English country churches and lychgates seem to go hand in hand.  There is something rustic and romantic about them. Perhaps you’ve seen one at the entrance to a church and thought that they were created as handy shelters or been lucky enough to see a bridal couple paying local children to untie the gates and allow them through.

But the picturesque lychgate has a darker side as it’s also the gate through which the happy couple could be entering in a few decades but on a more sombre occasion.

The word lychgate is derived from the old English or Saxon word, lich, which means corpse.  In medieval times, the body would have already been carried along footpaths or the local corpse road to the church.  Corpse roads can still be seen in the countryside if you know where to look and I found one last year by chance on a golf course in deepest Kent! Coffins were for the wealthy  until the 1700’s and so the less well to do deceased would have been wrapped in a shroud and then laid on a bier under the lychgate.  The priest would have then come out of the church to the bier to conduct the first part of the funeral service.  while the pall bearers sheltered under the gate.  Some lychgates have large, flat stones under them on which the shrouded body would be laid.  These are known as lich stones.

A lychgate is a roofed porch-like, almost shed-like, construction over a gate and were often built of wood.  They were usually made of 4 or 6 upright wooden posts in a rectangular shape.  Above are beams to hold up a pitched roof covered either in thatch or wooden or clay tiles.  

Although usually plain, they can sometimes have decorative carvings.  For example, St Oswald’s in Peover, Cheshire has these words inscribed on its lychgate:

‘Grant O Lord that through the grave and gate of death we may pass to our joyful resurrection.”

A sobering though for all those who passed beneath.

Some lychgates also have recessed seats in either side of the gate and lychgates were often erected  in a local person’s memory.  In 2000, the Millenium year, several lychgates were erected to commemorate it.  Lychgates are thought to date from the 7^th century but were more widely popular in the 15^th century.

As they were usually made from wood many lychgates have vanished over the centuries or the remains have been incorporated into modern reproductions.

Whilst researching this article I discovered that my then local church, St Georges in Beckenham, may have the oldest lychgate in the country as parts of it date from the 13^th century.  In 1924, it was restored by a local man who had lost both of his sons in the 1^st World War.  There is an information panel on a roof beam to commemorate it which reads:

“To the glory of God and in proud memory  of Hedley and Stanley Thornton who gave their lives for King and Country in the Great War. This ancient Lych Gate was restored by their father. A.D. 1924”

and there is another panel which informs the reader of its age and restoration work done on the lychgate:

“This lychgate is probably the oldest remaining in England. Was erected in the 13^th century and repaired in August 1924, when the framework was left untouched.  But the decayed ground cills and the bottoms of the side posts were renewed on new foundations and the spurs to the brackets which had long been absent were restored.”

St Georges is a Victorian church which is built on the site of an earlier church and there are some interesting 18^th century tombstones in the churchyard.

However, lychgates aren’t often found in big city churchyards and so have become associated with picturesque, romantic country and small town churchyards. At St Nicholas church in Chislehurst Kent, there is a lychgate which features a device at the top of it to enable a coffin around.

A lychgate is ultimately the entrance by which all must pass to enter the church.  Christenings, weddings, funerals; all the stages of life and death go through the gate. It is one of the most enduring and unique symbols and image of Britain.

©Text and photos Carole Tyrrell unless otherwise stated.

References:

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

https://www.britainexpress.com/church-history.htm?term=Lych+Gate

www.BritainExpress.com

www.peoverchurches

England’s oldest Lych-Gate found in South London

I was looking for Marbled White butterflies in Brompton Cemetery when I found this memorial on a side path.  I was intrigued by the two Aladdin style lamps above the epitaph. Should I rub one and see if a genie appeared to grant me three wishes?  And so began my research for this month’s symbol – The Lamp.

The grave is that of Marie Cordelia Winfield who died young at the age of 19.  There is another family member commemorated on the headstone who is James Alfred Winfield.  But it’s very lowdown on the stone and the encroaching summer vegetation made it difficult to read.

Lamps are an unusual symbol to see in a cemetery but Light as a motif in itself has been used in many forms.  Often, it’s represented by the eternal flame or a downturned or upturned torch but lamps are rare. 

Obviously now I’ve said that I’ll see lamps in every cemetery on every tombstone but so far it’s just been this one.

The Winfield lamps appear to be oil lamps and these have been used as illumination for thousands of years. In Arabian folklore a genie’s lamp contained a magical spirit known as a djinn or genie.  This mythical being could help or hinder those who were brave enough to rub the lamp as in the story of Aladdin. 

In this story the lamp was seen as a gateway to another world of mystery and other gods.  The symbol of the lamp was later adopted by Christianity, as many pagan motifs were, and it came to symbolise Jesus as the ‘light of the world’.  There is a famous passage in the New Testament in Matthew 25:1-13 of the parable of the 10 virgins:

‘Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

                        While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

                                                                                                                                King James version

There are several other references as well: Matthew 6:22-23, Revelation 22:5 and also John 5:35 in which John the Baptist is described as

‘a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.’

And let’s not forget God appearing to Moses in the burning bush.  There is also a famous quotation from Psalms 119:105:

                ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’

The lamp as a representation of God and faith appears in other religions including the Jewish Feast of Dedication or Festival of Lights and also Diwali which is the Hindu Festival of Lights. In Judaism lamps are seen as a way of lighting the way for the righteous and the wise.  This is represented by the seven branched ritual Jewish oil lamp which is known as a menorah.  Lamps are also an integral part of the Orthodox and other Eastern Catholic churches as they are used on the Holy Table or altar and to illuminate icons.  In Chinese religions an oil lamp is always lit at traditional Chinese shrines before either an image of a deity or a plaque in classical Chinese characters with the name of the deity.  Islam also mentions lamps in the Koran. There is also a strong element of self-sacrifice associated with the lamp as it consumes itself in order to bring light to the world.

Lamps also have a tradition of representing purity and virginity as well as love. So it’s highly appropriate for the Winfield tombstone which is  dedicated to a young girl.  When I looked more closely at the Winfield memorial I noticed that both of the lamps were pointing towards the cross in the centre with, what I presumed, were the rays of the sun coming from it almost like a halo. The lamps are obviously lit as they have  fumes coming from them and, to me, they seemed to be illuminating the way through eternal darkness towards the light of a new life. In other words a symbol of resurrection. I thought that it would have been comforting to those left behind to mourn the loss of a daughter who had been taken too soon. As the epitaph says:

                ‘Greatly loved and sadly missed.’

As I explored further in Brompton I noticed lamps placed on top of graves or alongside them. These were mainly on the graves of Polish people who have a tradition of lighting lamps and candles on their All Saints’ Day which is held on November 1^st each year. This is the day before the Christian festival of All Souls Day which is traditionally held on November 2^nd.  I visited Brompton Cemetery on November 1^st 2015 and witnessed the local Polish community’s celebration of All Saints with lit tea candles and lamps on top of Polish and non-Polish graves alike. The lights were again being used as a way to help the souls of the departed on their way and so the tradition continues.

©Text and photos Carole Tyrrell unless otherwise stated.

References:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A1-13&version=KJV

http://www.biblemeanings.info/Words/Artifact/Lamp.htm

http://culture.polishsite.us/articles/art10fr.htm

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

I had 10 attendees and four Friends of Brompton Cemetery volunteers on my 11 May 2024 Introduction to Cemetery Symbols tour. A good crowd I thought and they kept up with me until the end. An extra bonus was when one of the volunteers very kindly opened up the Brompton Chapel for us. It’s normally only open for funerals and exhibitions so we were very fortunate to see inside. I like tour participants to see as many symbols as possible within the cemetery and to give them enough knowledge to enable them to return. They were all kind enough to give me a round of applause at the end by the catacomb doors!

The interior of Brompton Cemetery Chapel showing the dome. ©Carole Tyrrell

An Introduction to Cemetery Symbols guided tour

A guided tour led by me! So if you’re in London and want to know more about cemetery symbols then come along!

Date and time: Sat, 11 May 2024, 14:00

Leaving from: Information Centre (Old Brompton Road entrance)
Duration: approx. 1 hour 30 minutes
Tickets are £10 per person (plus £1.50 booking fee if booked on Eventbrite (refundable up to 1 day before event but Eventbrite’s fee is non-refundable.

Introduction to Cemetery Symbols Tickets, Sat 11 May 2024 at 14:00 | Eventbrite

The lost language of death is all around us in Brompton Cemetery in the symbols on headstones and monuments. But have you ever wondered if they have meaning and what it might be?

This is a subject that has always fascinated Carole Tyrrell and in this tour she will introduce you to many of the symbols that can be seen in Brompton cemetery and discuss their meanings. From Celtic crosses to Egyptian gods and updated 18th century memento mori, there’s plenty to see.

Carole Tyrrell has her own blog which features ‘Symbol of the Month’ at http://shadowsflyaway.blog and is currently researching and writing a book on cemetery symbols.

The tools of the trade refer to those used by the church sexton in his duties of maintaining the local churchyard. The word ‘sexton’ is derived from the Latin word ‘sepeliarus’ which roughly translates as ‘the custodian of sacred objects’. He or she is an officer of the church, a member of the congregation and is also in charge of conserving the church buildings.

The sexton’s tools can include:·

•  A spade or shovel·
• A turf cutter which is recognisable by its triangular blade·
• A pickaxe

On headstones, these can often be depicted either on their own or crossed and are reminders of mortality as they are connected with the dead. I used to think that they only appeared on the headstones or memorials of gravediggers but this hasn’t proved to be the case.  Instead they appear to be a form of memento mori and a reminder of the viewer’s ultimate destination. However, there are variations as in this one on the headstone of Ann Baker in the churchyard of St Nicholas, Sevenoaks.  In this combination of symbols, a coffin takes centre stage as it appears to either be rising ominously out of the ground or is being deposited into it.

The epitaph states that she was the wife of Stephen Baker and there is a headstone with that name on it nearby.  There is a nicely carved skull on it and I wondered if, as Ann’s symbols are larger and  appear to be professionally carved, that perhaps the family had gone up in the world.

This fine example comes from St Peter’s, Falstone, Northumberland and displays several key mortality motifs. These are: a spade or shovel, a book, perhaps the Bible or a prayer book, a skull and crossbones and a winged angel at the top.

The photo below shows a skull with a tool amongst other motifs and comes from the churchyard of Rochester Cathedral in Kent.

I have found two other magnificent examples online in Edinburgh and Northumberland churchyards 

However, sextons have another claim to fame as they also appear in literature and plays. For example, in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act V, Scene 1,  the two gravediggers who are digging Ophelia’s grave debate whether she should have a Christian burial as she is a suicide.  Later in the same scene,  a sexton unearths Yorick’s skull giving rise to one of Hamlet’s most famous lines:

‘Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him well.’

Several famous rock singers have worked as grave diggers including Joe Strummer, Dave Vanian of the Damned and Tom Petty .   However, apparently the claim that Rod Stewart was one is only an urban myth.

Charles Dicken featured a sexton, Gabriel Grub, in a ghost story that appeared in The Pickwick Papers called ‘The Goblin and the Sexton’.  Gabriel is not a happy man. On Christmas Eve, he walks along Coffin Lane to the churchyard to finish digging a grave which is to be used the next day.  Along the way he takes out his ill temper on a boy singing a Christmas carol and then meets the Goblin sitting cross legged on a headstone.  This Christmas night will change Gabriel’s life forever.  According to the Victorian web this story was Dickens’ version of Rip Van Winkle and is an example of ‘a curmudgeon chastised.’

It seems appropriate that sexton’s tools should feature so prominently in some churchyards. After all, he or she is the last person to take care of your remains after death; whether you are buried or your ashes are deposited in the graveyard and also the preservation of your memorial if you have one.

©Text and photos Carole Tyrrell unless otherwise indicated

References

http://headstonesymbols.co.uk/ngg_tag/sexton-tools/

Memento Mori: symbols of death in St Cuthbert’s Kirkyard, Edinburgh

Symbolism on monuments

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

http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/phiz/pickwick/24.html

https://familychristmasonline.com/stories_other/dickens/gabriel_grub.htm

Ceramic model of a cat on Doorkins grave, Southwark Cathedral churchyard. ©Carole Tyrrell

In 2008, a small stray tabby cat sneaked into Southwark Cathedral by the south west door.  It was cheek by jowl to her usual territory which was the bustling Borough market.  The Cathedral’s vergers made her welcome by feeding her and she started to get her paws under the welcome table.  The feeding began to be a daily habit and, encouraged, the small feline began to trust them and visited more frequently.  Until eventually she had a name – Doorkins Magnificat.  It is thought that Doorkins was a pun on Richard Dawkins, the evolutionary biologist and atheist, and Magnificat came from the Song of Mary that the clergy sang everyday.

Doorkins Magnificat ©Bridget Davey Outdoor Revival.com

Doorkins life changed for the better as she became popular with the Cathedral’s visitors, congregation and staff. However, she never entirely became a friendly cat and a reproving paw swipe soon established who was boss.  As with other Cathedral cats, visits became a game of ‘Spot the cat’ or in Southwark’s case, ‘Spot the Doorkins.’ Would she be seen nonchalantly strolling in front of the altar during a service or indulging in a strenuous and thorough bout of washing herself, stretched out over a radiator grille or creating a new Christmas tradition by bedding down in the Nativity crib straw over the festive period?    

In 2017, she had her own picture book which featured a tour of the Cathedral and a typical week in her life as Mousecatcher in Chief.    A more permanent memorial and tribute was created in 2018 with a  gargoyle in her image holding a fish in its mouth on the North Wall.  On a visit by HM The Queen to celebrate the installation of a window in honour of her Jubilee, Doorkins seemed unaware of the honour. It was rumoured that she may have sleepily opened an eye before returning back to the land of Nod again. The Queen is reputed to have asked ‘Does this cat live here?’ as Doorkins missed her opportunity for a photocall.

Doorkins Magnificat and gargoyle. I couldn’t find a credit for this but happy to do so.

Doorkins Magnificat gargoyle in situ North wall, Southwark Cathedral. I couldn’t find a credit but happy to do so.

But, despite landing on her paws, Doorkins was still on active service out and about on Southwark’s streets until the 2017 London terrorist attacks. The Cathedral was locked down for a few days and she was shut out. Once it reopened, she ran inside and didn’t leave her sanctuary again.

However, old age caught up with Doorkins and her health began to fail. Kidney problems, increasing deafness and, ultimately blindness, meant that she could longer safely do her rounds in the huge Cathedral.  So, she retired to the countryside and the home of the head verger, Paul Timms, where she died in his arms on 30 September 2020 ‘to the sound of a familiar voice.’

A Service of Thanksgiving was held for Doorkins on 28 October 2020 which was livestreamed worldwide.  It could be asked ‘why do this for a stray cat in the middle of a pandemic in which thousands died?’ But I watched it and it was a poignant experience to see the small wooden box containing her remains being presented to Andrew Nunn, the Dean of Southwark.  I feel that events like these gave people a focus in order to grieve especially at a time like that. In an earlier post I wrote about a lady who had adopted a monument in West Norwood Cemetery in order to have somewhere to place flowers and mourn a dear friend.  The service for Doorkins was very moving especially when the Dean told the congregation and the online audience that:

‘In more normal times, we often host memorial services for the great and the good. But I don’t think there’s ever been a service for a cat.’

But not everyone approved and in some quarters it was considered controversial. For example, the Bishop of Burnley thundered:

‘Is this a joke?’ he tweeted, ‘I do hope so. If not it’s grossly insensitive to bereaved families and those ministering to them in the new world under the coronavirus restrictions’

But the decision to hold the memorial service had been supported by the congregation and the Dean replied that:

‘she (Doorkins) did more to bring people to this place than I will ever do.’

It was Paul Timms who carried the little wooden casket to the peaceful spot in the churchyard that had been chosen for her. A place of calm keeping the bustling world outside.

This month I was on a flying visit to London and was near London Bridge to attend an exhibition. I had always meant to make a sort of pilgrimage to find her resting place and now was the time to do it.  After negotiating Borough Market I entered the Cathedral and churchyard and saw the ceramic sleeping cat with its painted sign above. I stood for few moments as the sun shone down on Doorkins and felt that I’d seen a true Londoner’s memorial.  Inside the Cathedral I lit a candle in her memory and honour and looked for her successor, Hodge, but to no avail. Another visit perhaps….

RIP Doorkins Magnificat 2003 -2020 ©Carole Tyrrell

©Text and photos Carole Tyrrell unless otherwise stated.

References and further reading

Meet Doorkins Magnificat the cathedral cat – BBC News

Doorkins Magnificat RIP (muchloved.com)

Service of Thanksgiving: Southwark Cathedral (anglican.org)

Chief Mouse Catcher at Southwark Cathedral, Doorkins Magnificat Laid to Rest (outdoorrevival.com)

Much loved Southwark Cathedral cat Doorkins Magnificat laid to rest | London | The Guardian

Southwark Cathedral’s resident cat gets her own gargoyle | London Evening Standard | Evening Standard

An Introduction to Cemetery Symbols guided tour

A guided tour led by me! So if you’re in London and want to know more about cemetery symbols then come along!

Date and time: Sat, 11 May 2024, 14:00

Leaving from: Information Centre (Old Brompton Road entrance)
Duration: approx. 1 hour 30 minutes
Tickets are £10 per person (plus £1.50 booking fee if booked on Eventbrite (refundable up to 1 day before event but Eventbrite’s fee is non-refundable.

Introduction to Cemetery Symbols Tickets, Sat 11 May 2024 at 14:00 | Eventbrite

The lost language of death is all around us in Brompton Cemetery in the symbols on headstones and monuments. But have you ever wondered if they have meaning and what it might be?

This is a subject that has always fascinated Carole Tyrrell and in this tour she will introduce you to many of the symbols that can be seen in Brompton cemetery and discuss their meanings. From Celtic crosses to Egyptian gods and updated 18th century memento mori, there’s plenty to see.

Carole Tyrrell has her own blog which features ‘Symbol of the Month’ at http://shadowsflyaway.blog and is currently researching and writing a book on cemetery symbols.

Orthodox cross, Brompton Cemetery, London. ©Carole Tyrrell

We are approaching Easter which is the holiest event in the religious calendar and it started me thinking  about an appropriate symbol for this month.  The Orthodox cross is one that has always intrigued me and I have been asked about it on my Symbol  tours in Brompton Cemetery. There are a good selection of Orthodox crosses within Brompton Cemetery as Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) is buried there and he has a fine Orthodox cross with an  inscription in gold leaf.  It is one of the most visited graves within the cemetery and visitors often leave floral tributes on it. He was the head of the Russian Orthodox Patriarchal church in Great Britain and Ireland and 2023 was the 20^th anniversary of his death. The cross marking his grave is  known as the Russian Orthodox Cross. But for this post I will refer to it as the Orthodox cross.

The Russian Orthodox Cross above Metropolitan Anthony’s grave, Brompton Cemetery. ©Carole Tyrrell

Crosses appear in many religions and cultures from the ancient Egyptians ankh which is a cross with a loop at the top and means ‘life’, the Celtic Cross with the pagan sun circle surrounding the cross and the more familiar Latin cross.  Since the 3^rd and 4^th centuries, the latter has been the main symbol of Christianity as it is a representation of the cross on which Christ was crucified.

An engraved ankh. copyright http://www.summary.com

The Latin Cross Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

The Orthodox cross is a six pointed cross, with three horizontal bars as you can see in the photo below.  It has a short top one, a longer one beneath it and a slanted one at the bottom that points upwards.  

Orthodox cross, Brompton Cemetery, London ©Carole Tyrrell

The cross first appeared in the 6^th century during the Byzantine empire. This was part of the Roman Empire and Constantinople, now modern day Istanbul, was its hub. The cross featured in mosaics and frescoes and it was Ivan the Terrible in the 16^th century who is reputed to have encouraged its use to differentiate the Orthodox church from the Christian church. He was keen to promote Moscow as being the Third Rome.

Metropolitan Anthony’s grave has two crosses. One above the grave and one placed on it which is decorated and painted and shows how the cross is arranged.

The Orthodox cross on Metropolitan Anthony’s grave. ©Carole Tyrrell

The Top Bar

This is known as the title or titulus board. Pontius Pilate ordered a sign to be hung in mockery over Christ’s head on the cross. On it was inscribed ‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews’ in Hebrew, Greek and Latin.  This was abbreviated to INBI in Greek or the more familiar INRI. In Latin it appears as

‘Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudarerum’  

Hence INRI.

The Middle Bar

This was where Christ’s hands were nailed to the cross with his feet on the lower bar.

The Lower Bar

The slanted bottom bar was Christ’s footrest.  The upper left of the bar always points heavenwards and the lower end points downwards. The tradition is that it’s slanted because Christ kicked it out of place during his final moments and it can also be interpreted as pointing to heaven and hell. It has also been thought that it may also symbolise the scales that traditionally weigh the dead’s sins and virtues. These appear in medieval wall paintings and I have seen an example in St Peter’s, Preston Park, Brighton, UK.

Beneath Christ’s feet, at the base of the cross, there is a stylised skull on top of a rock. According to the website www.rbth.com:

‘this symbolises Adam’s head as according to tradition, the remains of Adam, Eve and their descendants were buried right under the site of crucifixion at Golgotha. This, the blood of the crucified Christ, symbolically washed Adam’s bones and washed away original sin from them and their descendants. ‘

As I said earlier, the Orthodox cross has always intrigued me as to why it is so different from the traditional Christian cross. It has been fascinating to research it and I was lucky to have such a good example on Metropolitan Anthony’s grave.

© Text and photos Carole Tyrrell unless otherwise stated

References and further reading

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh – Brompton Cemetery – The Royal Parks

Anthony of Sourozh – Wikipedia

Russian Orthodox cross – Wikipedia

Meaning of the 3-Bar Russian Cross (orthodox.net)

What does the Russian Orthodox cross stand for? – Russia Beyond (rbth.com)

Eastern Orthodox / Greek Orthodox / Byzantine / Russian Cross | Symbols (symbolsproject.eu)

The Church Bell is an unusual and rare symbol to be found in a cemetery or churchyard. So far I have found two examples but I feel sure that there are others out there. This post was inspired by the three bells that I saw on a Mr Judd’s headstone in St Michael’s churchyard, Betchworth, Surrey. It must be an ex-bellringer I thought and sure enough the epitaph stated that Mr Judd was:

‘ for 36 years Captain of the Bellringers at this Church.’

The central bell on the three appeared to be ringing but was it a specific peal?  A secret message to other bellringers?

The second one was in Beckenham Cemetery and was dedicated to Henry Robert Taylor but with no further information on it.  This time all three bells appeared to be static.

So I contacted The Central Council of Church Bellringers (yes it does exist) to find out if they could shed light on the bells.  Firstly, they were very interested in my photos as these are rare memorials and they didn’t know that they existed.  One of their members, a retired Captain of Bellringers and historian,  was kind enough to reply and said  that the Taylor headstone was probably the grave of a bellringer which was close to the door of the bell ringing chamber. He added that the bells depicted were inaccurate for English church bell ringing and thought that it might be a standard pattern designed to fit a pointed headstone.

However, with the Judd headstone in Betchworth he thought that the bells were a much better representation of a church bell hung for ‘change ringing’. Change ringing is an English form of bell ringing and if you want to know more there is a link in the references and further reading section.

I then approached the churchwarden at St Michael’s who informed me that the Judd tombstone was originally dedicated to Clara Judd  but eventually William Henry (Bill) was added to the inscription.  He also confirmed that Bill is buried close to the door of  the church’s bell-tower. In 1910, Canon Sanders paid tribute to his astonishing 36 years as Captain of the Bellringers by saying that

‘…the whole parish owes a debt of gratitude.’ 

And here he is:

These two headstones and the bellringing references reminded me of the links between church bells, the rituals of the church and death.  The most obvious one is ringing the ‘death toll.’ which appears in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 71:

‘No longer mourn for me when I am dead,

Than you should hear the surly, sullen bell,

Give warning to the world that I am fed

From this vile world with vilest worms to dwell.’

There is also the often quoted final lines from John Donne’s 1624 Meditation 17, from Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions:

‘Therefore, send not to know

For whom the bell tolls,I

It tolls for thee’.

Although only the ‘death toll’ is used today, originally there were three tolls that were rung and they denoted different stages of death.  I am indebted to the headstonesymbols.co.uk blog for this:

‘There was superstition that evil spirits would gather around a dying person, trying to catch the departing soul. To give the soul a chance of ascending to heaven, church bells were rung at the time of death to frighten away these demonic forces. It was even added to the rules of the early Church of England that:

…when any is passing out of this Life, a Bell shall be Tolled, and the Minister shall not then slack to do his last Duty. And after the Parties Death (if it so fall out) there shall be rung no more than one short Peal, and one other before the Burial, and one other after the Burial.

Church of England Canon law; 1604

The Passing Bell

The first ringing to indicate an impending death was called the “Passing Bell“. This was to alert the priest that he was needed to perform the Last Rights.

The Death Knell

A “Death Knell” was rung immediately after the death. This was a slow solemn peal and each strike or teller identified the sex and age of the deceased. In small communities they would know from this who had passed and who’s souls to pray for.

From the number of strokes being formerly regulated according to circumstances, the hearers might determine the sex and social condition of the dying or dead person. Thus the bell was tolled twice for a woman and thrice for a man. If for a clergyman, as many times as he had orders, and, at the conclusion, a peal on all the bells to distinguish the quality of the person for whom the people are to put up their prayers. In the North of England, are yet rung nine knells for a man, six for a woman, and three for a child.

Old Church Lore by William Andrews

Lych or Corpse Bell

The last bell, the Lych or Corpse bell would be rang at the funeral, and is the only one that survives today.’

 The Funeral Toll was also rung as the procession approached the church and was known as ‘ringing home the dead’.

The Dead Bell

However, in Scotland and parts of Northern England, a hand bell was rung which was known as the dead bell.  This was used with deaths and funerals until the 19^th century.  The dead bells were rung for two  reasons; to protect the newly deceased from evil spirits and to also seek prayers for the dead person’s soul.  These ‘dead bells’ are often carved on monuments and tombstones in Scotland and Northern England.  There are two men ringing dead bells on the Bayeux Tapestry at the funeral of Edward the Confessor:

But there are also superstitions and beliefs concerned with church bells particularly during the medieval period. They were thought to have special protective powers to drive away evil spirits for example and were often baptised. After all, most people know of the Houses of Parliament’s world famous Great Bell in its clock house, Big Ben. The  Catholic church still has a blessing for new bells in which they’re  given the power to protect those who hear them, repel storms and triumph over evil.

There are also several legends concerning bells that have ended up underwater either due to cliff erosion, a reservoir or hidden in lakes.  They are reputed to ring from their watery graves at dead of night.

Bells have always been an intrinsic part of church life whether ringing to denote the end of a life or jubilantly pealing at the beginning of a new life in marriage.  They have been held in reverence and awe due to their supposedly magical powers.  Even today, they sometimes have names and are seen as part of the community.  Both the Betchworth and Beckenham headstones record a connection between man and church bell that has lasted for centuries.

©Text and photos Carole Tyrrell unless otherwise stated.

References and further reading:

http://headstonesymbols.co.uk/headstone-meanings-and-symbols/bell-on-headstone/

http://www.solwaypast.co.uk/index.php/structures-in-stone/13-mem/90-st

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

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

http://www.sacred-texts.com/etc/fcod/fcod08.htm

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

http://headstonesymbols.co.uk/headstone-meanings-and-symbols/bell-on-headstone/ http://www.famousliteraryworks.com/donne_for_whom_the_bell_tolls.htm

Home

https://surrey.cc.org.uk

the sound of sunken bells

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

View of the Charnel House. © Carole Tyrrell

On a clear summer’s day, if you stand in the Garden of Remembrance in St Helen’s churchyard and look over the wall, the marshlands seem to stretch on and on into the distance. But it’s a view that is constantly changing as new houses encroach on the flat landscape. The marshes lead on as far as Tilbury in Essex and the Thames estuary.  St Helen’s is in the hamlet of Cliffe in Kent and has a substantial churchyard which is well worth exploring.

As I wandered through it with my camera , I saw a structure in the northwest corner that looked as if it was for storage. But, as I drew closer, I saw the interpretation board nearby which announced that it was in fact the Charnel House and that it had been built for a much darker, more macabre purpose. I could easily imagine that on a duller day, the cloud low and dark, the wind biting across the marshlands as a group of parishioners carried a body back from the river, it would have assumed a far more sinister appearance.

Charnel House interpretation board. © Carole Tyrrell

According to Wikipedia:

‘The definition of a charnel house is that it is a building in which corpses or bones are piled in a place . The name ‘charnel house’ comes from middle French and also Latin. ‘Carnale’ means graveyard and ‘Carnalis’ means ‘of the flesh’. It was somewhere to store bones either disinterred to enable burial spaces to be reused or unearthed up by gravediggers . ‘

The Cliffe charnel house is a Grade II listed building but it is perhaps a misnomer. It dates from the 19^th century and was in fact a temporary mortuary for bodies that were taken from the river. They were the responsibility of the parish in which they washed up whether they died from suicide, drowning or were a sea burial.  

‘However, it was clear that if men died on the ships travelling up and down the Thames they would often just be dropped into the river to avoid the expense of burial. In a similar vein the villagers would sometimes push washed-up bodies back into the river in the hope they would be washed further upriver so that another parish would have the expense of dealing with them.’

The Charnel House in St Helen’s… © Marathon :: Geograph Britain and Ireland

At Cliffe, the recovered bodies would be put in the Charnel House to await identification and burial. 

The House is supposed to be one of a handful of such buildings along the Kent Coast although an article in the Kent Messenger thought:

‘That it may be the only surviving example of its kind.’

I haven’t seen or heard of another one – yet. Although there was supposed to be a ‘dead house’ at Higham, Kent but is now long gone.

The Cliffe charnel house was built in the mid 19^th century from flint with a plain tiled roof. The lantern on the roof was intended to let odours escape through its vents on either side. It was in use until the start of the 20^th century when it was closed due to several Public Health Acts. It was then used for storage.

© Carole Tyrrell

The Charnel House was restored in 2008 with £52,000 of National Lottery money. In a photo on the Historic England website there is a pre restoration photo of the House in which vegetation such as ivy almost completely covers it and the churchyard wall.  Timber within the structure, including the entrance doors, needed to be replaced as well as the windows. Ivy had invaded the wall, damaging it and that was repaired at the same time together with the flint walls.

It’s a reminder of a bygone time.  For those unfortunate souls without identification, then it might have meant burial in an unmarked grave within St Helen’s churchyard.  But at least they would have had a final resting place.

©Text and photos Carole Tyrrell unless otherwise stated.

References and further reading:

Charnel House at North West Corner of Churchyard, Cliffe, Medway (britishlistedbuildings.co.uk)

CHARNEL HOUSE AT NORTH WEST CORNER OF CHURCHYARD, Cliffe and Cliffe Woods – 1085764 | Historic England

File:Charnel House at St Helens Church, Cliffe, Kent, England, 2015-05-06-5136.jpg – Wikimedia Commons

The Charnel House in St Helen’s… © Marathon :: Geograph Britain and Ireland

Charnel house – Wikipedia

The Charnel House in St Helen’s… © Marathon cc-by-sa/2.0 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland (view in 2012)

Dry Bones Live: A Brief History of English Charnel Houses, 1300-1900AD (epoch-magazine.com)CHARNEL HOUSE AT NORTH WEST CORNER OF CHURCHYARD, Cliffe and Cliffe Woods – 1085764 | Historic England