked on it. It’s in the Perpendicular style which was the last breath of English Gothic from late 14th – mid 16th century and is characterised by its use of vertical lines.  The patterning on the terracotta surface resembles that of a jigsaw especially with the contrasting bands of red and buff colours.

There is some lovely ornamentation including  2 angels in relief blowing trumpets in the upper corners of the door frame – one on either side.

Tate Mausoleum - note the reliefs of angels blowing trumpets on either side of the door frame. copyright Carole Tyrrell
Tate Mausoleum – note the reliefs of angels blowing trumpets on either side of the door frame.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

It also has the famous quote from the Song of Solomon on one side of the door:

‘Until the day dawns and the shadows flee away’

Tate Mausoleum - note the famous quote from the Song of Solomon in relief. copyright Carole Tyrrell
Tate Mausoleum – note the famous quote from the Song of Solomon in relief.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

This is where I first saw it and it was the inspiration for the name of this blog.

The interior, which I haven’t yet seen, is reputed to have a vaulted ceiling with the design of an angel at Sir Henry’s request.

Sir Henry Tate (1819 – 1899) was originally from Lancashire and worked in the Liverpool sugar trade.  He soon amassed a huge fortune and invented the sugar cube. Sir Henry Tate - Mr Cube www.wikipedia

Sir Henry Tate (Mr Cube)

                                                      http://www.wikipedia

In fact he was known as ‘Mr Cube.’ Sir Henry was an avid art collector and, in 1897, donated his entire art collection the nation.  He gave it to what was then known as The National Gallery of British Art before becoming  The Tate Gallery and now finally as Tate Britain.   It was built on the former site of Millbank Prison.  Two of Tate Britain’s most popular paintings; Millais’  ‘Ophelia’ and  Waterhouse’s  ‘The Lady of Shalott’ came from Sir Henry’s collection.

He refused a knighthood on several occasions and only finally accepted it after being informed that the Royal Family would be offended if he refused again.

In 2012, as part of an art trail in West Norwood Cemetery in 2012, a Belfast based artist, Brendon Jamiston recreated a mini version  of  Mr Cube’s last resting place from 5,117 sugar cubes  in homage to Sir Henry and his invention.  It was displayed next to the real thing and I feel that Sir Henry would have approved.

 

©Carole Tyrrell Text and photos unless otherwise stated.

References:

http://www.victorianweb.org/art/architecture/cemeteries/41.html

http://www.mmtrust.org.uk/mausolea/view/329/Tate_Mausoleum

www.rathbonesociety.org.uk

Part 2 – The Doulton Mausoleum, West Norwood Cemetery

 

Symbol of the month – The Butterfly

On By shadowsflyawayIn Symbol of the month2 Comments

 

The Gordon monument butterfly motif in all its glory. Kensal Green Cemetery. copyright Carole Tyrrell
The Gordon monument butterfly motif in all its glory. Kensal Green Cemetery.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

 

Cemeteries and graveyards can be happy hunting grounds for butterflies.  But not just the bright, dancing summer jewels, borne on the breeze, but also the much rarer kind which perches in them for eternity.

So far I’ve only discovered two of this particular species which were both in London.  One was in Brompton and the other was in Kensal Green.  But I have also seen others online in American cemeteries.

But I’m surprised that the butterfly symbol isn’t more widely used as it is a deep and powerful motif of resurrection and  reincarnation.  It has fluttered through many cultures which include Ancient Egypt, Greece and Mexico.

 

In classical myth, Psyche, which translates as ‘soul’, is represented in the form of a butterfly or as a young woman with butterfly wings.  She’s also linked with Eros the Greek God of love.   It is also a potent representation of rebirth and in this aspect, the Celts revered it.  Some of the Ancient Mexican tribes such as the Aztec and Mayans used carvings of butterflies to decorate their buildings as certain butterfly species were considered to be reincarnations of the souls of dead warriors.  The Hopi and Navaho tribes of Native American Indians performed the Butterfly Dance and viewed them as symbols of change and transformation.

The butterfly is an archetypal image of resurrection in Christianity and this meaning is derived from the 3 stages of a butterfly’s life.  These are:  1st stage = the caterpillar, 2nd stage = the chrysalis and 3rd and final stage = the butterfly.  So the sequence is life, death and resurrection.   The emergence of the butterfly from the chrysalis is likened to the soul discarding the flesh.  It has been depicted on Ancient Christian tombs and, in Christian art, Christ has been shown holding a butterfly.   It is supposed to appear chiefly on childrens memorials but the two that I’ve seen were on adult memorials.

Butterflies also feature in Victorian mourning jewellery and there is a fascinating article on this with some lovely examples at:

http://artofmourning.com/2014/10/25/butterfly-symbols-and-19th-century-jewellery/

In the 20th century, butterflies appeared in the flowing, organic lines of Art Nouveau and often featured in jewellery and silverware.

Face and butterfly on exterior of chapel. copyright Carole Tyrrell

Face and butterfly on exterior of chapel.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

This example is from the Watts Chapel in Surrey and shows the flowing lines and stylised butterfly.   They also appear in vanitas paintings, the name given to a particular category of symbolic works of art and especially those associated with the still life paintings of the 16th and 17th centuries in Flanders and the Netherlands.    In these the viewer was asked to look at various symbols within the painting such as skulls, rotting fruit etc and ponder on the worthlessness of all earthly goods and pursuits as well as admiring the artist’s skill in depicting these.  Butterflies in this context can be seen as fleeting pleasure as they have a short life of just two weeks.

 

Butterfly traditions

There are many superstitions and beliefs associated with butterflies.  They are often regarded as omens, good and bad, or as an advance messenger indicating that a visitor or loved one is about to arrive. In Japan, they are traditionally associated with geishas due to their associations with beauty and delicate femininity.

Butterfly & Chinese wisteria by Xu Xi Early Sing Dynasty c970. By Xü Xi (Scanned from an old Chinese book) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Butterfly & Chinese wisteria by Xu Xi Early Sing Dynasty c970.
By Xü Xi (Scanned from an old Chinese book) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The Chinese see them as good luck and a symbol of immortality. Sailors thought that if they saw one before going on ship it meant that they would die at sea .  In Devon it was traditional to kill the first butterfly that you saw or have a year of bad luck as a result. In Europe the butterfly was seen as the spirit of the dead and, in the Gnostic tradition, the angel of death is often shown crushing a butterfly underfoot.   In some areas in England, it’s thought that butterflies contain the souls of children who have come back to life. A butterfly’s colours can also be significant. A black one can indicate death and a white one signifies the souls or the departed. It’s also a spiritual symbol of growth in that sometimes the past has to be discarded in order to move forward as the butterfly sheds its chrysalis to emerges complete. So it can indicate a turning point or transition in life. There are also shamanistic associations with the butterfly’s shapeshifting and it has also been claimed as a spiritual animal or totem.

 

Brompton Cemetery, tomb unknown

This example with its wings outstretched is from Brompton Cemetery in London.   Alas, the epitaph appears to have vanished over time and the surrounding vegetation was so luxuriant  that I will have to return in the winter to investigate further.  Note the wreath of ivy that surrounds it.  Ivy is an evergreen and is a token of eternal life and memories.  The wreath’s ribbons are also nicely carved.

The Gordon monument, Kensal Green

The second one is perched on the tomb of John Gordon Esquire, a Scotsman from Aberdeenshire who died young at only 37.  As the epitaph states   ‘it was erected to his memory as the last token of sincere love and affection by his affectionate widow’.    Gordon came from an extended family of Scottish landowners who had estates in Scotland and plantations in Tobago amongst other interests.  The monument is Grade II listed and is made of Portland stone with a York stone base and canopy supported by the pillars.  There was an urn on the pedestal  between the four tapering stone pillars but this was stolen in 1997.

The butterfly also has an ouroboros encircling it so, not only a symbol or resurrection,  but also of eternity with the tail devouring snake.  It is a little hard to see but it is there.

The butterfly symbol of the roof of the Gordon monument Kensal Green Cemetery. copyright Carole Tyrrell
The butterfly symbol of the roof of the Gordon monument Kensal Green Cemetery.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

The pharaonic heads at each corner are Egyptian elements within an ostensibly  classically inspired monument. Acroteria, or acroterion as is its singular definition, are an architectural ornament.  The ones on this monument are known as acroteria angularia. The ‘angularia’ means at the corners.

The entire monument is based on an illustration of the monument of the Murainville family in Pugin’s Views of Paris of 1822 and also on Moliere’s memorial which are both at Pere Lachaise in Paris.

The Gordon memorial incorporates elements  of the Egyptian style and symbolism that influenced 19th century funerary monuments after the first Egyptian explorations. Kensal Green contains many significant examples and there are others to be found in Brompton, Highgate and Abney Park.  The Victorians regarded the Egyptians highly as it was also a cult of the dead.

So when you next see a butterfly fluttering on the breeze or even perched on a memorial for eternity remember its importance within the tradition of symbols, religions and cultures.  Who knows it might be one of your ancestors…..

© Text and photos Carole Tyrrell unless otherwise stated.

References:

http://www.gardenswithwings.com/butterfly-stories/butterfly-symbolism.html

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/butterfly-animal-symbolism.html

http://www.spiritanimal.info/butterfly-spirit-animal/

http://www.pure-spirit.com/more-animal-symbolism/611-butterfly-symbolism

http://www.shamanicjourney.com/butterfly-power-animal-symbol-of-change-the-soul-creativity-freedom-joy-and-colour

http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/05/10/victorian_memorial_symbols_feature.shtml

http://www.thecemeteryclub.com/symbols.html

https://stoneletters.com/blog/gravestone-symbols

https://www.reference.com/world-view/butterfly-symbolize-cf9c772f26c7fa5

https://www.reference.com/world-view/butterflies-symbolize-19a1e06c9c98351c?qo=cdpArticles

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanitas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acroterion

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1191024

Clare Gibson, How to Read Symbols, Herbert Press 2009

Douglas Keister, Stories in Stone, A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography, Gibbs Smith, 2004

J C Cooper, Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols, Thames & Hudson 1978.

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Shadowsflyaway!

On By shadowsflyawayIn Events, Uncategorized4 Comments
A memorial from West Norwood Cemetery. copyright Carole Tyrrell
A memorial from West Norwood Cemetery.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

Yes shadowsflyaway is one year old this month!

I’ve really enjoyed researching, writing and posting my entries – it’s been wonderful to have an opportunity to immerse myself in history again and to meet other interesting cemetery enthusiasts via cyberspace. Please keep sending your comments.

So let’s raise a glass, cup or mug and celebrate and revel in being taphophiles.  After all everyone has to have a hobby….without cemeteries where would all those eager Pokemon Go enthusiasts go?

This photo was taken in West Norwood Cemetery near the Columbarium – every time I visit there is is always a glass jar or vase containing fresh flowers placed on the shelf. I thought it looked appropriate.

Here’s to another year!

 

The Unknown Mourner of West Norwood – update on blog published on 31/10/15

On By shadowsflyawayIn Cemetery mysteries6 Comments

 

Before and after cleaning

 

I recently visited West Norwood Cemetery to see their celebrated catacombs.  They are well worth seeing if you have the chance but please note that you must be a member of the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery to be able to visit them.  This is for Health and Safety and insurance reasons. While I was waiting for the rest of the participants to arrive I looked around for the recumbent statue of the Unknown Mourner.

This is a large statue of a naked, prostate mourning woman which was, when I first saw her, was under some bushes on the forecourt in front of the main entrance gates.   Then she moved inside the gates and I next saw her lying on some waste ground during renovations.  No-one knows, or is probably ever likely to know, to which grave she belongs.  The Unknown Mourner is undoubtedly a victim of Lambeth Council’s notorious clearances of West Norwood during the 1960’s.  They just bulldozed anything , including listed memorials and  monuments, without any recordkeeping  until they were stopped by an ecclesiastical court.

But this time the Mourner was a gleaming pristine white which has revealed details of the sculpture that I’d never noticed before. I had always assumed that she was meant to be the uniform dull grey as that was the colour of the stone but what a difference a good clean has made.  However,  it’s unfortunate that  discoloured water has gathered by her feet which make it look as if she’s stepped in something nasty.  But  it’s such a pleasure to see her looking so good and basking in the sunshine in the middle of rose bushes.   Wherever her owner is within the cemetery I’m sure they would be pleased.

©Text and photos Carole Tyrrell – no reproduction without permission

Symbol of the Month – The Pelican in her piety.

On By shadowsflyawayIn Symbol of the month7 Comments

 

 

A pelican in her piety. Detail of monument, The Drake Chapel, St Mary's Amersham. copyright Carole Tyrrell

A pelican in her piety. Detail of monument, The Drake Chapel, St Mary’s Amersham.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

This is a more unusual symbol to find in cemeteries and dates from  pre-Christian times.  There are two versions of the legend.  In one, the pelican pierces her own breast to feed her children with her own blood and in the second she feeds her dying children with her own blood to bring them back to life but as a result she dies herself.   In both of them the pelican is a potent motif of self-sacrifice and charity.  It’s also seen as a powerful  representation of Christ’s  Passion in that he gave his life for us and rose again.  The symbol is known as a pelican in her piety.

However, the legend of the pelican is found in Physiologies, an anonymous  Christian work from Alexandria which dates from the 2nd century.  It contained legends of animals and their allegorical interpretations  which is where the attribution of the pelican’s sacrifice to the Passion of Christ come from.   It states that

‘ the pelican is very fond of its brood, but when the young ones begin to grow they rebel against the male bird (the father) and provoke his anger, so that he kills them, the mother returns to the nest in three day, sits on the dead birds, pours her blood over them, revives them, and they feed on the blood.

The pelican in its piety was very popular during the Middle Ages and can be found on altar fronts, fonts and  misericords in churches.  Also, when tabernacles were occasionally suspended over the altar, they were shaped like pelicans as was one in Durham Cathedral.

Later, in St Thomas Aquinas’s hymn ‘Adoro te devote.’ or Humbly we adore thee’, in the penultimate verse he describes Christ as:

‘the loving divine pelican able to provide nourishment for his breast’

In  Nicholas Hilliard’s famous 1573 portrait of Elizabeth I which is known colloquially as the Pelican portrait she wears a prominent piece of jewellery which features a pelican feeding her young with her blood which symbolised her role as Mother of the Nation.

The pelican also appears in Shakespeare’s Hamlet in Act IV in which Laertes says:

‘To his good friend thus wide,

I’ll open my arms.

And, like the kind life-rendering pelican

Repast them with my blood.’

The  renowned bird appears in key Renaissance literature.  For example, Dante in The Divine Comedy refers to Christ as ‘our Pelican’. John Lyly in Euphues of 1606 also wrote:

 

‘Pelicane who striketh blood out of its own owne bodye to do others good.’

 

John Skelton wrote in 1529 in his Armorie of Birds:

 

‘They sayd the Pellycan’

When my Byrds be slayne

With my bloude I them nevyve.  Scripture doth record the same dyd as our Lord

And rose from deth to lyve.’

 

However, the belief that the pelican nourishes her children with her own blood is a myth.  It may have arisen from the fact that pelicans have a large pouch attached under their bill.  When the parent is about to feed its chicks, it macerates small fish in this pouch and then whilst pressing the bag against its breast, it transfers the food to the babies.

However, its use in Victorian cemeteries may indicate a resurrection motif in that the pelican gives er life to her children so that they are resurrected.   It is quite a rare one to find  although it does appear within churches especially on wall memorials, altars and fonts.

This is a sculpture from a church in Germany. copyright Andreas Praefcke
This is a sculpture from a church in Germany.
copyright Andreas Praefcke

This is a magnificent impressive pelican sculpture from a church in Germany.

There is an impressive monument in a Cuban cemetery which has a large marble pelican and children carving on it and there is also one on a memorial in Arnos Vale Cemetery near Bristol.  This is an especially poignant one as is it is to a young doctor, Joseph Williams, who insisted on treating the local workhouse inmates for cholera, during the 1849  Bristol epidemic.  Sadly, and perhaps inevitably, he succumbed to it himself and subsequently died. Here the pelican and her young are a true representation of self-sacrifice.

This is one is in my local church, St Georges in Beckenham and appears on a monument to Dame Ann Frances Hoare who died in 1800 at 64.

And this one is from the Drake Room in St Mary’s Church Amersham.

 

 

 

Here is a more recent use of the Pelican in her piety on a World War II blood donor appeal.

Word war II Scottish blood donor recruitment poster. www.wikipedia

Word war II Scottish blood donor recruitment poster.
http://www.wikipedia

 

©Text and photos Carole Tyrrell unless otherwise stated.

References:

http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-symbolism-of-the-pelican.html

Pfarr- und Wallfahrtskirche St. Philippus und Jakobus, Bergatreute Hochaltar: Vogelnest, 2007, photographer Andreas Praefcke      

http://www.infoplease.com/dictionary/brewers/pelican.html

www.thecemeteryclub.com/symbols.html

How to read symbols, Clare Gibson, 2009, Herbert Press

An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols, J C Cooper, Thames & Hudson 1979

 

Rapunzel’s Retreat – Severndroog Castle, a hero’s memorial

On By shadowsflyawayIn Cemetery excursions2 Comments

 

View of Castle when derelict and boarded up in 2008 copyright Carole Tyrrell
View of Castle when derelict and boarded up in 2008
copyright Carole Tyrrell

Severndroog Castle hides teasingly behind its cover of ancient trees but it can be seen from miles around if you know where to look.  It perches on its hilltop, looking down and over the suburbs and landmarks below as it has done since 1784.   But it’s not a proper castle.  Instead Severndroog is one of the largest memorials to a single person ever created and is a much loved local landmark.

But, after walking up Shooters Hill, following the sign post and following the paths bordered by verdant hedges and a field you may start wondering where the Castle is.  And then as you round the path’s curve the Castle begins to slowly, almost reluctantly, come into view.  The only sound is birdsong or perhaps a dog walker calling to their dogs and you’re in the midst of one of the oldest woodlands in London.

The Castle nestles within Oxleas Wood which is reputed to be 8,000 years old and you’re aware that the outside world has retreated completely. In 2004, ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’, was performed nearby in the woods on a lovely summer’s evening. Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Humpty Dumpty, the White Knight, even Jabberwocky, appeared and disappeared before our very eyes as they led us through the dark forest.

 

Severndroog almost belongs in Alice. It’s dainty, a fairy tale creation of a castle. A triangular building with hexagonal turrets at each corner, it was designed by the architect, Richard Jupp who was known for creating light houses.  It stands 63 feet or 19 metres high and has been compared to Horace Walpole’s magnificent Strawberry Hill as they shared similar decorative features.  These include circular windows and decorative ceilings.  The battlements and turrets are why Severndroog is called a castle, although it was never designed to be a fortification. Instead it was originally a summerhouse and a memorial. It was known as Lady James’s Folly after the woman who had it built in 1784.

 

She was the widow of Sir William James of the East India Company who defeated pirates and captured the brigand castle of  Suvarndurg, hence Severndroog, an island fortress of the Maratha Empire on India’s West Coast between Mumbai and Goa in 1755. . A plaque over the entrance to the Castle commemorates this although it’s not that easy to read now. He died of a stroke on his daughter’s wedding day in 1783 presumably after receiving the bill..

Plaque commemorating Sr William James victory in India. copyright Carole Tyrrell
Plaque commemorating Sr William James victory in India.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

 

Lady James filled the first floor of the Castle with mementos of him and would sit amongst his swords, armour and clothes to remember him.  If you look up at the doorway of one of the oddly proportioned rooms you may see some very decorative original Georgian artwork.  Now the room is used for weddings but was empty when I last visited and you could still see the dumb waiter from the Castle’s days as a tea room set into its floor. Locals could still recall enjoying a cuppa and then spending a penny to climb the spiral staircase to the roof.

Lady James bought the highest land in Eltham and reputedly had the Castle constructed within sight of her own house.  It stands at least 40ft further above sea level than the cross on top of St Paul’s Cathedral. From Severndroog’s roof you can, on a clear day, see 20 miles in all directions and across 7 counties over the treetops in 360°.  As a result of this advantageous vantage point, Severndroog was used as a radar station and air raid lookout during the Second World. A barrage balloon floated above the Castle during the war and, due to the leafy covering of trees, it might still be there.  However, there have been pirates aboard Severndroog but manning illegal radio stations from a turret.

 

Lady James died in 1798 and the Castle passed through various owners. But there’s always been plans for it. In 1847 there was a proposal to build a 10,000 catacomb cemetery in terraces on the site and in 1922 the London County Council bought it and opened the first tea room.  Eventually in 1986, it became the property of Greenwich Council who boarded it up and left it.  Vandalised and abandoned, in 2002, the council suggested that it be leased to a property developer to be converted to dull offices. No doubt the shopping centre was next. A preservation trust was formed, the Castle appeared on BBC’s Restoration and slowly the Castle came back to life.

 

 

I first visited the Castle when it was still boarded up.  It completely enchanted me as soon as I saw it.  I only knew that it was a folly but nothing of its history and how it came to be built.  I remember thinking that it would have been perfect for Rapunzel with its tall walls and turrets.  I revisited it during the heavy snows of 2010 when its dark walls stood out starkly against the bare trees and branches and the surrounding white.  On both visits it seemed like a secret castle, my own personal one.  The spectacular view over the rose garden below its slopes is breathtaking as the suburban sprawl stretches into the distance.

View over rose garden below the Castle as suburbia stretches on into the distance. copyright Carole Tyrrell
View over rose garden below the Castle as suburbia stretches on into the distance.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

 

 

In June 2016 I revisited the Castle after its restoration and renovations.  It had re-opened on 20 July 2014 with a new ground floor tea room and the rooms had been spruced up.   I re-climbed the 86 steps of the spiral staircase to the roof to admire the view once again.  The Millennium Wheel on the horizon, the 02 on my right hand side with the Thames snaking past it and the view just stretched on and on.  Below us was the tree canopy as parakeets swooped and screeched amongst the branches.

 

Severndroog is one of my favourite places in London and I would love to live there. Imagine climbing the spiral staircase every day to lob missiles at any marauding property developers or letting down my newly acquired hair extensions to allow friends to climb up to the roof to admire the view.    As I climbed down the staircase again I thought how pleased Lady James would be that the Castle is still there, still being used and admired and preserving her husband’s memory and her vision.

 

©Text and photos Carole Tyrrell unless stated otherwise.

 

http://londonist.com/2015/05/a-trip-to-londons-least-known-castle

http://www.severndroogcastle.org.uk/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severndroog_Castle

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/yourlondon/restoration/restoration_2004/severndroog_castle.shtml

(this page contains local people’s memories of the Castle and show what a well-loved building it has always been.