A 200th birthday and an unsolved murder – a visit to St Werbergh, Hoo, Kent

On By shadowsflyawayIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

View of St Werbergh, a pity it wasn’t a better day. © Carole Tyrrell

Every September in Medway, Heritage Open Days take place. For a couple of weekends, I could gain access to buildings that are normally closed to the public such as the Rochester Bridge Chapel, almshouses and a synagogue amongst others. Despite Chatham’s somewhat dubious reputation nowadays, it has rich layers of history to be discovered due to its maritime past.
Last year in 2024, I went further afield and visited the Hoo peninsula. This was an area new to me and I wanted to visit St Werburgh’s church. It’s reputed to date back to the 12th century although an earlier church was on the site around 1080-1086 and was recorded in Rochester Cathedral.


I followed a crowd who seemed to be heading in the right direction, some of whom were in costume, but once I saw the church steeple I knew where I was. You can’t miss it – the battlemented tower is 55ft tall but with the steeple it is 127 ft or 38.5 metres in total. There used to be a light within the steeple that guided ships around the peninsula and if you look up you can still see its little wooden door. It seems plausible, after all why else would a recessed door be set into the steeple. The steeple is covered with oak tiles with a weathervane on top. There are 73 steps in the stair turret which give access to the battlemented tower.

View of steeple. © Carole Tyrrell

View of steeple door. © Carole Tyrrell

I’d never heard of the saint before but the guide leaflet has this to say:


‘St Werburgh was an English abbess known and loved for her great kindness and love to all living things. She is associated with geese because when a flock of geese settled in the convent land and were eating the crops, she ordered them into a fenced enclosure as punishment. That night a servant stole one of the geese, cooked and ate it, leaving only the bones.
In the morning St Werburgh set the geese free with a warning not to eat the crops again. Instead of flying away, the geese circled the convent making a great noise. Realising that one goose was missing she had the bones brought to her and restored the goose to life. The whole flock flew away, never to be seen on convent lands again. She was therefore held to have possessed extra-ordinary powers over natural creatures.’
She also has a stained glass window dedicated to her inside the church.

Statue of St Werbergh in church with a goose at her feet. © Carole Tyrrell

The oldest headstone in the churchyard is dated 1681 and is dedicated to Richard Scott who was a yeoman farmer. He died aged 70 in 1677. There is also a yew tree which is reputed to be 800 years old and the award for the most unusual name has to be a man called ’Time of Day’. who died in 1890. Sadly I didn’t find his headstone on this visit.

The oldest headstone in the churchyard, dedicated to Robert Scott. © Carole Tyrrell

Inside, the church possessed some unusual features. On display was a ledger stone which had been found under the floor and dated to the 12/13th century – the oldest I’ve seen. Two 14th and 15th vicars are also commemorated by memorial brasses. There are also two Royal Coats of Arms from the 17th century and a Norman font.

Medieval ledger stone. © Carole Tyrrell

Memorial brass to a former rector with a missing head.© Carole Tyrrell

Indoor refreshments were in full swing and I enjoyed a cuppa while exploring. There were local history stalls which is how I discovered the 200 year old unsolved murder. When I came outside again, a ceremony was taking place and the reason for people being in costume was revealed. It was the 200th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Aveling, a local man who designed machines that didn’t require horsepower. Two men were there in Victorian dress from the Thomas Aveling Society. They were joined by children in costume and national treasure, Jools Holland OBE, in his capacity as Deputy Lieutenant of Kent – Medway.

Member of Thomas Aveling society in Victorian dress by Aveling’s grave.© Carole Tyrrell

Thomas Aveling – a brief history

Thomas Aveling. Shared under Wiki Creative Commons

Although he was born in Cambridgeshire in 1824, Thomas moved to Hoo when his widowed mother married the Rev John D’Urban, the curate of St Werbergh. He was apprenticed to a farmer, Edward Lake, and became one himself. But he had dreams of creating machines that could be powered by other means than horsepower. In addition to the farm he also operated a small millwrighting and iron foundry business. Thomas was a talented and determined man and in 1856, in partnership with two other companies, he introduced a steam plough which was incredibly successful. Two years later, in recognition of his achievement, he was awarded ‘a piece of plate’ and a purse containing 300 guineas by Kent farmers. But there was more to come.


He formed a partnership with Richard Porter in 1862. It was very successful and they sold their products worldwide. But, like most restless, energetic and talented Victorian entrepreneurs, Thomas was onto his next project. One that is still in use today. One that helped create roads the world over including the ones in New York’s Central Park – the steam roller! Virtually unchanged since its creation.

An Aveline/Porter steamroller.

Honours for his invention came thick and fast. Thomas was knighted by the Austrian Emperor after showing it at Vienna’s Universal Exhibition and the French Government awarded him the Chevalier of the National Order of the Legion of Honour.

Thomas was also the Mayor of Rochester and introduced many improvements to the town which sadly no longer exist. He also represented Strood and Frindsbury on the City of Rochester Corporation.

In addition, he was also an enthusiastic yachtsman and it is believed that he may have caught a chill which developed into pneumonia whilst on his 28 ton Yacht, ‘Sally’ at the end of February 1882. On 7 March 1882 he died at the age of 58.  The funeral took place on 11 March 1882 and crowds lined the streets from his home at Boley Hill House in Rochester to St Werburgh’s church – a distance of 4.6 miles.  The funeral procession began with 39 carriages which increased to 54 and his coffin was covered with beautiful wreaths not unlike the ones on his grave for his 200th birthday.  He is buried with his mother, Sarah, his wife Sarah and his son Thomas. Two stained glass windows in the church commemorate him. There is also a secondary school in Chatham named after him and the road names on a housing estate in Hoo are associated with him.

Boley Hill House, Thomas Aveling’s home in Rochester as it is today. © Carole Tyrrell

For a fuller account of Thomas’s life and achievements please visit the Thomas Aveling Society’s website:  https://www.thomasavelingsociety.co.uk

Thomas Aveling’s grave covered with birthday wreaths. © Carole Tyrrell

But very near Thomas Aveling’s grave is one that is determined that the person which it commemorates and the way in which he died will never be forgotten.

©Text and photos Carole Tyrrell unless otherwise stated.

Part 2 The 200 year old unsolved murder of William White, possible suspects and an amateur clerical sleuth.

Symbol of the Month – The All Seeing Eye

On By shadowsflyawayIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Detail of the All Seeing eye on the Caryer headstone, All Saints Frindsbury © Carole Tyrrell

Poking about in churchyards as is my wont is how I discover symbols to write about. It was while exploring two churchyards in Kent, All Saints in Frindsbury and St Martin of Tours in Eynsford, that I discovered this month’s symbol.

This is the All Seeing Eye, also known as The Eye of Providence, and is usually depicted as a single realistic eye within a triangle or within a burst of light. I’ve always associated it with Freemasons as it appears on their documents. But neither of these headstones had any other symbols linked with Freemasons such as the square and compass. So what was the story?

The one in the churchyard of St Martin of Tours in Eynsford was bordered by what looked like two snakes with a skull and crossbones and a winged spirit on either side, familiar memento mori symbols. Sadly the epitaph is now illegible.

Headstone with All Seeing Eye, Eynsford, Kent.© Carole Tyrrell

The second one is in the churchyard of All Saints in Frindsbury and this intriguing version is on the grave of the Caryer family. The Kent Archaeological Society thought that it might represent the Woman of Samuria as featured in John 4.4-26 but I’m not sure about that. (see Symbol of the month – the womand from Samaria or a Greek goddess? 27 January 2021) The epitaph reads:
‘Sacred
To the memory of
Hannah wife of John Caryer
Died 9th Sept 1809 aged 30 years
Also Robert her son
Died 28th June 1801 aged 8 years
Also the above John Caryer
Died 11th March 1814 aged (4)2 years.’

Full view of the Caryer headstone, All Saints Frindsbury, Kent.© Carole Tyrrell

The earliest known representation of The Eye is in a painting called ‘The Supper at Emmaus’ by the Italian painter Jacopo Pontormo in 1525. This was painted during the Renaissance and it depicts the second part of the Second Appearance story in Luke 24: verses 13.35:


‘And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.’

As you can see the Eye is above Christ’s head which shows that God is watching the event and so can be seen as a Christian symbol. On the Ancient Origins website it’s claimed that

‘the elements surrounding the eye also have a Christian meaning. For example, the triangle surrounding the eye also have a Christian meaning in that it’s a clear reference to the Holy Trinity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The burst of light is meant to symbolise divinity, holiness and God himself’

Within the Bible there are many references to The Eye in the context of God keeping watch and observing in Proverbs and Ecclesiasticus and also from Psalms 33: verse 18:


‘The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’s throne is in heaven:
his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him,
upon them that hope in his mercy . . . . 
The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous,
and his ears are open unto their cry.’

But older religions and faiths such as Hinduism and the Ancient Egyptians also had an important eye symbol.

In Egypt it was known as the Eye of Horus. Even today it’s still used as an emblem of protection and good health. The Eye was also known as a wadjet (the whole one), wedjat or udjat. Sailors would often paint the Eye of Horus on the prows of their ships to ensure a safe voyage. I’m sure that I’ve seen this on a boat or two in some of Hollywood’s classic sword and sandal epics! The depiction of the Eye of Horus is said to resemble the markings on a falcon’s eye due to the teardrop marking which is sometimes found below the eye as here. This would make sense as Horus is usually shown as a falcon. There are several myths about Horus and his eye. For instance, in one of them Horus fought with Set who gouged out Horus’s left eye which was later restored by a goddess.

The Eye also appears on the US one dollar bill. But it made its first appearance as a Freemason symbol on the personal seal of Robert Moray (1609-1673) who was a Scottish Freemason. Then during the 18th century it appeared again in two Freemason books, one of which was Thomas Smith Webb’s ‘Freemasonry Monitor’ and, by the 19th century, it had become part of the permanent hieroglyphical emblems of the Freemasons. There are other associations with the Illuminati and, if you’re interested, there is more information online.

But with these two All Seeing Eye symbols I think that they were meant, as they often are, to be a comforting message. The departed, and the bereaved, were all being watched over and supported at a time of sorrow and grief.

©Text and photos Carole Tyrrell unless otherwise stated.

References and further reading
https://www.undercliffecemetery.co.uk/gallery/funerary-
https://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-religions/eye-providence-0013057
http://www.thecemeteryclub.com/symbols.html
https://cemeteries.wordpress.com/2006/10/18/all-seeing-eye-eye-of-providence
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_of_Providence (this has some more examples from around the world.)
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2024%3A13-35&version=KJV
https://gwmemorial.org/blogs/news/the-eye-of-providence

A love supreme? The Allen memorial, All Saints Birchington

On By shadowsflyawayIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Full view of the Allen memorial. © Carole Tyrrell

There are so many stories within a churchyard. They are truly repositories of a community’s history in their recording of births, deaths and the history of local families. A simple epitaph can say so much about the people buried beneath it.


I almost missed the Allen headstone as it’s lying down on the grass. This would have been a shame as it is one of the loveliest and most poignant memorials in the churchyard and must have looked imposing when it was standing upright.

A closer view of the epitaph. © Carole Tyrrell

It’s dedicated to a married couple, Janet Lormie Allen or ‘Cissie’ who died young aged 23 on 10 October 1914, and her husband, Ernest August Allan, who died 45 years later aged 79. I don’t know why Cissie died so young: it may have been in childbirth, due to illness or to another cause. But she was greatly missed as the sentiment on the headstone shows.

At one side of the tombstone, beside the epitaph, stands a young woman, a maiden, dressed in a diaphanous, long flowing robe from which one strap has fallen, exposing a bare shoulder. The hair is untied and falls to her shoulders. Behind her is a tall, slender rose stem whose blossoms reach over her head. She looks upwards to the blooms above her as, with one hand, she reaches up to pluck a rosebud. In her other hand she already holds a single bloom half open. There is a hint of the waning of the Art Nouveau movement in the flowing lines of her dress and the romance of the image.

The significance of the rose being plucked is that it’s a bud and so not yet in bloom which indicates a life cut short.

I don’t know if Ernest remarried but he was buried with his wife in 1959 and so they were reunited. It’s such a shame that as the headstone is lying down as rainwater gathers on the carving of the young woman and, for example, there has been erosion on her face.

Closer view of the maiden’s face. © Carole Tyrrell

Despite my research I have not been able to find out any further details about the couple. But it’s one of the most beautiful memorials that I’ve seen, not just because of the carving, but, as I like to think of it, a love story written on an epitaph in a country churchyard. And as we approach St Valentine’s Day what could be more appropriate?


©Text and photos Carole Tyrrell

Symbol of the Month -the dark side of the snowdrop

On By shadowsflyawayIn Uncategorized1 Comment
Snowdrops in St George’s churchyard, Beckenham. ©Carole Tyrrell

On February 2, tomorrow in fact, it will be Candlemass, an important day in the church calendar. Already snowdrops are appearing, nodding their tiny white heads in the breeze and making people feel that Spring is on its way.

It’s always at this time of year that I repeat this post. For these delicate little flowers have another darker side to them and a long association with churchyards and death.

Imagine yourself in a gloomy medieval church on the festival of Candlemass. You, and your fellow parishioners, have each brought your candles to be blessed by the priest and, after the procession which will fill the church with light, they will all be placed in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary.   Candlemass marked the end of winter and the beginning of Spring. The blessing is to ward off evil spirits.  It traditionally falls on February 2 and is shared with the Celtic festival of Imbolc.  And in the churchyard outside you can see green shoots forcing their way up through the hard winter earth.  The snowdrop’s milk-white flowers show that spring is on its way as they begin to emerge into the light.

The placing of the lit candles in front of the Virgin Mary’s statue gave the snowdrop one of its many other names – Mary’s Tapers.  But there are many others such: Dingle Dangle, Candlemas Bells, Fair Maids of February, Snow Piercer, Death’s Flower and Corpse Flower.

Snowdrops, Kensal Green Cemetery, January 2018
©Carole Tyrrell

The snowdrop’s appearance has also inspired many comments . According to the Scottish Wildlife Trusts website they have been described as resembling 3 drops of milk hanging from a stem and they are also associated with the ear drop which is an old fashioned ear ring.  Anyone who has seen a group of snowdrops nodding in the wind will understand what they mean.   The snowdrop’s colour is associated with purity and they have been described as a shy flower with their drooping flowers.  However, the eco enchantments website reveals that the flower is designed in this way due:

to the necessity of their dusty pollen being kept dry and sweet in order to attract the few insects flying in winter.’

Snowdrops have been known since ancient times and, in 1597, appeared in Geralde’s ‘Great Herbal’ where they were called by the less than catchy name of ‘Timely Flowers Bulbous Violets’.  Its Latin name is Galanthus nivalis.  Galanthus means milk white flowers and the nivalis element translates as snowy according to the great botanist, Linnaeus in 1753.   In the language of flowers they’re associated with ‘Hope’ and the coming of spring and life reawakening.

However, yet despite all these positive associations, the elegant snowdrop has a much darker side. Monks were reputed to have brought them to the UK but it was the ever enthusiastic Victorians who copiously planted them in graveyards, churchyards and cemeteries which then linked them with death.  Hence the nickname name ‘Death’s Flower.’

They were described by Margaret Baker in the 1903 ‘Encyclopedia of Superstitions, Folklore and the Occult of the World’ as:

‘so much like a corpse in a shroud that in some counties  the people will not have it in the house, lest they bring in death.‘

So that’s where the ‘Corpse Flower’ nickname came from.

Snowdrops, St George’s Beckenham. ©Carole Tyrrell

Snowdrops are also seen as Death’s Tokens and there are several regional folk traditions of connecting death with them. For example in the 19th and early 20th centuries it was considered very unlucky to bring the flower into the house from outside as it was felt that a death would soon occur.  The most unlucky snowdrop was that with a single bloom on its stem.    Other folk traditions were described in a 1913 folklore handbook which claims that if a snowdrop was brought indoors it will make the cows milk watery and affect the colour of the butter.  Even as late as 1969 in ‘The Folklore of Plants’  it was stated that having a snowdrop indoors could affect the number of eggs that a sitting chicken might hatch.  A very powerful plant if these are all to be believed – you have been warned!

It’s amazing that this little flower has so many associations and legends connected with it but I always see it as a harbinger of spring, rebirth and an indication of warmer days to come.

But the snowdrop also has a surprise.  This came courtesy of the Urban Countryman page on Facebook – not all social media is time wasting!  If you very gently turn over a snowdrop bloom you will find that the underside is even prettier and they also vary depending on the snowdrop variety.

Here is a small selection from my local churchyard and one from Kensal Green cemetery.

The underside of a snowdrop, St George’s churchyard Beckenham ©Carole Tyrrell
Another underside of a snowdrop. ©Carole Tyrrell
Another snowdrop underside. ©Carole Tyrrell
Underside of snowdrop in Kensal Green Cemetery March 2017 ©Carole Tyrrell

So don’t underestimate the snowdrop – it’s a plant associated with life and death but watch out for your hens and the colour of your butter if you do decide to tempt fate…..

©Carole Tyrrell text and photos unless otherwise stated

References:

http://www.plantlore.com

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/naturestudies/bright-in-winters-depths-why-the-flawless-flower-of-candlemas-is-ajoy-forever-8483967

http://www.flowermeaning.com/snowdrop-flower-meaning

http://www.ecoenchantments.co.uk/mysnowdropmagicpage.html

Symbol of the month – The anvil

On By shadowsflyawayIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Adams headstone, Birchington-on-sea. © Carole Tyrrell

What a difference a sunny day makes in a churchyard! I revisited All Saints in Birchington-on-Sea earlier this month to look for the first snowdrops and found several headstones of interest that I’d missed. The headstone with the two-dimensional carving of an anvil above the epitaph was now clearly readable and I could see that it was dedicated to a couple: Elizabeth Adams (1813-1888) and Josiah Lyon Adams (1805-1898). According to the Kent Parish Clerks online website, they had 3 children, all boys and Josiah was definitely the village blacksmith. He is commemorated below his wife on the headstone.

The verse below the still crisp carving of the anvil and hammers reads:


‘Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full act like,
as a shock of corn cometh in the season.’


This comes from the Book of Job 5:26 and has been assumed to emphasise the natural cycle of life and death. Anvils are traditionally associated with blacksmiths working in their forges but they do have other associations.

Blacksmith in forge at his anvil. Shared under Wikimedia Commons

The blacksmith would have been an important person within the community and his skills would have been much in demand. The anvil is one of the most basic craftsman tools and has not changed for thousands of years. I have seen photos online of 3 dimensional anvils on graves but have yet to see one. However, the anvil has been superseded by other ways of working metal such as welding and steam hammers.

3 Dimensional anvil and hammer on grave found on Pinterest.

An anvil is a solid block of steel or iron with a flat top which is called the ‘face’, often with a pointed ‘horn’ at the front and a flat ‘heel’ at the back with holes for attaching tools. They are very heavy as you can imagine and durable with a quality of ‘liveliness’. This means that they cause the blacksmith’s hammer to bounce back after each blow and onto the metal.


It’s a powerful act of creation and transformation when a piece of metal is hammered into a shape to become another object. As a result, it can be seen as an act of transformation as well as a demonstration of craftsmanship and the use of base metals to create something new. It has been suggested that it is also a potent symbol of enduring the blows of life while shaping our destiny.

St Dunstan shoeing the devil’s cloven foot. Project Gutenberg.

St Dunstan is the patron saint of blacksmiths and used his skills to defeat the devil. The story goes that, while living in a cell at Glastonbury after leaving the royal court, an old man appeared at his window and asked the saint to make a chalice for him. St Dunstan agreed and began to work on it. But as he did so, the old man changed his shape and appearance several times until, finally, he became an attractive woman. St Dunstan realised that his visitor was actually the devil when he saw a cloven hoof under her dress. So, he heated up his tongs until they were red hot and then used them to seize the devil by the nose. Despite the Devil struggling and screaming, St Dunstan held on until the Devil admitted defeat and thrown. He then fled while complaining loudly.


Another legend associated with St Dunstan includes nailing a red hot horseshoe onto one of the Devil’s hooves after noticing that he was limping. The saint refused to take it off and made the Devil promise that he would always respect the horseshoe symbol and never enter a building that was protected by it. This is is believed to be the explanation for horseshoes being nailed over doorways for good luck.


Anvils appear in other cultures and civilisations. For example, in Norse mythology, Brokerr and Sindri, two dwarf brother blacksmiths, created the powerful hammer Mjolnir on an anvil. It was then used by the god, Thor, to create thunderstorms. The Greek god, Hephaestus, who was renowned for his metal working skills, used his anvil to create powerful weapons for his fellow gods as in Homer’s The Iliad. So, the anvil has associations with warfare as well as more domestic creations.

The Third gift – an enormous hammer – © Elmer Boyd Smith 1860-1943 Shared under Wikimedia Commons

They are also traditionally associated with wealth and good luck due to their ability to forge a prosperous future. It is believed that placing an anvil in the home or workplace can also attract wealth and success.
On a lighter note, anvils have often appeared in many cartoon or comedy sketches as they fall on characters with a huge bang! This gag was mainly used in Warner Bros Looney Tunes and ‘Merrie Melodies’ cartoons. Tom Slatin’s online article discusses this and why people find it funny.

© Photo by Faze

By contrast, there are also other, more spiritual associations such as the anvil being a representation of:


‘the challenges and obstacles that we may face in life with the hammer symbolising the strength and perseverance to overcome them.’ symbolsage.

This may seem a little fanciful but the anvil has always been a firm foundation on which to build and create new objects under the flickering flames and heat of the forge.

© Text and photos Carole Tyrrell
References and further reading
Anvil | Symbols
Symbolism of Anvils: Meanings and Interpretations
Anvil Symbolism & Meaning – Symbolopedia (more information about dream symbolism and anvils)
19 Powerful Symbols of Perseverance and What They Mean
http://Treestump anvil Gravely speaking
Fran Jurga`s Hoofcare + Lameness: St Dunstan and the Devil: Why We Hang Horseshoes Over Doors
A Clerk of Oxford: Stories of St Dunstan, 4: Dunstan and the Devil
** Kent Online Parish Clerk ** – Birchington, Christenings 1801 – 1880
https://www.tomslatin.com/the-history-of-the-anvil-gag-in-classic-cartoons/#:~:text=The%20first%20time%20an%20anvil%20was%20used%20as,height%2C%20causing%20him%20to%20sink%20into%20the%20ground.

Happy New Year with a couple of mysteries!

On By shadowsflyawayIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Sorrowing woman on headstone, All Saint, Birchington-on-sea, Kent. © Carole Tyrrell

Happy New Year to all my readers and what an auspicious year it is for shadowsflyaway!

It’s 10 years since I began this blog on July 10th 2015 to be exact and some of my readers have been with me since the very beginning. Even now I am still discovering new symbols to write about, little mysteries that I find in churchyards and cemeteries that intrigue and inspire me.

Here are a couple that I found on a Christmas Eve walk in All Saints churchyard, Birchington on Sea. This is where the 19th century Pre-Raphaelite artist, Dante Gabriel Rossetti is buried with a Celtic Cross over his grave. It was a dull grey day, enlivened only by the bright efforts of the town’s yarn bombers.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s grave, All Saints Birchington-on-Sea which is in the form of a Celtic Cross. © Carole Tyrrell

An example of one of Rossetti’s most beautiful paintings, ‘Lady Lilith’.

But these two stood out. The first one was located by the original church door and appeared to be a variant on the mourning woman symbol as a woman, wearing a billowing gown or cloak, weeps over a man’s portrait. He faces her in profile and is dressed in 18th century fashion with a small ponytail and is within an oval frame. She sits with a skull on her lap. The portrait is supported by a large anchor whose rope ripple around and behind it. Above it there are two floating angel heads or winged messengers. The carvings on either side of the tableau were indistinct under the overcast sky. But a sunny day can often bring out details of carvings and epitaphs so I will return. The anchor would indicate a naval man and I have to say that that, on first look, the folds of cloth around the lower half of the woman resembled a mermaid’s tail to me. But that may just be me being more fanciful… It’s an impressive headstone with the central figures still crisp. I would hazard a guess that this is from the 18th century.

A closer view of the sorrowing woman headstone. © Carole Tyrrell

The other one is on a 19th century headstone and features an anvil and tools. On first glance I thought it might belong to the village blacksmith. But it’s dedicated to a woman, Elizabeth Adams. Underneath the motif is what appears to be a quotation which I thought might have come from the Bible. But, so far, I haven’t found anything that resembles it but a burst of bright sunshine could illuminate it further on a future visit.

A closer view of the anvil and tools with quotation partly visible beneath. © Carole Tyrrell

A ship is permanently sailing on Ernest Francis Walker’s headstone with a border of entwined ropes beneath it. The epitaph states that he was a crew member on HMS Vestal and so I presume the carving of a ship is a representation of it. Ernest died young at 22 and there are several ships that bear this name. The one that I think is most likely is a 26 gun sixth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1833 and sailed in the West Indies and the Caribbean. In 1852 she ran aground near the Needles on the Isle of Wight and was taken to Portsmouth for inspection and repair prior to being decommissioned in 1860 and then broken up in 1862.

I am already looking forward to what else I will discover in 2025 including the spooky angel in a Broadstairs churchyard but I am determined to wait for a really foggy day for that one!

© Text and photos Carole Tyrrell


References and further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Vestal_(1833)

Seasons Greetings to all my readers!

On By shadowsflyawayIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Darnley Mausoleum November 2023. © Carole Tyrrell

As the festive season gets underway, it’s time for the shadowsflyaway Christmas card! It’s a small thank you to all of my readers and those that have liked a post or sent me a message. Next year will be the tenth anniversary of shadowsflyaway which I think is a real achievement. So there is no Symbol of the Month. It will resume in January 2025.

The picture is of the Darnley Mausoleum in Cobham Woods in Kent. It’s one of my favourite places to visit even when its closed. In 2005, it was featured on ‘Restoration, a BBC TV programme about buildings that needed rescuing and the Mausoleum was one of them. It was in a sorry state, vandalised, burnt out, and surrounded by impenetrable woodland. I watched the TV programme, thinking ‘Why bother? It will just be vandalised again.’ But it was restored and landscaped and it is now a beautiful and elegant focal point.

And of course replete with symbols as I said in a previous post.

So here’s to symbol exploring in 2025!

Text and photography © Carole Tyrrell

Symbol(s) of the Month – the exuberant 18th century symbols of St George’s churchyard

On By shadowsflyawayIn UncategorizedLeave a comment
One of the skulls at base of blank cartouche on one side of large chest tomb, St George’s. ©Carole Tyrrell

It’s often on a winter’s night, just as dusk begins to fall and the lamp lights in St Georges churchyard come up, that  the fine selection of 18th century tombstones are at their best. Carved skulls leer at you, an hourglass emphasises time passing and the gravedigger’s tools stand ready for the next interment.  And perhaps there is still a phantom schoolteacher using his sculpted globe to teach geography to his spectral students.

There has been a church on this site since the 14th century and, in one place in the graveyard  the number of burials over the centuries has made the ground rise up on both sides.  But, as well as 18th century examples of funerary symbolism, there are also some wonderful 19th century ones as well.  Inside the church there’s also a good selection of impressive wall monuments dedicated to prominent local families dating back to the 1600’s.  They are  buried in the vaults beneath the church.  St George’s also has the country’s oldest lych gate in that the current one incorporates elements from  a far older one. The churchyard is a pretty one for a short walk through to the bustling High Street  especially when the spring flowers begin to appear, carpeting the grass between the stones with bluebells and flitting butterflies.

View of tombstones with horned skull in foreground. ©Carole Tyrrell

However for this month’s Symbols post I will concentrate on the 18th century memorials within the churchyard. These  tombstones  are topped with classic memento mori symbols.  This is Latin for ‘remember (that you have) to die.’  They are the visual accompaniment to the immortal epitaph from Dundee’s Howff graveyard:

‘Remember Man as you pass by

As you are now so once was I

As I am now so must you be

Remember man that you must die.’

Graveyard symbolism, according to Douglas Keister, began when the well to do  could no longer be buried with in their local church due to lack of space. Instead, they took up their eternal residence in the newly consecrated burial grounds outside and surrounding the church walls. These were often known as ’God’s Acres’ and gave the wealthy the opportunity to erect a lasting memorial or tombstone in their memory.

St George’s churchyard became the last resting place of prominent local families, some of whose descendants still live in the area. The oldest tombstone dates from 1668 and the 18th century ones  are nearest to the church walls which in effect meant that they were  ‘Nearer my God to Thee.’

I’ve always enjoyed walking through the churchyard as it can feel like walking through a gallery of funerary symbols.  There’s something very exuberant about these 18th Century motifs of mortality even though some have eroded and only one epitaph is still fully readable.  However, the skull and crossbones, the Death’s Heads and others have, in several cases, lasted better than the epitaph below them.

The skull and crossbones are an effective, if macabre, reminder of what is left of a body after it decomposes and there are several good examples in St Georges.

This one is near the church entrance and features a skull and crossbones with what appear to be protruding palm fronds.  It also seesm to be resting on something whch may be a shield.  All that can now be read on the epitaph is…who dep….’

© Carole Tyrrell

The skull and crossbones, a winged hourglass and a set of sexton’s tool on the left hand side.
©Carole Tyrrell

Nearby is another skull and crossbones with a winged hourglass above it.  This is a reminder that ‘Time flies’ or ‘Tempus Fugit’ and that the onlooker will soon be bones and dust. So it’s important to make the most of their time on earth. On the left hand side is a pick and shovel.  These are a sexton’s tools which made me wonder if this was a sexton’s grave but the epitaph is now illegible.  The sexton’s role not only encompassed maintaining and looking after the church but also the churchyard.  In larger graveyards the sexton would have been more of a manager but in smaller ones he would have had sole responsibility for preparing the ground, digging and closing the grave, mowing the lawn and also maintaining the lawn and paths.

Skulls also feature prominently on two other tombstones on the other side of the church very near the wall. One seems to have a very sharp pair of horns and a  definite smirk.  On each side of it there appear to be small trumpets but it’s too weathered to see if anyone’s blowing them.  Maybe he’s keenly anticipating the Last Day of Judgement.



© Carole Tyrrell

The horned skull tombstone showing trumpet detail. ©Carole Tyrrell

Nearby is a large tombstone with what seem to be two somersaulting skulls on them although one is more eroded than the other.  Below them is a small worn hourglass.  I believe that these two examples of skulls may be unique to St Georges as I’ve haven’t yet seen them anywhere else.

Somersaulting skulls and hourglass. ©Carole Tyrrell

Douglas Keister has suggested that the skull and crossbones slowly began to be replaced by the much less stark and macabre  ‘Death’s Head.’  This is a human face with wings on either side of it.  I’ve always known it as the ‘winged cherub’ and there are also several good examples within the churchyard. These are symbols of resurrection intended to give those left behind some hope.

© Carole Tyrrell A closer view of the Saxby Angel with what appears to be a faded open book on one side and a stylised flower on the other side.

I am also a huge fan of calligraphy having studied it for two years at evening classes and it has undergone a revival on late 20th and early 21st century tombstones.  However 18th century calligraphy has a style all of its own and is instantly recognisable.  The only legible 18th century epitaph in St Georges is the one dedicated to a John Saxby.  It reads:

‘Here lyeth the body of John Saxby of the Parish who Departed this life…year of May 1731 aged 41 years.’

A fine example of a Death’s Head is on top with an open book beside it which may be the Bible or the Book of Life and there’s a stylised flower on the other side.  The open book may be a depiction of the incumbent offering their life to God for judgement as an ‘open book’. People are sometimes described as an ‘open book’ as they have their feelings and thoughts open to the world with no attempt to hide them.

A crown on clouds with two small angelic faces on each side of it. ©Carole Tyrrell

On another memorial two small faces, presumably from the angelic host, peer out from either side of the clouds surrounding a crown.  It’s a representation of the reward that awaits the faithful in heaven.  This verse from the Bible refers to it:

James 1:12 New International Version (NIV)

‘Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. ‘

A plump faced death’s head is surrounded by another open book and what I think maybe a small skull in the far corner of the stone.
 

A plump faced Death’s Head or winged cherub with an open book on one side and what I think is a small skull on the other. ©Carole Tyrrell

But one of the most unique and impressive tombstones in St George’s, or perhaps anywhere, is that of John Kay.  He was an 18th century schoolmaster and his life and talents are recorded by the tools of his trade that have been carved on his stone. There’s a globe on a stand, a trumpet, what appears to be a cornet, an artists palette, a pair of compasses and other items which are now too indistinct to read.  He was obviously very erudite and much appreciated by his students.  Sadly his fulsome epitaph is now virtually unreadable. He lies near Mr Saxby under a spreading yew tree.

© Carole Tyrrell

On the other side of the graveyard is a large chest tomb.  There is a dedication and an armorial on its top and I feel that some patient research in St George’s burial registers may reveal the incumbent’s identity.  There are blank cartouches on each side with death’s heads on top and two skulls beneath each one.  At one end are palm fronds which are a Roman symbol of victory which were then adapted by the Christians as a martyr’s triumph of death.  The palm as a symbol originated in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean region  and is a powerful motif of victory, triumph, peace and eternal life.  It’s traditionally associated with Easter and Palm Sunday and Christs’ resurrection and victory over death. On the other end of the tomb are what appear to be olive flowers.  The olive’s association with wisdom and peace originally came from Greek mythology when the goddess, Athena, presented an olive tree to the city that was to become Athens.  Successive Greek ambassadors then continued the tradtion by offering an olive branch of peace to indicate their goiod intentions. The olive tree is also associated with longevity, fertility, maturity, fruitfulness and prosperity.  In the Bible, Noah sent the dove out after the Flood to see if the floodwaters had receded and when it returned with an olive leaf in its beak Noah knew that the Flood had ended.  Even today the phrase ‘ offering an olive branch’ means the someone wants to make peace. But in this context the olive branch may mwean that the soul has departed with the peace of God. So one memorial incorporates powerful  motifs of mortality and resurrection.

View of chest tomb, St George’s churchyard. ©Carole Tyrrell
Palm fronds at one end of chest tomb, St George’s churchyard ©Carole Tyrrell
Blank cartouche on one side of chest tomb. Note Death’s Heads and skulls. ©Carole Tyrrell

St George’s has also used old tombstones to pave two of the pathways within the churchyard of which some are still readable.  It always feels as if I’m walking over someone’s grave although they are buried elsewhere in the graveyard.  However, although the 19th and 20th century memorials are rather more restrained and far more legible I prefer the more ‘in your face’  18th century symbols.  But in the case of the horned skull I can only frustratingly only guess at its meaning and the person who lies beneath…..

©Text and photos Carole Tyrrell otherwise stated.

References

Stories in Stone; A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography, Douglas Keister, Gibbs M Smith, 2008

St George’s Churchyard, St George’s Parish Church, Beckenham, Revised June 2005

St George’s Parish Church, Beckenham, information leaflet,, October 2003

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

http://www.catholictradition.org/Saints/signs4.htm

http://www.planetgast.net/symbols/plants/plants.html

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

http://www.graveaddiction.com/symbol.html

A Margate Meander Part 2- a visit to St John’s Cemetery, Margate

On By shadowsflyawayIn UncategorizedLeave a comment
Samuel Courtauld and his wife. ©Carole Tyrrell

There are over 53 war graves and I found the plot containing most of them although there are others buried throughout the cemetery. The plot contains 18 German airmen, (one unidentified), and 50 British casualties. The others are Commonwealth service personnel of which 2 remain unidentified and I saw some of them as I explored.

Hebrew section of the cemetery. ©Carole Tyrrell


The Hebrew section is near the crematorium and I found other notable permanent residents although a chill was beginning to make its presence felt as the afternoon wore on. Samual Courtauld and his wife’s headstone seemed quite modest considering his achievements. He was the great art collector who founded the Courtauld Institute of Art in 1932 which continues to this day and, after a series of gifts during the 1930’s, bequeathed his entire collection to the Institute on his death. He also created a £50k acquisition fund for the Tate and National Gallery in London which enabled them to acquire works that helped create national collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art.

Male angel keeping watch on the Weston grave. ©Carole Tyrrell

Another surprise was finding a definitely male angel draped in what could be described as a toga (it looked chilly) keeping watch over the grave of Arthur and Ethel Weston. It’s unusual as most angels in cemeteries and churchyards appear to be pretty, pensive young women.

A 2D representation of ‘Simply to Thy Cross I cling.’ ©Carole Tyrrell

There was a 2D representation of ‘Simply To Thy Cross I Cling’ on the Holness headstone. I found a metal Lourdes medal that had been placed on a stone cross.

Lourdes medal placed over a grave. ©Carole Tyrrell

There was also a variant on the open book which was last month’s Symbol of the Month. Here it has been placed on a lectern style stand which made me think of the deceased standing up and telling all those around him of his or her good deeds or perhaps giving them a sermon.

The Open Book. ©Carole Tyrrell

On the elegant Devereux headstone dedicated to Thomas and his wife, Maria, I didn’t need to look at the epitaph to know that this was dedicated to a Royal Navy man. The two pillars have chains wrapped around them ending in two entwined anchors. There is also a Crown above them and the familiar shaking hands at the top.

The Deveraux headstone with naval symbols. ©Carole Tyrrell
The model airplane on the Betts monument. ©Carole Tyrrell

I then came across my other surprise of the day when I found another Grade II listed monument. I was surprised that the small model airplane on top of it hadn’t been stolen although I saw very little vandalism in the cemetery. The monument is dedicated to Edward Leonard George ‘Elgy’ Betts who died aged 19 on 17 July 1938. I am indebted to Findagrave for the information about him:


‘….crashed into the sea with a 2 seater light aircraft after taking off from Ramsgate airport. He was flying a Miles Hawk Trainer airplane belonging to Thanet Aero Club and it crashed into the sea off Cliftonville, Margate, Kent. He and his passenger, 16 year old Marjorie Wall, were killed….. She is also buried in Margate Cemetery with her parents. The sculpture of the plane is and accurate representation of the plane in which he died, including the registration letters G-AEFU.’

Full view of the Betts monument. ©Carole Tyrrell

Ramsgate airport is long gone and has been replaced by an industrial. For a Sunday afternoon the cemetery was quite busy with visitors, mostly in cars, and a few like myself on foot. But I was aware that I didn’t have enough time on this visit to explore the entire cemetery so will do it in sections on future visits. I am already anticipating this although there is already plenty to write about!

©Text and photos Carole Tyrrell unless otherwise stated
References and further reading:

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfboat
https://courtauld.ac.uk/about-us/our-history/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Courtauld_(art_collector)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sanger
https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Sanger
https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2017/12/15/a-service-has-marked-the-restoration-of-margates-surf-boat-memorial-and-the-loss-of-9-lives-in-the-tragedy/
https://margatelocalhistory.co.uk/Pictures/Pictures-Storms.html
https://daily.jstor.org/vintage-circus-photos-sanger-circus-collection/
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46295073/edmund_leonard_george-betts
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1396419

https://victorianweb.org/history/education/ulondon/courtauld.html



A Margate Meander Part 1 – a visit to St John’s cemetery, Margate

On By shadowsflyawayIn UncategorizedLeave a comment
Pumpkins in Margate Cemetery. ©Carole Tyrrell

It was a dark, gloomy grey Sunday when I decided to explore the cemetery and walked up the impressive avenue of yew trees studded with bright red berries to the two cemetery chapels. But, by the entrance, I discovered a smaller building hidden behind bushes in the Gothic style of the chapels. I thought that it might have been a mortuary chapel but, on looking at the map, it may have been a more prosaic toilet block now locked up. The cemetery is officially known as St John’s cemetery and also houses a crematorium and associated gardens of rest.

Toilet or mortuary chapel? ©Carole Tyrrell

After the excitement of Halloween, people appeared to have donated their pumpkins to the local wildlife and I disturbed a squirrel scampering over one. However, although people may consider them to be a tasty treat. Forestry England doesn’t agree and suggests on their website that they be reused to make pumpkin soup or be added to compost.

Nothing prepared me for the size of the cemetery and, so far, I have been unable to discover its exact dimensions. I soon realised knew another visit or two would be necessary to explore it fully. The bright Autumn colours of the leaves were dulled by the greyness of the skies as I merrily kicked up leaves and looked for fungi. But all I could find were a couple of what I thought were parasol mushrooms lurking in the fallen leaves.

Presumed Parasol fungi in autumn leaves ©Carole Tyrrell

Autumn leaves. ©Carole Tyrrell

Placemarker of first burial ©Carole Tyrrell

The cemetery was opened in 1856 and a sign marks the place of the first burial which was a woman, Harriet Ross, on 1 November of that year. Most of the first section along the main avenue dates from the 19th century. As I neared the chapels, there was a large monument in a gap between the yew trees, set back from the path featuring an angel praying before a cross with, I assumed, a portrait of the deceased looking approvingly on. This was on the LeMair monument.

The LeMair monument ©Carole Tyrrell

A sign announced ‘Sanger Path’, I wandered along it and came to my first surprise of the day. 4 angels forming a square, one at each corner, on the Reeve memorial. They are well sculpted with detail on the back as well. But then my eye was drawn, well I could hardly miss it, by the lifesize statue of a horse atop the Sanger monument. Beautifully sculpted, it is dedicated to a circus proprietor, John Sanger (1816-1899). He has a tenuous connection to one of my favourite Beatles songs. There is an upturned horseshoe above John Sanger’s epitaph for luck and his shows featured equestrian acts involving horses and ponies and a pantomime every Christmas. He originally went into partnership with his brother, George, but eventually they went their separate ways. George was brutally murdered in 1911 by an ex employee who then committed suicide. A photo album of George’s circus, its performers and animals came up for auction in 2017 and showed that a Victorian circus certainly was value for money! The Sanger circus appeared by royal command at Windsor Castle by Queen Victoria and they also took part in the annual extravaganzas at Crystal Palace.

The Sanger horse ©Carole Tyrrell

©Carole Tyrrell

One of George Sanger’s great granddaughters ashes are also interred in the family plot. This was Victoria Sanger Freeman (1895-1991) and she went under the sobriquet of ‘Queen of the Elephants’ with 4 of them under her charge. She was the last member of the Singer dynasty of circus performers. Beside John Sanger’s horse is another Sanger, Mary Rebecca, who married into the family. She is sandwiched between John and the Reeve ladies. She married William Sanger but I’m not sure at the moment where he stood within the Sanger hierarchy.

Mary Rebecca Sanger is on the left hand side with the Reeve ladies beside her. ©Carole Tyrrell

There was an interesting variation regarding epitaphs within the cemetery. On several graves, they were carved within an oval frame that was reminiscent of a portrait. I thought they looked very elegant.

©Carole Tyrrell
©Carole Tyrrell
©Carole Tyrrell

There was only one way to discover why another path was named ‘Surfboat Path’ and halfway down I came upon the Grade II listed memorial to the Surfboat Disaster. It commemorated the tragedy that killed 9 Margate boatman on 2 December 1887 and was restored by the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, 120 years later in 2017.
The town’s surfboat, ‘Friend to All Nations’, went out on that night in appalling weather to assist the sailing vessel, ‘Persian Empire’. Sadly, the surfboat capsized on the Nayland Rock in Margate with only 4 survivors. A surfboat is according to Wikipedia:
‘A surfboat (or surf boat) is an oar-driven boat designed to enter the ocean from the beach in heavy surf or severe waves. It is often used in lifesaving or rescue missions where the most expedient access to victims is directly from the beach’

A surfboat in action ©DonJeffFranky Shared under Wiki Commons
Full view of the Surfboat Disaster monument ©Carole Tyrrell

The 2017 memorial service was not only to acknowledge the tragic event but also as a reminder that the crews and elements still face the same challenges as emphasised in the sad loss of the crew of the Penless lifeboat in 1981. To say that it is impressive is an understatement as it is surrounded by more modest memorials. It’s in the shape of a huge rock with a lifesize mourning woman, her hands to her head, face turned away, in Victorian dress and carrying a laurel wreath, an evergreen that symbolises eternity. There is an epitaph to the disaster beside her and above, on the top of the rock, are a collection of nautical symbols: chains, anchors, ropes and a life belt with the surfboat’s name on it. I was stunned although I would have expected a few nautical graves due to Margate being on the coast.

A closer view of the mourning woman on the monument. ©Carole Tyrrell

Part 2 – A doomed air flight, an unusual angel and an art lover’s final resting place

©Text and photos Carole Tyrrell unless otherwise stated
References and further reading:

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfboat
https://courtauld.ac.uk/about-us/our-history/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Courtauld_(art_collector)
https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Sanger
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sanger
https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2017/12/15/a-service-has-marked-the-restoration-of-margates-surf-boat-memorial-and-the-loss-of-9-lives-in-the-tragedy/
https://margatelocalhistory.co.uk/Pictures/Pictures-Storms.html
https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2017/10/04/rare-collection-of-lord-george-sanger-circus-photos-sold-at-auction/
https://daily.jstor.org/vintage-circus-photos-sanger-circus-collection/
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46295073/edmund_leonard_george-betts

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1396419