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Wednesday 31 August 2011

Down the Drain

How you would like your mortal remains to be dealt with, may be discussed with your family members to ensure that your final wishes are met. My Father~in~law had always said that he was totally unconcerned with what happened to his remains once he was gone, because he would no longer be here.
He even joked that we could pour him down the drain for all he cared.

His suggestion of this particular method of disposal may have seemed a rather irreverent idea to some, but infact it has become a reality, at least in St. Petersburg, Florida, where the body may now be disposed of by a process known as Alkaline Hydrolysis .


The remains are liquified by submerging the body in a solution of water and potassium hydroxide which is pressurised to 10 atmospheres and heated to 180C for between two-and-a-half and three hours.
Body tissue is dissolved and the liquid poured into the municipal water system. Mr Sullivan, a biochemist by training, says tests have proven the effluent is sterile and contains no DNA, and poses no environmental risk.
The bones are then removed from the unit and processed in a "cremulator", the same machine that is used to crush bone fragments following cremation into ash. Metals including mercury and artificial joints and implants are safely recovered.

Click on the bold type above to see the full BBC news link to this article




Wednesday's Children



Devprit & Devinder
Singh Gill
Born and Died
6th October 1998






Monday 29 August 2011

War Memorial ~ Matlock Bath, Derbyshire



Our Glorious Dead
In
Honoured Memory of
the Men of Matlock Bath
who gave their All
in the
Great War of Nations
1914 ~ 1919


What I liked most about this monument, was the fact that it depicted a Sailor in addition to the more commonly portrayed single Soldier, which reminds us that it was members from all of the various armed forces who gave their lives during the First World War .





Saturday 27 August 2011

Cemetery Excavations



The toppled tombstones are due to the excavations of it's residents, Graveyard Rabbits have caused this subsidence at Southend~on~Sea.



And Cemetery Badgers have moved into this quiet little spot in Rayleigh as well, there's even a road sign outside that warns drivers of their nocturnal highway crossings.........





Friday 26 August 2011

Friday's Funerary Art ~ Mosaics



Jacob Bouhuijs
1874 ~1950

Jannetje Bouhuijs
v. Teijningen
1879 ~ 1964
                                 




Thursday 25 August 2011

A Very Eclectic Cemetery

Oosterbeek Cemetery in Arnhem, Netherlands, is divided into two seperate but adjacent halves. The older 'South' site was established in 1899, with the newer 'North' site dating from 1957, when the original cemetery reached it's maximum capacity.


The 'South' site is laid out in a neat and formal style of orderly rows, divided by low box hedges and avenues of mature fir trees.


The 'North' site has informal winding pathways, where the grave sites are set amongst a more natural heath and woodland background.


The interment of Ashes may also be placed in one of a selection of different eclectic styles, such as the tumulus burial mounds of ancient times, made from wood chippings instead.


Or the modern ceramic 'cotton reel' and 'jar' type containers that rest securely in their own custom built table tops.




So whether you prefer the tradtional and conventional or the more natural or modern, the overwhelming peace and tranquility that can be found in the Oosterbeek Cemeteries, ensures that it certainly can provide a suitable place for everyone.    





 

Wednesday 24 August 2011

Wednesday's Children



1933 ~ 1938
Onze
Lieve Addie

1940  Nici  1944

I almost missed the small child depicted on this stone when I first looked at it, unfortunately I could find no Surname for them.

UPDATE :
A big thank you goes to Henk van Kampen for the following information:

The surname is Franken.

Adrianus Franken died on 12 Nov 1938, aged 5.
Nicoline Adriana Franken died 10 Oct 1944, aged 4.
Parents were Frank Franken and Nicoline van den Brink.
Source: Genlias.nl.




Tuesday 23 August 2011

Man's Best Friend



I discovered this life sized faithful friend at the Oosterbeek Cemetery in Arnhem, Netherlands. He is about the same size as a New Foundland dog, so he's pretty big and beautifully detailed. I loved the way that the earth had spilled out of the bowl on this monument, as though he had been digging in it, as dogs do........


His Masters name is
Sebo H. Wildringh
1924~2005 







Saturday 20 August 2011

For They Are Jolly Good Fellows...




In the Churchyard of St. Andrew and St.Mary's in Grantchester, stands a monument to the Fellows of the Universities of Cambridge. The pelican at the top is a Christian symbol that denotes self~sacrifice.
It was earlier believed that the pelican fed it's young from a self inflicted gash, however the bird was merely feeding them from her pouch. The legend that was born from this observation, said that after the chicks had been killed by a snake, the mother bird resuscitated her young by feeding them her own blood. A great act of self~sacrifice for the sake of her children.

There are more names inscribed on the base of this monument than I have listed here, as all the horizontal surfaces have dedications as well. Unfortunately the lichens and weather have made them illegible.

Bruce Dickins
Fellow
Erlington & Bosworth
Professor of Anglo~Saxon
1880~1978

David James Bruce
Fellow
1928~1998

John Edward Lennard Jones
K.B.E ScD E.R.S Fellow
Professor Theoretical
Chemistry Principal
Univ. Col. Keele
1894~1954

Evelyn Garthmore
Fellow
1906~1990

John Thomson Mac ( Curdy ) ?
ScD Fellow
University Lecturer
1886~1947

Ronald R Henderson
A.O. C.M.G
Professor
1917~1994

George Stuart Carter
Fellow
1893~1969

Patrice Edouard Charvet
Fellow
1903~1993
and his wife
Eleanor Margaret
1904~1986

Malcolm Archer Sheridan Burgess
Fellow
1926~1978

John Harley Mason
Fellow
1920~2003

Stuart Dunsmore Elliot
Fellow
1907~1986

Gerard Mark Duveen
Fellow
1931~2008

Richard Bainbridge
Fellow
1922~1987





   

Friday 19 August 2011

Creepy Crypt



At the back of St.Mary's in Arksden is the entrance to the Crypt of the Birch~Wolfe Family

In the darkness and the gloom, they are resting for eternity........

All of them that is, apart from Marianne. She had an argument with her husbands successor the new Reverend and refused to be interred in there, so she locked the door and then threw the key into it afterwards. She is now buried directly in front of the Creepy Crypt.


In affectionate rememberance of
Marianne Birch~Wolfe widow of
Rev W Birch~Wolfe of Woodhall
died 6 August 1897 





 

Thursday 18 August 2011

Church Monuments ~ Arkesden


Heare lyeth Richard Cutte Esquier Sonne and heire to Peter Cutte Esquier Sonne and heire to John Cutte Esquier Sonne and heire to Richard Cutte Esquier which Richard was brother to Sir John Cutte of horram hall in thaxted treasurer of themost honorable houshould of the mighty king henrie the 8 this Richard died the 16 day of Auguste ann di 1592. Here lyeth also Marye Cutte late wife of this Richard and daughier of Edward Ellington of thoyden boys in Essix chiefe butler of England to the most renouned king Edward the 6 this Marye died the 20 of januari ann di 1594 6 Queene Marye and Queene Elyzabethe

As ye are nowe, so once weare we, As we nowe are so shall ye be
When ye remember us forget not your selues 




The small village church of Arkesden, Essex, is home to the amazing tomb of the Cutte family. Both Richard and Mary died in 1692 and are buried in this extraordinary monument inside St Mary's the Virgin, its sheer size dominates one half of the front of the Church.
Depicted around the base of the tomb are the Cutte's six children, all kneeling in prayer, however all four boys have been 'beheaded' and Oliver Cromwell's men have been blamed for this. 

Richard Cutte's estate Wood Hall, is where the manor house of the village stood ~ built in 1652 and later altered ~ it stands on the site of a Saxon manor, named Wodehall which is listed in the Domesday Book.
Although there is nothing to indicate Richard Cutte’s role in the spread of Non~conformity to this part of the region, it was here that the first Congregationalists signed their covenant on 22 December 1682, consisting of a group that had spread out from Cambridgeshire. However at that time their meetings were illegal and so they met clandestinely at first, presumably with the blessing of Richard and Mary Cutte.

The Cutte family are more famed for their part in the Battle of Blenheim, when John Cutte, born in Arkesden in 1661, led Marlborough’s attack, earning him the nickname ‘The Salamander’ for his bravery.

On the floor next to the Cutte monument is a brass memorial to the Knight Richard Fox 1439.







Wednesday 17 August 2011

Wednesday's Child



In
Loving Memory of
Kate Elizabeth Bailey
who fell asleep May ? 187?
aged 2 years and 7 months
Jesus called a little child unto Him





Tuesday 16 August 2011

Women at War



Whilst visiting London at the weekend, I saw this monument for the very first time and was rather struck by it. Women at War stands in Whitehall alongside the Cenotaph and it pays homage to the 7 million women, whether in the Services or civillian, who made a contribution to the War Effort.  









Friday 12 August 2011

Friday's Funerary Art ~ Art Nouveau



The Art Nouveau style was most popular from 1890 ~ 1905, with it's elegant free flowing lines and graceful curves that swirl around stylized shapes and flowers. 
This Art Nouveau monument for the Family of the Trader, Ernest Caillat 1839~1899. It is said to have been designed by Hector Guimard, who was primarily an architect and designer, known mainly for his famous Metro underground train entrances in Paris.

He also designed villas, town houses and tenements and also created the interior decorations, furniture and other objects in this style.


We visited Pere~lachaise in Paris, about 10 years ago and unfortunately my camera was not a digital one then, so my pictures need to be scanned first and sometimes the quality is rather poor !

That sounds like the perfect excuse to re~visit









Wednesday 10 August 2011

Wednesday's Child



Multiply Upon Him The
Blessings of Thy Love
John Spens
Born May 1st 1913
Died February 13th 1914

I was rather excited about this recent find in the Ascension Burial Ground in Cambridge, because I have not seen a relief of a baby wrapped in swaddling bands like this before.
Also I believe that the circular crosses in the corners of the headstone represent Canterbury Cross, which are used by the Anglican Church, and this Burial ground was formerly that of St.Gile's and St. Peter's Parish.



 

Saturday 6 August 2011

What the Ivy Revealed



I love the Gothic atmosphere, that Ivy running wild can bring to the monuments in an old cemetery. It seems to add it's own contrasting message to the unchanging stillness and silence of the sentinal stones, reminding us that life is continually moving forward.


Having appreciated that though.....
I just had to peel it back to see what it would reveal underneath


A beautiful but sadly broken lily bud, before it had the time to blossom.






Friday 5 August 2011

Friday's Funerary Art ~ Art Deco Styles


The following monuments are in the Art Deco style, which reached it's peak during the 1930's, with it's geometric streamlined patterns and shapes. This style was applied to almost everything of that era, architecture, transport, furniture, household items and also included fashion and hairstyles.


It's interesting to see the similarity between this building in Los Angeles, and the monument above it from Southend~on~Sea in England.
  


And this monument in Llandudno in Wales, reminds me of the iconic Chrysler building in New York. 


Even though the headstone is a simple one, this Art Deco vase below reflecs the style of those times.










Thursday 4 August 2011

Angels Guided Her To Heaven





In Loving Memory of our darling
Ivy Grace
the dearly beloved and only child of Charles & Daphne Brown
Born, Gold Mohur Castle, Bombay, 14th December 1886
Died at Limpley Lodge, Llandudno 7th April 1907

Who plucked this flower ? The Master !
And the Gardener held his peace

Weep not for death ! the fount of tears is sealed;
Who knows how bright the inward light
To those closed eyes revealed ~
Who knows what Holy love may fill
The heart that seems so cold and still 

~~~~

Also in Loving Memory
of her Father
Charles Campbell Brown
who died at Weymouth
19th Jan. 1916 in his 59th year

God's Finger touched him and he slept.






Wednesday 3 August 2011

Wednesday's Child



In Loving Memory of
our Darling
Keith Dodds
who fell asleep Feb. 1st 1941
aged 5 years 11 months
'An Angel Lent'




Monday 1 August 2011

Monday Mourning ~ Tomb Styles

Coffin Tomb


The Coffin tomb has a main body that is coffin shaped and the three above also have head and foot stones. The ones pictured here all belong to the same family and the smaller one in the middle contains two children of that family.


Here is another example of Coffin tombs from the same churchyard, where the main stone has a rounded top and is a tapered coffin shape, these examples also have head and foot stones as well.  
   

The Coffin tombs above are in the Churchyard of Holy Trinity, a Church of England parish church in Rayleigh, Essex. A church has existed on this site since Saxon times and the present building has a Norman chancel. The bell tower was built in the 15th century and includes stone taken from the castle when that fell into disuse. The church has an impressive Tudor brick porch. The Gothic Revival architect, C.C. Rolfe restored the chancel in 1873.

More coffin tombs, this time from St.Mary's Church in Saffron Walden, Essex.







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