Friday's Funerary Symbols ~ Swifts

These are the first Swifts I have ever seen to be pictured on a tombstone and I think they are so beautiful, that you could almost forget the sense of loss they depict.

The symbol of the Swift denotes the fleeting passage of time that their brief summer visits herald. When portrayed as a flock of swifts, these migratory birds remind us of the departure that comes before a journey toward a better place. 

Sacred to the Memory of

James Childs

Died April 5 1880 Age 60 Years

also James, Grandson

Died Dec 25 1886 Age 7 Mths

also Sarah, his wife

Died March16 1897 Age 76 Years

also Elizabeth, Granddaughter

 ? Age 9 Years 

There is also another Grandson who died May 22 and another Elizabeth, who died in January that is mentioned as well. Unfortunately I was unable to get any closer due to overgrown brambles in that area and so this was the best I could capture from a distance.

Wednesday's Child

In

Loving Memory

of

Vera Clarke

Died May 6th 1936

Aged 10 years

Safe in the arms of Jesus

Monday Mourning ~ Beheaded

I found these two intricately carved, but unfortunately beheaded figures, in the children's section of the New Cemetery in Ipswich. They were under some trees and close by one another, so they may have been decapitated by the same falling branch or vandal. They appear to be rather unusual monuments for childrens graves and so it is intriguing to know what their true history was. I also wonder what their faces would have looked like.  

Wednesday's Children

I love this little monument because of it's unique charm. As it clutches a flower to it's chest, I cannot remember ever seeing a cherub in flight, like this one. They are more often depicted as standing. I wonder if the raised hand, had a finger pointing heavenward ?  

Our Darling

Cecil

May 9th 1916

Aged 2 Years & 6 Months

Also

Nellie Evelyn

August 24th 1906

Aged 16 Days



Monday Mourning ~ Spires of Ipswich

All of these Spire monuments are to be found in the Old Ipswich Cemetery, where the number of them, seem to have made them a very popular choice.  

The word 'Spire' is derived from the Old English word 'Spir', meaning a sprout, or shoot of grass.

Symbolically, Spires served two functions. Firstly, a Spire proclaimed a martial power, with it's spear like point giving the impression of strength. Secondly, was is it's connection with the celestial, as it reached up toward the skies and declared its connection with heaven.

The Spire was seen as a symbol of piety, as well as a symbol of wealth and prestige.

Wednesday's Child

Dawn King

Died

May 18th 1969

Aged 4 Years

A

Sweet Little Angel

Sleeping

Autumn Glory in Ipswich, Suffolk

Autumn arrived late this year, but it was definitely in it's Glory at the Old Cemetery in Ipswich, Suffolk.

Autumn is simply the best time for visiting this Sleeping Garden.

In the Old Cemetery, two chapels are dwarfed by the grand old tree between them. They appear identical, but the western chapel has a copper spire.

They were built together for the opening of the cemetery by Cooper and Peck, in 1855. The one with the spire was for Anglican use, the one without for the non-conformists ~ you can just see the blue door under the tree. Catholics used the nearby church of St Mary for their funeral Masses before interment here.

High Gothic in appearance, but in a traditionally Suffolk style, using buttressed flint. The non-conformist chapel is now used for storage with the Anglican chapel still being used occasionally. A new Millennium Cemetery, opened in 2000, to the north of the Borough.

 

I made some very interesting finds here too and will post them soon......