A weeping cherub and brief lives – St Mary’s, Amersham, 4/7/2015 Part 1

On By shadowsflyawayIn Cemetery excursionsLeave a comment

This was a visit organised by the Friends of Nunhead Cemetery in 2015.

The path through the field towards Amersham copyright Carole Tyrrell
The path through the field towards Amersham
copyright Carole Tyrrell

We could see St Mary’s church below the hill as we skirted the outside of the huge field of barley.  Red kites wheeled above our heads and a skylark sang to accompany us.  Butterflies; tortoiseshells, meadow browns and gate keeper, led our way to Amersham on a hot July day. On the way we passed St Mary’s Graveyard in old Amersham where the last woman to be hanged in England, Ruth Ellis, is rumoured to lie, buried in and unmarked grave.  A pair of banded demoiselle dragonflies danced on the air over the small stream nearby, their wings glittering in the sun like tiny jewels.

St Mary's church under a lovely blue sky. copyright Carole Tyrrell
St Mary’s church under a lovely blue sky.
copyright Carole Tyrrell
An interesting iron memorial within St Mary's churchyard copyright Carole Tyrrell
An interesting iron memorial within St Mary’s churchyard
copyright Carole Tyrrell

 

St Mary’s is the church that featured in the film ‘4 Weddings and a Funeral’ and we briefly explored its surrounding churchyard and interesting monuments.   There has been a church on the site since 1140 with many historical features  such as  the medieval font  and a 17th century Flemish stained glass window.

‘ In about 1620, the Drake family (distant cousins of Vice-Admiral Sir Francis Drake) bought the town and its estates. They remain patrons of the Parish to this day, many of their younger sons serving as Rector over the centuries. In 1870, Rector Edward Drake persuaded his brother the Squire to reorder and restore St Mary’s to something like its mediaeval interior layout. It was also at this point that the church was clad in flint.’  http://stmaryschurchamersham.com/history

Our guide had the memorable name of Howard Hughes and he led us through the chancel with its large memorials. One was to a 14 year old boy, Henry Curwen Workington, who died in Amersham in 1636 and another featured 2 lifesize sculptures of a married couple who didn’t look very happy.  There was also a wall memorial with a bust of man which, within the frame, made him look as if he was in a Punch and Judy tent.

The Henry Curwen Workington memorial copyright Carole Tyrrell
The Henry Curwen Workington memorial
copyright Carole Tyrrell

 

Memorial, chancel, St Marys copyright Carole Tyrrell
Memorial, chancel, St Marys
copyright Carole Tyrrell
Memorial, St Marys chancel copyright Carole Tyrrell
Memorial, St Marys chancel
copyright Carole Tyrrell

But the Drake chapel, once a vestry, was our destination.  It was an unexpected jewel.     The room is light and airy and lined with fascinating and poignant  memorials.  It’s normally closed,  but Howard opened it especially for us and for a lover of symbols , like myself it was a wonderful feast.  The Drake family had South London connections due to the land they owned and several  or our local road names bear witness such as Drakefell and Shardeloes.  In the 18th century they added Tyrwhitt in order to inherit lands.

The Drake Chapel was converted into a monument room in 1728 with the interment of Mountague Garrard Drake as there was insufficient space to accommodate him and his memorial.   Mountague was laid to rest in the vaults below and Peter Scheneermakers carved his lavish  and flamboyant  memorial carved  which was erected at the then huge cost of 500 guineas.  The tomb features a lifesize reclining statue of himself, we presumed,  with 2 winged cherubs.

Elizabeth, his son’s wife,  who died at 32 in 1757, monument  faced him.  In a carved panel she is praying with her six surviving children with two other deceased children who may be represented by a weeping cherub beneath.

A carved panel from Elizabeth's memorial. copyright Carole Tyrrell
A carved panel from Elizabeth’s memorial.
copyright Carole Tyrrell
The weeping cherub on Elizabeth's memorial. copyright Carole Tyrrell
The weeping cherub on Elizabeth’s memorial.
copyright Carole Tyrrell
The weeping cherub. copyright Carole Tyrrell
The weeping cherub.
copyright Carole Tyrrell
Elizabeth's memorial in full. copyright Carole Tyrrell
Elizabeth’s memorial in full.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

Another epitaph to a young wife said simply that: she had left behind 2 infant daughters and ‘Her circle of life tho’ small was complete

It seemed appropriate that in; this Waterloo bi-centennial year that there was a Waterloo veteran, William Tyrwhitt-Drake, who was commemorated.

A memorial to a Waterloo veteran copyright Carole Tyrrell
A memorial to a Waterloo veteran
copyright Carole Tyrrell

Note the laurel wreaths suspended from his sword indicating victory, eternity and immortality. He also has his helmet carved onto it.

Howard kindly showed us an unusual  monumental brass to John Drake, a child who died aged 4 in 1623, with a moving epitaph:

Had he liv’d to be a man

This inch had grown but to a span

Now is he past all fear of pain

It were fine to with him here again

View but the way by which we all come

Thought by he’s best that’s first home.

The poignant brass memorial to a child. copyright Carole Tyrrell
The poignant brass memorial to a child.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

Howard had been inspired to read our Symbols guide on the FONC website and pointed out downturned torches and also the pelican and her babies.  She strikes her breast  with her beak to allow the young to feed on her blood to prevent starvation and this is a symbol of Jesus giving his life to his followers.

Two interesting symbols on this memorial. copyright Carole Tyrrell
Two interesting symbols on this memorial.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

There is an elegant turn and, to the right hand side, a pelican feeding her babies.

On the 16 year old Elizabeth Drake’s memorial is a hen and her chicks which was a more unusual one.

A mourning woman copyright Carole Tyrrell
Elizabeth Drake’s memorial with mourning woman and hen
copyright Carole Tyrrell

There was also a magnificently carved weeping willow, a dove with an olive branch and poppies.    On William Drake’s memorial was an exquisitely carved mourning woman with the signature John Bacon Jnr.  We wondered if this was the same John Bacon who worked on St Pauls Cathedral.

A mourning woman attributed to John Bacon. copyright Carole Tyrrell
A mourning woman attributed to John Bacon.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

The memorials took us through the centuries from the 18th to the 20th and they became smaller and plainer as we did.  The Drakes and  Drake-Tyrwhitts could afford the best sculptors. Interments in the Room continued until the death of Thomas Tyrwhitt-Drake .  In 1811 the room was enlarged and doubled  in size.  Interments into the vault continued until the early 20th century.

Several of the FONC party climbed the narrow and dark stairs to  the top of the church tower to admire the views of the surrounding countryside before we thanked Howard and continued on our visit.

‘The Drake Chapel, containing many memorials to the family is one of the finest examples of its kind in the county, second only to that of the Dukes of Bedford in Chenies Church and is well worth a visit if you’re in the area.. It is open on Sunday mornings after the 10.15am service, or by appointment via the Parish Office.’ http://stmaryschurchamersham.com/history

Originally published in Friends of Nunhead News, 2015

Part 2 to follow in which you find out why there is a monument to the Amersham Martyrs in the corner of an English field………

An Amersham barley field with a sinister secret? copyright Carole Tyrrell
An Amersham barley field with a sinister secret?
copyright Carole Tyrrell

Text and photos copyright Carole Tyrrell

 

A Christmas message

On By shadowsflyawayIn Events1 Comment
An angel in the snow from a Victorian cemetery copyright Carole Tyrrell
An angel in the snow from a Victorian cemetery
copyright Carole Tyrrell

This angel  is in Elmers End cemetery which is in Beckenham, Kent, UK.   It’ s very close to my home and is the last resting place for several well-known figures.  These include the renowned cricketer, W. G. Grace and  Thomas Crapper who invented the flushing toilet.  There is also a life-size figure of a First World War soldier and a small pond in the remembrance gardens which attracts dragonflies  and has beautiful water lilies in the summer.

Thank you for your comments and observations on the blog and I hope you’ll visit in 2016

Have a happy and peaceful New Year

Symbol of the month – the Hourglass

On By shadowsflyawayIn Symbol of the month1 Comment
Nunhead winged hourglass
A splendid, modern example of a winged hourglass . copyright Carole Tyrrell

Nowadays, most people associate the hourglass symbol  with the irritating little symbol on your computer screen that announces that the PC or laptop is thinking about doing something or the one that times the boiling of your egg to boil.  It’s a traditional symbol of waiting nowadays.

But an hourglass, sometimes with wings, on a tombstone is different.  Instead, it’s a reminder of mortality in that the ‘sands of time’ have run out.    A winged hourglass reminds us that time waits for no-one as time flies literally.  It can often be seen in vanitas paintings as a reminder that life is fleeting, that time is passing rapidly and that every day, one comes closer to death.

StillLifeWithASkull
Philppe de Champaigne Vanitas, 1671

Still Life with Skull ‘Life, Death & Time’

Vanitas, from the Latin for vanity, is a genre of art that flourished in the Netherlands during the early 17th century.  It’s a particular form of still-life and contains collections of objects that are symbolic of the inevitability of death, the transience of life and vainglory of earthly pursuits and pleasures.  The viewer is invited to look at the picture and to be reminded of their own mortality.  They also provided a moral justification for painting attractive objects. As in much moralistic genre painting  the enjoyment evoked by the sensuous depiction of the subject is in a certain conflict with the moralistic message.  Vanitas pictures evolved from earlier simple paintings of skulls and other symbols of death which were frequently painted on the back of portraits during the late Renaissance. It’s height of popularity was from 1620 – 1650 and was centred in Leiden in the Netherlands, Flanders.

 

Very few vanitas picture contain figures; instead they contain certain standard items.  These are: symbols of arts and sciences (books, maps, and musical instruments), wealth and power (purses, jewellery, gold objects), and earthly pleasures (goblets, pipes, and playing cards); symbols of death or transience (skulls, clocks, burning candles, soap bubbles, and flowers); and, sometimes, symbols of resurrection and eternal life (usually ears of corn or sprigs of ivy or laurel).   And of course hourglasses to reflect the passing of time and the need to make the most of it.  Objects were often tumbled together in disarray, suggesting the eventual overthrow of the achievements they represent.

 

However, Douglas Keister, author of Stories in Stone, has suggested another, bolder interpretation. ‘The hourglass can also be turned over or inverted over and over again which symbolises the cyclic nature of life and death, heaven and earth.’    Inversion can be seen as the interplay of opposites in death giving rise to life and vice versa. ‘

In fact it wasn’t until I started researching for this piece that I realised how many interpretations the hourglass symbol could have. Pirates are reputed to use it on their flags as a warning that their time, or lives, were about to run out, to scare their victims and enemies.  Hourglasses were often placed in coffins.  They can also feature in tattoos especially in prison where a tattoo of an hourglass can mean no parole.

There is also an association with old movies in that the hero/heroine has one span of the sad in which to make a decision or rescue.  The dramatic turning over of the great hourglass down to the spiralling of that last grain of sand adds to the mystery and drama.

A quick online search revealed masonic and spiritual associations.  2 saints are pictured with hourglasses; St Ambrose and St Magdalene.   And Chronos, the personification of time,  is also associated with it.  But always with the same connotation of time passing and the need to be aware that life is fleeting and to make the most of it. The Grim Reaper or Death when depicted as a skeleton often holds an hourglass with his scythe.

The splendid example at the top of this page is on the roundels on the Linden Grove entrance gates to Nunhead Cemetery.  This is one of London’s Magnificent 7 Victorian cemeteries.  They were created and cast by Robert Stephenson who is a lecture on death and funerary commemoration  and is also known as ‘Dr Death’.

Sources:

How to read symbols, Clare Gibson, A C Black, 2009

A Guide to the Grave Symbols in Nunhead Cemetery, Ron Woollacott, FONC Publications, 2004, republished 2006.

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

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

Wikipedia

http://www.britannica.com

Text and photos copyright Carole Tyrrell unless indicated otherwise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wildlife in cemeteries No 2 – a fine, fluffy red fox

On By shadowsflyawayIn Cemetery Wildlife2 Comments

 

Brompton Fox 3
Now you see me… copyright Carole Tyrrell

Although very much a controversial figure to some, the red fox or Vulpes Vulpes, its Latin name, has increasingly moved into towns and other urban areas. Like Marmite, you either love them or loathe them. I think you can guess which side I’m on.
However, as the concrete sprawl reaches out further and further their habitat grows smaller and they move into our territory as we moved into theirs.
About 10 or 15 years ago it was unusual to see foxes in towns but now it’s almost commonplace. Increased access to ready food sources such as takeaways etc mean that they know when a quick meal is easily available.
I myself have seen dozing foxes very close to railway lines and once had the privilege of seeing a vixen shepherding her little cubs, still in their dark brown coats, along a tram platform in SE London.
I saw this particular fox in a large central London Victorian cemetery over 2 weekends in October 2015. He didn’t seem to be too bothered about being in the presence of nearby humans and I managed to get up reasonably close to him.

Bromptonfox1
Here’s looking at you copyright Carole Tyrrell

But, on the second weekend, he did start becoming agitated about being pursued by photographers. I really felt sorry for him when a small dog started chasing him whilst barking furiously and, as he ran for shelter, hearing the dog’s owner say loudly ‘That fox is a coward’ Presumably if the fox had turned and retaliated then he would have been seen as the aggressor.
Urban nature can be very random. Earls Court was only 10 minutes walk away and the busy Kings Road a short bus ride from one of the entrance gates. To see a fox so near to the centre of London was quite a surprise.

Text and photos copyright Carole Tyrrell

 

 

Symbol of the month – Skull and Crossbones

On By shadowsflyawayIn Symbol of the month1 Comment
Skulls and crossbones copyright Carole Tyrrell
Skulls and crossbones
copyright Carole Tyrrell

The skull and crossbones symbol is a ‘memento mori’ which is Latin for ‘Remember that you have to die’ or ‘Remember that you are mortal.’ It’s a reminder of the temporary, transient nature of human life. We are all born to die and should try to make the most of life.
The skull and long bones crossed together are the survivors after death along with the other bones as they are the body parts that survive after the flesh has gone. It originated in ‘The Danse Macabre’, a medieval European allegory, in which the universality of death invites everyone, from all walks of life, to dance along to the grave. They are often accompanied by a pope, emperor, king, child, or

The Danse Macabre
The Danse Macabre Nobleman and Physician from the Lübeck Totentanz courtesy UT Southwestern

labourer as key symbols and people. It was intended to remind people of the fragility of their lives and that earthy glories were i n vain. Skeletons lead them to their death. The images of the Danse Macabre were not only reminders of the ultimate fate for us all but they were often humourous as well. But its most powerful theme is of death’s indiscriminate nature. In the Danse, Death wears many faces, as he brandishes his scythe, sounds the death toll bell or plays a violin – he is a friend as well as the inevitable.
The skull and crossbones was also a reminder that, on the Day of Judgement, the bones and skull would attach themselves together and the deceased would be able to walk again.
This symbol has appeared in other, more ancient cultures such as the Mayans. This example comes from Mexico.

Uxtal, Central Yucatan, Mexico courtesy greenclogdancer. blogspot

The skull and crossbones was also appropriated in the 18th century by sea pirates and rechristened as The Jolly Roger. This emphasises the skull’s eternal wide open grin. There are also military connections and also counter culture with Hells Angels etc claiming it for their own. According to blogger, Amy Johnson Crow, there is also a Christian connection as she claims that the crossed long bones resemble the Christian cross.
The skull and crossbones is one of the most potent and universal symbols that has come down through the centuries. It will always remind us that the skull looking back at us reveals our own ultimate fate.
Sources:
Wikipedia
‘Death’ Richard Harris, Wellcome Collection
An Illustrated encyclopedia of traditional symbols, J C Cooper, Thames & Hudson, 1978
UT Southwestern Digital Services website

Text and photos copyright Carole Tyrrell unless indicated otherwise.

Here lies Tatters, Not that it much matters. – a visit to Brighton’s pet cemetery

On By shadowsflyawayIn Pet CemeteriesLeave a comment

In the golden light of a late August afternoon, accompanied by the distant gentle clack of bowls and footballers shouts, I entered the tranquil walled garden behind Preston Manor. The black iron gate set into the 13th century wall gave no clue that this was no ordinary garden. Outside the traffic of London Road roared past but in here all was peaceful.

Flagstone paths border and cross the space meeting in the middle where a sundial stands proudly. A wisteria arch curves gracefully over one path and must look magnificent in season. The colourful flower beds are a riot of plants; agapanthuses, roses, daisies and ferns, amongst others, are a feast for the senses. Water lilies decorate a sunken pond and it’s a popular location for weddings. But, if you stroll past one wall and look closely amongst the foliage, then you will find a group of poignant memorials.

The little tombstones are lined up against the wall and commemorate the pets, chiefly dogs, of the Manor’s previous owner, the Thomas-Stanfords. They date from the 19th century and into the Edwardian era. The touching epitaphs celebrate the lives of obviously well-loved pets. ‘To the memory of my Dear and Faithful Dog, Pickle,’ Little Rags, Tatters, Beauty, ‘Jock, Stout of Heart and Body’, Queenie, Punch, Faithful Little Jimmy and Tiny; the animals seem to come to life before you as you read their dedications.

Tatters copyright Carole Tyrrell

Tatters
copyright Carole Tyrrell

Pickle copyright Carole Tyrrell
Pickle
copyright Carole Tyrrell
A wonderful epitaph for a much loved dog copyright Carole Tyrrell
A wonderful epitaph for a much loved dog
copyright Carole Tyrrell

A local newspaper article of the 1930’s describes some of them in vivid detail. Tatters’ epitaph is brief and to the point. Little Rags was a Scots terrier with hair which swept the ground which must have given him the appearance of a walking wig and Fritz was a dachshund who barked at any man, friend or foe. A doctor prescribed nerve pills to quieten him but nothing could stop Fritz’s performances. A dog whose bark was worse than his bite and the male household staff must have worn ear-plugs!

Peter, a Scotch terrier, lies beside Fritz and is remembered by the words ‘In Memory of Dear Peter Who was Cross and Sulky but Loved us.’ Peter’s speciality was to bite anyone wearing a white apron whether they had tasty tit-bits or not. When his owner disguised herself as a maid, he failed to recognise her and bit her as well!

Lady Thomas-Stanford’s favourite dog was Kylin, a Pekingese. In a painting, Kylin is guarding a dog biscuit and looks a real character. One of her favourite pastimes was to throw a biscuit into the air, watch it go the length of the hall’s polished oak floor, race after it before putting one paw on it and skid along the slippery floor. When Kylin finally came to a halt she would guard it before beginning the game again. However, It might not have been so amusing at 3am when the house was quiet….

Perhaps the saddest memorial is to Soot who ‘for 9 years was our Faithful Friend and Playfellow, who was cruelly poisoned. Died as consequence on July 17th, 1884’. Soot had an eventful life. He was a black poodle with a distinguishing white patch on his chest.. One day he was stolen and a dog with a similar appearance but no white patch, was traced to Leadenhall Market. However, the finder plucked a hair from the dog’s chest and discovered that it was only black at the tip. A few more hairs from the chest were examined and all were found to be dyed as the roots were white. So the dog was definitely Soot and was brought home in triumph. He then lived a happy life until his untimely death.

Soot's tombstone copyright Carole Tyrrell
Soot’s tombstone
copyright Carole Tyrrell

The last dog is Peter, who was ‘A True Scot’. He was a black Scots terrier who always followed Sir Charles, carrying his stick. Peter was always very mindful of his responsibility with the stick and would refuse to indulge in any activity that might lead to him dropping it and failing in his duty.

My Old Cat Bruce is the only feline in the line of weathered memorials but at the other end there are several modern stones. One could almost expect an inscription of ‘Dunmousing’ above them but these are for municipal mogs from the public sector. ‘George the Pavilion Cat’ was a very fortunate cat in having that whole enchanting folly to explore and guard. ‘Fred the Town Hall Cat’ is now on permanent retirement as he lies next to the flint walls.

The Brighton Pavilion cat copyright Carole Tyrrell
The Brighton Pavilion cat
copyright Carole Tyrrell
The Town Hall cat - a feline civil servant copyright Carole Tyrrell
The Town Hall cat – a feline civil servant
copyright Carole Tyrrell

There’s no mention of the cemetery in the opening hours information but locals are very proud of it. Interestingly there is a small pets cemetery corner at Henry James’s former home,Lamb House, in Rye Sussex and at Great Dixter, a dachshund shaped metal memorial marks the spot of a departed pet.

As you leave the garden, there is Preston Manor to explore, if it’ s open. Although not an attractive building and now owned by the council it does have the reputation of being haunted. Perhaps by a phantom Pekingese eternally playing her dog biscuit game or Fritz lying in wait for an unsuspecting male visitor. Across the grass is the medieval St Peter’s Church. Its churchyard is atmospheric to say the least and is also reputed to be haunted. In contrast to the loving inscriptions in the pets cemetery, it contains one of the most gruesome memorials I’ve ever read. A plain stone, set into one of the walls, reads ‘Beneath this path are deposited portions of the remains of Celia Holloway who was murdered in Lovers Walk in the parish in the year of Christ 183- aged 32 years.’

After reading that you’ll no doubt want to walk into Brighton town centre to explore the Lanes or to look at the rusting birdcage that was once the West Pier concert hall and now lies marooned and alone out to sea.

All photos copyright Carole Tyrrell and are scans from film prints

First published in Friends of Nunhead Cemetery News

Pet cemeteries – an introduction

On By shadowsflyawayIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Anyone who has ever enjoyed the pleasure, and the company, of a pet animal will understand why there are pet cemeteries. It isn’t always possible to bury them in a back garden and some will want a memorial, an acknowledgement that their pet is much missed and was much loved. I still miss my little tabby cat, Twinky, who was run over and killed during the day while I was at work. She ended up being buried in a neighbour’s back garden which was very kind of him but I did miss the chance to say my final goodbye.
Pet cemeteries’ little memorials may seem mawkish but a pet becomes part of the family and part of your life. One of the saddest and most poignant postings I have seen on Facebook was from an urban explorer who had been exploring and photographing an old, abandoned house and had found two small coffins under a bed. Both coffins had nameplates on and, by the names,

the explorer knew that they couldn’t be children. She opened them and discovered the small bodies of the owner’s dogs. It seemed very sad that the owner had loved these pets so much that she had kept them with her until the end and, now, except for the explorer’s chance encounter, no-one would know they were there and they would be swept away when the house was demolished.

The Ancient Egyptians mummified and buried cats who they considered to be gods (and cats have never forgotten this) and Ashkelon in Israel has the largest dog cemetery in the world. The largest animal necropolis in the world at Hartsdale, NY, with 70,000 burials and began because of a sympathetic vet.

In 1899, the Cimetiere des Chiens in et Autres Animaux Domestiques, opened in Asnieres-sur-Seine near Paris. Its oldest grave is a dog from Napoleon’s Grande Armee and burials continue up to the present day. In 1958, it interred its 40,000th burial which was an anonymous stray dog who died outside the cemetery gates. The Cimetiere isn’t just for dogs though as it also contains cats, horses, a monkey, a sheep and 16 year old hen. It’s definitely on my list to visit as a visitor has described it as uplifting and joyful to be amongst these well-loved pets who obviously had very good lives.
I have visited several pet cemeteries: Preston Park, Brighton, Wrest Park and London’s Hyde Park and I was struck by the poignant epitaphs. The animals had names, characters and had been much loved.  There’s also the odd little memorial in a stately home or a garden.

A memorial to a pet dog. copyright Carole Tyrrell
A memorial to a pet dog.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

I found this little marker in  a corner of  the lovely gardens at Great Dixter, Sussex, UK.  What a wonderful place for a dog to go walkies in!
Sources: Wikipedia
Gone for (a very long)walkies….Cimitiere des Chiens at Autres Animaux Domestiques, by Marion Houghton, Friends of Nunhead Cemetery News,
No 129, Sep-Nov 2015

Text and photo copyright Carole Tyrrell

The unknown mourner of West Norwood Cemetery

On By shadowsflyawayIn Cemetery mysteriesLeave a comment
From West Norwood cemetery copyright Carole Tyrrell
From West Norwood cemetery
copyright Carole Tyrrell

This is the voluptuous, but homeless, mourning woman of West Norwood cemetery. I first noticed her on a visit in 2013 when I found her under bushes in the front courtyard of the cemetery. I was immediately intrigued. After all, It’s not every day that you find a naked woman on her own with no identification. I emailed Colin Fenn of the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery and he was kind enough to reply that no-one knew which grave or memorial she had originally belonged to.

This was because. in 1965. Lambeth Council made a compulsory purchase of the cemetery. Like the others in London’s Magnificent Seven cemeteries, the cemetery company that owned had gone bankrupt and left it to deteriorate. Lambeth then claimed ownership over the existing graves after extinguishing past rights. But even worse, they then embarked on a ‘lawn conversion’ which was a euphemistic term for a drastic and catastrophic clearance of the cemetery. As we know, some councils are very keen to make it easy for their parks and gardens department to mow round tombstones etc cemeteries and so they embarked on a free-for-all. Memorials, monuments, statues, – all were cleared away and smashed beyond repair. From old postcards it can be seen that the cemetery was heavily populated with weeping angels, crosses, mausolea, etc and it has been estimated that up to 10,000 monuments including some of the listed ones. The cemetery had been closed to new burials as it was full but Lambeth didn’t let this deter them and so they restarted new burials by reselling existing plots for re-use. As a result, the new burials were stopped and a handful of the damaged or memorials had to be restored. Lambeth were also required to publish an index of cleared and resold plots so the descendants of historic owners can identify and request restitution of their family’s plot.

But this poor lady has lost her place in the cemetery. She obviously had a place on which to grieve somewhere on the cemetery once but not now. She has a slightly Art Nouveau look about her so she may date from the turn of the century, perhaps around 1900. We are lucky that she hasn’t been stolen altogether as in other cemeteries.

Since then she has moved again, further inside the cemetery near the entrance which is where this photograph was taken.

And so she is condemned to grieve and mourn, now an anonymous memorial, a eternal symbol of sadness.

Acknowledgement: Wikipedia and Colin Fenn.

Text and photo copyright Carole Tyrrell

Update:

I was going through my memory cards recently and found some more photos of this lonely lady when she had been placed on the lawn at the front entrance of West Norwood cemetery.

A visit to the Isle of the Dead

On By shadowsflyawayIn Uncategorized1 Comment
View from Venice across the lagoon to San Michele. copyright Carole Tyrrell
View from Venice across the lagoon to San Michele.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

As the boat neared San Michele, the gleaming white walls of San Isola came into view, almost as if it was floating on the water. An elderly lady fellow passenger enquired as to my reason for being the only person disembarking at the Cimiterro stop.  The crowded waterbus quickly sped away on its way to Murano, the glassmakers island. Then I entered the place where the dead rule, where silence is absolute and there was a strong sense of ‘Enter if you dare’.

The hurly burly of San Marco was far behind me as the atmosphere of San Michele, the true Isle of the Dead surrounded me. Once away from the crowds the streets were deserted under the glaring sun. De Chirico images seemed to around every corner. I had been able to see San Michele’s high walls and tall cypress trees from the Fondamente Nuovo quayside on the main island. I wasn’t sure if they were to keep the living out or the dead in.

San Michele is the closest island to Venice and was a former fishing port. Its creation was, like London’s Magnificent 7 Victorian cemeteries, a response to overcrowded city graveyards which resulted in Napoleon issuing a decree on burials.  Due to the lack of space most burials are disinterred after 12 years and taken to the ossuary island of Sant ‘Angelo. However its most famous residents,Stravinsky, Ezra Pound, Diaghilev and Joseph Brodsky all most definitely rest in peace. Venice has two cemeteries; San Michele mainly for Protestants and Catholics and a Jewish one on the Lido.

San Michele Isola church copyright Carole Tyrrell
San Michele Isola church
copyright Carole Tyrrell

Coducci designed its grand Renaissance church, San Michele Isola, which was the first one built in Venice and commissioned by Franciscan monks in 1469. The monastery on the island was established in the 10th century and was extremely successful and wealthy. The cloister and funerary chapel still remain and more recently political prisoners were housed in the now former monastery.

There were only a few other visitors exploring and it seemed as if every inch of space had been utilised. There are wall graves, conventional graves and huge columbariums with their contents placed in large drawers stacked on top of each other. The effect is rather like a succession of filing cabinets.

A memorial in the columbarium. copyright Carole Tyrrell
A memorial in the columbarium.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

It was difficult to navigate my way around as there didn’t seem to be any site plans or maps visible and I wandered into the main part and was surprised by how the monuments and mausolea stretch on into the distance. Poppies brightly stud the grassy gaps between them. On November 1, All Soul’s Day, chrysanthemums, the Italian flowers of the dead, are everywhere on the island. Diaghilev and Stravinsky lie in the Greek and Russian Orthodox sections and Ezra Pound is in the Evangelic or Protestant part. Jan Morris, the travel writer, has written of being enchanted by the island’s ‘seductive isolation’ and it is absolutely silent here. The only sounds during my visit was the water lapping at the steps of a three window doorway and a fight between what sounded like a cat and a seagull on the other side of one dividing wall. I could almost understand the claim that tourists commit suicide in Venice just so they can be buried on the island. An Englishman from Staffordshire is said to have ‘left us in peace Feb 2 1920.’

In many ways it’s very like a British Victorian cemetery with its carvings and statues of mourning women and sorrowing angels. One wall grave had putti or cherubs holding flowers as decoration. One seemed to be screwing his eyes up against the sun even though his luxuriantly carved locks cast a shadow

Putti or small cherubs on a large wall monument. copyright Carole Tyrrell
Putti or small cherubs on a large wall monument.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

A mourning woman in beautifully carved robes, her hand clasped around her face as if she had toothache stood by a grille as if waiting to be admitted to a seedy club.

A mourning woman. copyright Carole Tyrrell
A mourning woman.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

In the columbarium Elisa Marcosanti’s columbarium drawer is decorated by putti with oddly awkward legs to ensure that they fit into the space.

Another columbarium memorial copyright Carole Tyrrell
Another columbarium memorial
copyright Carole Tyrrell

Venice has always been celebrated for its mosaics and the Mazzega memorial boasted a particularly lovely example in a portrait of the deceased.

An older mosaic on a monument dating from the 19th century. copyright Carole Tyrrell
An older mosaic on a monument dating from the 19th century.
copyright Carole Tyrrell
A modern mosaic on a memorial. copyright Carole Tyrrell
A modern mosaic on a memorial.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

There didn’t seem to be the same quality to more contemporary examples which looked amateurish in comparison in my opinion. A huge statue of a woman in a hooded robe stood in the centre of one section and looked as if she was clutching her stomach in pain.

As I wandered amongst the tightly packed memorials and monuments looking for the famous incumbents I came across a plain little mausoleum with its own set of steps leading up to it. The couple coming towards me seemed oblivious to my presence and so I ventured inside. There was an ornate and painted table with candles, a crucifix, small statue of St Anthony and cards and envelopes. There was no indication as to whom it commemorated, no family name and , as I felt I was intruding I crept away.

A mausoleum which had an open door. copyright Carole Tyrrell
A mausoleum which had an open door.
copyright Carole Tyrrell
The altar inside the mausoleum. copyright Carole Tyrrell
The altar inside the mausoleum.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

A sculpture of a couple kissing mystified me; was it Death and the Maiden or the departed saying goodbye to the sorrowing mourner? Certainly the figure of Death looked female…

A large female statue gazing heavenwards. copyright Carole Tyrrell
A large female statue gazing heavenwards.
copyright Carole Tyrrell
An angel that appears to be floating in thin air. copyright Carole Tyrrell
An angel that appears to be floating in thin air.
copyright Carole Tyrrell
Another view over the cemetery. copyright Carole Tyrrell
Another view over the cemetery.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

…

A view along one of the paths in San Michele copyright Carole Tyrrell
A view along one of the paths in San Michele
copyright Carole Tyrrell

But San Michele didn’t feel crowded and I wouldn’t agree that the statues and memorials are grotesque as one writer stated. Some of the larger statues were very plain. A huge statue of Gabriel, looking like a piece municipal architecture, dominated an area as he held his trumpet on one hand and looked hopefully skyward. He looked as if he’d been bought off the peg compared to the riot of angels, Franciscan friars, angels and weeping women. As I explored further I came across a stack of numbered concrete posts and photographs which I assumed came from disinterred burials.

Pile of photos taken from memorials. copyright Carole Tyrrell
Pile of photos taken from memorials.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

There was so much to see in San Michele and I was aware that I only saw a fraction of it due to lack of time. I never found any of the famous incumbents as it was easier to let my feet and camera wander where they wanted to. The cloister also eluded me but on a return visit….

As the waterbus sped away back to the mainland I saw a modern sculpture in the waters of the lagoon. It seemed to portray St Peter on a boat afloat on the waves. From the quayside San Michele vanished behind it s anonymous walls again and you could easily pass it by with no idea of what its purpose was. I hope to make a return visit one day and wander once more amongst the silent mourning women to look out through the triptych window out onto the ceaselessly flowing water and hear nothing but the waves.

A large Venetian window looks out onto the water. copyright Carole Tyrrell
A large Venetian window looks out onto the water.
copyright Carole Tyrrell

All images are scans from prints from films.

All images and text copyright Carole Tyrrell

First published in Friends of Nunhead Cemetery quarterly journal.

The Cemetery that changed my life

On By shadowsflyawayIn EventsLeave a comment

I submitted a short piece on The Cemetery that changed my life to Loren Rhoads’ excellent blog ‘Graveyard Travels’ and here is the link.

Death’s Garden: The Cemetery that Changed My Life

Please let me know what you think and check out Loren’s blog as well.

My involvement with cemeteries changed my life for the better – I made new friends, got involved with heritage and conservation and came to appreciate the beauty of many of the memorials and the poignancy of their epitaphs. These people had lived and loved and their friends and family wanted to remember them forever.  My involvement with Nunhead Cemetery has been over 25 years no wand I still find new things to see.

Text and photo copyright Carole Tyrrell