Wednesday's Child ~ Our Sparrow

At the foot of the Carstensen memorial, stood this smaller stone

in the Churchyard of St. Nicolai, Boldixum~Wyk.

Our Sparrow

Dirk

b. 7~5~1980    d. 2~2~1987    

Tombstone Tuesday

God is Love

In Loving Memory of

My Darling Wife

Louisa Birnie

Born 2nd October 1870

Died 27th March 1945

John Birnie

31st May 1960

Monday Mourning ~ Tomb Styles

Altar Tomb

 

An Altar Tomb like the one above in St.Peter and St. Pauls Churchyard is similar in shape to the plain, rectangular box of the Chest Tomb. However the Altar Tomb, which may be raised on a stepped plinth is more ornamental and often decorated with foliage and family crests on its sides and lid, it may even bear the sleeping effigy of the deceased and have an architecural canopy above it.

On Lid:

In Loving Memory of

Henry Pearle

who died at Dane House January 19th 1911

aged 93 years

His end was Peace, Peace Perfect Peace

On front:

Here Rests

The body of Ann Pearle

the beloved and loving wife of

Henry Pearle of Blunts Hall

who died Feb. 23rd 1892

Unfortunately I did not discover much about the Pearles, but found out something interesting about Blunt Hall, where the Pearles had lived.

   Frank Sainsbury 

Frank was not cut out for shop work and was dismissed as branch manger when his father caught him riding a bicycle around the shop. He was then sent to work on the farm of a family friend where he became successful. Blunt Hall Farm was purchased in 1902 and it was from here that he began suppling Eggs and Poultry to the family shop. Sainsburys is now one of the largest chains of Supermarkets in this country. 

Click on Frank's name under the photograph for more information on the Sainsbury Family.

Sawmiller of Nieblum

To the day of the happy Resurrection here lie

the earthly remains of Peter Friedrichs

of Nieblum, having been a Sawmiller for many long years.

Who was born in the year of 1754 on the 25th December

in Langeness and who had been a widow for 10 years

before his death and coped with many adversities. 

Enduring illness for 8 weeks he passed on the 11th February 1817.

In the carving, above the windmill you can see a crown shaped indentation, where a metal crown embellishment would have beeen secured, it must have looked very grand in its day.

On the right hand side of the mill, is a single plant with two different types of flower heads upon it. The bell shaped flowers represent male relatives, whilst the round flowers represent female relatives, those with broken stems, indicate those who have already died.  

 

Three Churches of Föhr

There are three Churches on the North Friesian Island of Föhr and it is in these Churchyards were the Speaking Gravestones are to be found.

St Johannis ( St. John the Baptist ), Nieblum

Nieblum Church 1895

St.Johannis's Church, which is the oldest and largest of the three Churches on the Island, was built in the 13th century. However there is also mention of a Church of the same name dating back to 1100 and so it had probably been built on the same sight.

St. Nicolai ( St. Nicholas ), Boldixum ~ Wyk

St.Nicolai 1926

Saint Nicholas is the Patron Saint of Sailors and with so many of the Islanders being seafaring people, it is understandable that one of the Churchs should bear his name in honour of him.

St. Laurentii ( St. Lawrence ), Süderende

St. Lauentii 1953

   

Talking Tombstones of Föhr ~ A History

We have just returned from an incredible holiday on the Northern German island of Föhr . My loyal and amazingly patient friend Marret ~ whose Mother originally came from the island ~ who accompanied me on my *Tombstone Tours* and is diligently translating the Talking Tombstones of Föhr especially for this blog, so that I will be able to share them with you in future posts.

I am eternally grateful to her, for without her immense help, these stones would have remained silent.  

A History of the Talking Tombstones of Föhr

The first stones to be used on the island, were field cobbles, head sized granite stones that were hardly shaped and usually bore only the initials and the year of death. Few of these remain, as they were used for building dykes and stone walls.

During the whaling and seafaring age of the 1650's, the islanders began trading further afield. With the introduction of Sandstone, which was easier to work with, the field cobble became regarded as the headstone of the poor.

The larger laying plate memorials, were well used in the 16th and 17th centuries, with only a few now still existing. They were made from Weser Sandstone and the almost black Namur Marble from the foot of the Ardennes mountains in Belgium. 

In the 18th century, many were split into smaller pieces for the use of gravestones and for other building work. Some houses on the island, still retain the threshold strips that were made from these stones.

The classical shape of the Talking Tombstones, is a narrow Stele with a depiction at the top and crowned with a quotation. The text that follows, often describes the events of the deceased's lifetime.

At the base of the stone maybe another picture or further inscription.

Many of the stones had their original text erased, and would be re-carved with their new owners details, however the ornamentation would remain intact.

The front and reverse of the stone is commonly used for members of the same family and brightly painted stones can still be seen in some parts.

      

Baron Brownlow ~ Cust Family Vault

This grand tomb, belonging to the Cust Family, stands in the churchyard of St.Peter and St. Paul's Parish Church, that adjoins the Brownlow Cust 

Family's Ancestral home, Belton House in Lincolnshire.  

Belton House is now owned by The National Trust

Although I took these and a few other photos of interest whilst visiting Belton. My picture of this stone tablet inside the vault, has not turned out as legible as I'd hoped for, so reading it has been made difficult. The inscription on it below, is the best that I can decipher at the moment, but we will return there and I will update this post later.

Beneath this Shrine are deposited the mortal remains of,

the Rt. Hon. Lady Isabella Mary Cust daughter of,

Charles William Duke of Buccleuch and ?

and wife of the Hon. Peregrine Francis Cust ME

?

by the fatal progress of an unrelenting ?

after child-birth on the sixth anniversary of their marriage

She died on the 29th year of her age

?

Click bold type above for more info.

Flat Pack Tombs

I imagined that these tombs have been stacked like this, due to them becoming unstable and dangerous. Although they may be safer, they reminded me of Flat Pack furniture ~ a DIY tombstone erecting Option.

They 'stand ~ lay' in the Churchyard of St. Wulframs in Grantham, Lincolnshire.

There are only two churches in England that bear the name of St. Wulframs, the other being in Ovingdean, Sussex. 

St. Wulfram is a patron Saint that protects against the 'Dangers of the Sea', which seems an odd choice of Saint for the mainly agricultural people of Grantham ~ with the coast being at least 36 miles away.

    

Wednesday's Child

Loving

Memory of

Jessy Anderson

Turner

Died December 20th 1898

Aged 5 years

words illegible