St Bartholomew's

St Bartholomew's, Elvaston

St Bartholomew's is the Parish Church for Elvaston and the near-by villages of Thulson and Ambaston, in Derbyshire, England. The church sits close to Elvaston Castle, which isn't a true castle, more a stately home. This is a statue of a saint from one of the ends of the church.

The church was restored from an early version in the 1400's with some modification and extensions in the 1800's. The church is Grade I listed.

Grotesques

A Grotesque 

From the now redundant Church of St Werburgh in Derby city centre, Derbyshire, England.

The church has been re-built over time, with the oldest parts dating from the 1600's. There are some interesting features to be seen inside the church, such as the wrought iron pulpit and font cover, a reredos inscribed with the Ten Commandments, Lord's Prayer and with Queens Anne's Royal coat of arms sat above it.

In 1735, Dr Smauel Johnson married Elizabeth Porter in the church. Dr Johnson was an English writer, who published after nine years of work, A Dictionary of the English Language. Although not the first dictionary, it was the most commonly used one for 150 years until the publication of the Oxford English Dictionary in 1928.

Grotesques should not be confused with gargoyles, which have the water spouts. Both are features of Gothic styled churches and buildings.

All Saints Church, Bakewell

All Saints Church

All Saints Church in Bakewell, Derbyshire, England, is a Grade I listed church that was founded in 920. The churchyard still contains two 9th Century Saxon crosses. There is a collection of fragments of Saxon carved stone in one of the porches and some ancient stone coffins.

The present church dates from the 12th Century. The church looks out over the small market town of Bakewell and rural Derbyshire. 

William and Ann Blount

William and Ann Blount

From the graveyard of All Saint's Church at Rempstone, Nottinghamshire, England. 

Beneath

Are deposited the Remains of

William Blount       Ann, the wife of,

           Who departed     William Blount         

    this mortal Life     she departed  

July the 10th 1795;  this mortal Life

               Aged 72 Years            the 4th of August 1791    

                                Aged 70 Years

His Epitaph

Upon the Road I met pale Death,

Who soon deprived me of my Breath;

All in a Moment awful Thought

My Soul eternal Mansions sought;

From accident, no man is free,

The next, Oh reader! may be thee

Then when you view my Grave, my dust

Prepare, be ready, die you must.

Her Epitaph

All her Afflictions she with Patience bore,

Was not surpriz'd when Death was at the Door

For in her Maker was her only trust,

In Hopes to rise in Glory with the Just.

Our clues here suggest that William may have died as the result of an accident, as the epitaph warns us it could happen to anyone, and Ann possibly from an illness, of which it came as no surprise that death was at the door. Still, reaching your 70's was quite an achievement in those days.

Afflictions Sore

Afflictions Sore

A popular epitaph adorns this stone found in the abandoned graveyard of St Peter in the Rushes, Rempstone, Nottinghamshire. 

Afflictions sore long time I bore,

Physicians were in vain:

Till God did please to give me ease

And rid me of my pain.

An epitaph such as this gives a hint as to how the person died, in this case, in great pain after a lengthy illness. Epitaphs such as this give a sense of the fragility of life before modern medicine, but 81 was a good age for the day.

The inscription reads:

Here lyeth interr'd the

Body of Thomas Steel

Who departed this Life the 26th

Of June Ann Dom 1731

In the 81st Year of his Age

Betty Orton WAAF

Betty Orton

In the cemetery at Sileby, Leicestershire, England, was a war grave for Betty Orton, who was in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF).  For obvious reasons, war graves of women are not a common find. I have tried to find out if anything specific happened on the 11th June, but was unsuccessful. 
Women did not fight in combat, but they were exposed to any of the "home front" action that the men were, for example working in military targets such as munitions factories/stores, reconnaissance and intelligence operations. Nursing orderlies in the WAAF would also be on board aircraft, flying to and from the site of battle and this could put them at risk of aviation accidents or being targeted by the enemy.

Sileby Cemetery

Sileby Cemetery

The Cemetery at Sileby, Leicestershire, England, was opened in 1881 and consists of two mortuary chapels and two acres of grounds. Yew tree hedging lines the route up to the chapels hiding many of the older stones behind it. This is one such example, and the only one I forgot to get a date for. There were some good examples of slate stones, not often seen outside of older graveyards, but many of the stones were too modern for me, and therefore not so interesting.

Little Angel

Little Angel

An Angel memorial from the graveyard of All Saints' Church, Sawley, Derbyshire, England.
The church is grade I listed and dates from the 11th Century.

Francis Harley, Surgeon

Francis Harley, Surgeon

This is a stone from the graveyard at All Saints Church, Rempstone, Nottinghamshire. Francis Harley died in 1849 aged 54. The stone was erected at the joint expense of surviving relatives and "the brethren of the loyal Rushcliffe Lodge".

Hear O ye living! cast a serious eye:

Review my tomb, and learn what 'tis to die,

For ere to morrow's burning sun may shine

"The monster death" may lay your heads like mine.

On Life's great stage I heard his dread command

And sank beneath his pale destroying hand:

Nor can the most robust escape the blow

For all must die, and things eternal know!

At the top of the stone is a collection of symbols. the shield is the Oddfellows Coat of Arms.The hourglass represents mortality and the passing of time. The crossed keys represent the keys to heaven, as held by St. Peter, or more specific to the order, knowledge and security. The beehive is often used by Masonic groups and symbolizes human industry, faith, education and domestic virtues. The lamb is symbolic of innocence and purity.

The hand holding the heart is another Masonic symbol, which symbolizes charity. The globe on which it sits represents the pleasures of the world and is often depicted being offered by Death to the deceased.

Amicitia, amor et veritas is the motto written below the symbols and it means friendship, love and truth.

Normanton Church

Normanton Church

St Matthew's Church sits beside Rutland Water in Rutland, England. The church was saved from being lost to the water when the area was flooded as a reservoir. It is a Grade II listed building and is now de-consecrated. It dates from 1826 and was built in classical style. Originally it was the private chapel for the Normanton Estate.

Prints for sale

Prints now for sale

Today I finally set up an account at etsy in order to make some of my photographs available for purchase. The first listing is Foggy Graveyard and can be found using the link below.

etsy.com/shop/ShereeNicholsonPhoto

Essentially, I am open to listing for sale any photo's upon request, but I will be listing more in the coming days.

I currently offer three sizes 6x4, 5x7 and 8x10, which are supplied matted in white surrounds, ready for framing in frames of, 8x6, 9x7 and 12x10.

Old Doorway

Old Doorway

An old doorway from St Nicolas's Church, Lockington, Leicestershire, England. This is possibly the 12th Century door, which is one of the earliest remaining features. It definitely has the right shaping to be as old as that. 

Lockington Church

Lockington Church

Here is the wonkiest church window that I have ever seen and it belongs to the Church os St Nicholas. The church is in the village of Lockington, Leicestershire, England.
It is a Grade I listed building, which dates mostly from the 13th Century, but features a doorway from the 1200's.

Church Detail

Church Detail

This is a detail from St Winifred's Church, Kingston On Soar, Nottinghamshire, England. A church has been on the site from around 1171. Originally it was called St Wilfred's, but the church has undergone many changes over time. Little is left of the church that was completed in 1538 by the Babbington family. Alterations were made in 1832 and when the eldest son of Baron Belper died in 1898, the church was rebuilt by his father in his memory. The church reopened in 1900 as St Winifred's.

Thomas Berridge

Thomas Berridge

This is a stone found in the churchyard of St Winifreds Church, Kingston on Soar, Nottinghamshire, England.

Here

Lie the Remains of

Thomas Berridge

Who departed this Life

May 31 1777

Aged 77 Years

This stone was fixed here

At the sole Expense of

Mary his last Wife

Interesting footnote on this one, I don't remember seeing anything quite like that before and it makes you wonder if Mary was trying to make a point to someone, or was it a social display of their/her wealth. 

Not a lot of symbolism at work on this one, although the upper corners appear to have a torch like carving. An upright flaming torch is symbolic of life, and Thomas had a long one at 77 years old.

Memento Mori

Memento Mori

I found this stone in the churchyard of the Baptist Church in Kegworth, Leicestershire, England. I love these early skull carvings. The Memento Mori inscription means "remember death".

There are some good examples of the use of symbols on this stones. The crossed thigh bones can appear with or without a skull, but are representative of mortality. The skull and accompanying bones are believed to be what is needed for resurrection. 

Here is the stone in full. On the shoulders we can see draped urns. Urns are representative of the soul and when draped form a classical representation of grief or mourning.

The inscription reads:

Beneath this stone

Lie the earthly Remains of

Richard Crane     Sarah

Who departed        Wife of

This mortal Life         Richard Crane

February 25th 1818       Who died July 27th

                          1846

St Andrew's Doorway

St Andrew's Doorway 

A doorway from the Church of St Andrew's in Kegworth, Leicestershire, England. This church has had little alteration from it's 14th Century rebuild. You can see that some restoration has taken place on the arch, but otherwise, this could well be mostly 14th Century in date.

St Andrew's Kegworth

St Andrew's, Kegworth

St Andrews is the parish Church for the village of Kegworth, Leicestershire, England. The earliest remaining part is the lower levels of the tower, which are Norman in date. The rest was rebuilt in the late 1300's. Where most medieval churches have been added to and altered over time, this one has remained relatively unchanged since the late 1300's.

Face Detail

Face Detail

This is a face detail from the Church of St Mary, Sileby, Leicestershire, England. This church is well decorated with faces, Grotesques and Gargoyles.

St Mary's Doorway

St Mary's

A small door from St Mary's Church, Sileby, Leicestershire, England.

Door handle details

Door handle details

The door handle details of St Mary's Church, Sileby, Leicestershire, England. St Mary's is a Grade II listed church dating from around the 13th Century.

Edward and George

Edward and George

Nestled behind the headstone of their parents lies the stone for Edward Junior and his brother George. Found in the churchyard of St Mary's,Sileby, Leicestershire, England.

Here lieth the bodyes

Of Two Children of 

Edward & Mary Barradell

Edward died May the 2nd

1715 George died October

The 11th 1723

Thomas Barradell

Thomas Barradell

More Barradells of Sileby, Leicestershire, England. 

Here Lieth the body of Thomas

Barradell who was Clark 

Of This parich 35 years

Who Departed this life

November the 3rd in the 63rd

Year of his Age 1706

As you see me

So you may bee

Interesting to see that Thomas was Clark of the Parish, and Edward who dies in 1769 was the Church Sexton. The Barradells appear to have strong links to their Church and community.

Edward and Mary Baradell

Edward and Mary

This beautiful stone was found in the churchyard of St Mary's church in the village of Sileby in Leicestershire, England.
I really liked the carving on this one and the style of he/she died is not often seen. The epitaph below is particularly touching and reveals that Edward was the church Sexton. Sextons were usually in charge of building and churchyard maintenance. In some instances, a Sexton can be identified in the carving of the tools of his trade on the headstone. The Sexton would be responsible for the digging of graves.

Here

Lie interred the bodies of

Edward Baradell

And Mary his wife

Viz.

He dy'd March 15th 1759 Aged 74

She dy'd May 30th 1759 Aged 75

For fifty two revolving years

Devoutly he attended pray'rs

With mellow voice and solemn knell

He sung the psalms and toll'd the bell

But cruel death spoil'd his last stave

And sent the Sexton to his grave

And his dear wife loving and kind

Stay'd but a little while behind

St James the Great

St James the Great

St James the Great church, Birstall, Leicester, England, is a Grade II listed church which has medieval origins, and was heavily restored in the 1860's. 
There were many nice examples of slate headstones in the churchyard, the oldest I found was dated to 1680.

John and Mary Pole

John and Mary Pole

Here Lyeth the

Bodyes of John

Pole & Mary 
His wife who

Hath lived in 

Wedlock about

29 years and 

Were both buryed

In this grave the

26th Spetember

Anno Domi 1680

From the churchyard of St James the Great, in Birstall, Leicester, England.

Rebeccah

Rebeccah

Here Lieth

Interr'd the body of

Rebeccah, the dau'r of

Robert & Eliz. Beadman

She departed this life

June the 4th 1768

Aged 3 years

And 19 weeks

A beautiful old slate stone from the churchyard of St James the Great, Birstall, Leicester, England.

Evelyn Grace Blakeway

"Under the shadow of thy wings shall be my refuge"

This is the memorial of Evelyn Grace Blakeway, which sits in the churchyard of St James the Great in Birstall Leicester.
Evelyn died at the age of 25 in 1901 and was "deeply and truly mourned" by her husband who had this stone erected in her memory. 

Edwin Carr

"He did what he could"

This is the memorial of Edwin Carr who died in 1915. It is an impressive and highly decorated Celtic style cross. The inscription is in the style of the Arts and Crafts movement, and I would say that this is echoed in the carved design on the cross. 

I did a quick internet search looking up the name Edwin Carr, as this is a large stone. I found reference to Carr's Fever Powders, for cold and flu. Apparently an Edwin Carr once manufactured these powders in Wharf Street, Leicester.

This stone was found in the Belgrave Cemetery near to Leicester, England. 

Norman Doorway

Norman Doorway

Following on from yesterdays post, here is another Norman doorway from St Mary de Castro church in Leicester. This is the refurbished North Door, which has the successive chevron style mouldings. The wood work is a Victorian copy of the previous 15th century design. 
The statue of the Virgin Mary was placed in the niche above the door as a thanksgiving memorial for the church's survival in WWII. Leicester suffered it's worst bomb damage during the night of November 19th in 1940, in the Leicester Blitz. Several buildings were destroyed and many people were killed.

Norman Doorway

Ornate Norman Doorway

Here is an ornately carved Norman doorway from St Mary de Castro church in Leicester, England. The church is a Grade I listed building and it once stood within the Bailey of the castle, de Castro denoting "of the castle". 
The church is said to date to around 1107. Today it is closed to the public after the spire was removed when cracks appeared in it, and the tower is also in need of repair. There is much of interest to see on the outside of the building, as this is not the only example of Norman architecture. The churchyard also contains some interesting and nicely carved slate headstones.

Leicester Guidlhall

Leicester Guildhall

The oldest parts of Leicester's Guildhall date from around 1390, but much of it dates to the 15th Century.

The Guildhall is a grade I listed timber framed building close to the Cathedral of St Martin's, in one of the cities three conservation areas.

The Guildhall once acted as a town hall and has been used over the years for council meetings, a courtroom, and for feasts. Today it is used as a performance venue and a museum.

It is said to have five ghosts within, making it Leicesters most haunted building and ghost tours are a popular attraction for the public and paranormal groups.

Old Graves

Sarah Ogden

My favourite graves are those dated to before the 1800's. I like the often simple style, the archaic language and the fact that they have managed to survive for so long.

This example was found in the graveyard of St Nicholas church, Leicester, England. It reads:

Here Lyeth 

Interred the Body of

Sarah the Wife of Joseph

Ogden who Departed

this life October the 30th

Anno Domi 1717

Aged (57) 

A best guess for the age of Sarah, as it was not very clear.

St Nicholas Church

St Nicholas Church

St Nicholas Church is the oldest place of worship in Leicester, England. Parts of the church date to around 880 CE. The church sits beside the remains of a Roman bath complex and the reuse of Roman rubble can be seen in the fabric of the church and Saxon features can still be found inside.

The remnants of a Roman column can be seen on the corner of the paths. By 1885, the church was in a very poor state, in fact the spire was long gone as there had been no money for it's repair. The church was almost set to be demolished in the 1800's and a replacement built on the site, but fortunately, enough money could not be raised. Eventually repairs and alterations were made. It is now the official church of near by Leicester University, which has in effect saved it's fortunes, as the clearing of slums in the 1950's and changes in the road layouts of the expanding city removed what little parishioners were left.

King Richard III

The grave of King Richard III

Excavated burial of Richard III

Today I visited the King Richard III exhibit in Leicester, England. King Richard III died in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth, the last of the battles in the Wars of the Roses. His body was then taken to Leicester and eventually buried in the church of Greyfriars Friary.

Richard died at just 32 years old and was the last king to die in battle. In 2012, a search for his remains began. An adult male found in the choir of the church was later identified as King Richard.

Angrave Oak Leaf

Oak leaf

Here is the oak leaf detail from the 1880 grave of John Angrave. He dies aged 75, and his wife Frances joined him in 1892 having died aged 84. Great ages for the time!

The Oak leaf carved into this slate headstone is symbolic of longevity, quite a fitting symbol in this case. Oak leaves can also be symbolic of strength, nobility and stability.

This grave was found in the churchyard of Saint Mary's in East Leake, Nottinghamshire, England.

Door Handle

Door Handle

Detail from one of the doors at All Saints Church, Cossington, Leicestershire, England. Many church doors feature elaborate ironwork hinges and handles.

A sorrowful Christmas

Walter Edgar

Walter Edgar was the beloved and only child of Sam and Mary Ann Sansom. He died aged 3 years and 11 months, 25th December 1878.

Farewell thou little blooming bud

Just bursting into flower

We give thee up, but oh the pang

Of that sad parting hour

Walter was joined by his father in 1921. Buried together in Church Cemetery, Nottingham, England.

The Costobadie's

The Costobadie's

These crosses mark the graves of Colonel Henry Holmes Costobadie and his wife Gertrude Elise Lucas. They lie in the churchyard of St Mary the Virgin, in Edith Weston, which is near to Rutland water nature reserve, in Rutland, England. 

It was difficult to read the moss covered, worn stones, but the surname is an unusual one and a quick search proved fruitful. Gertrude was the daughter of George Vere Braithwaite of Edith Weston Hall. The Costobadie's are listed in the Huguenot Pedigrees vol.1, by Charles Edmund Lart. 

Huguenot's were Protestant refugees from France, who first started to leave their homeland in the 16th Century. Many settled in the Southern parts of Britain. 

Lieutenant-Colonel Costobadie, as he is listed in the London Gazette, 10th February 1925, served in and retired from the Royal Horse Artillery. He died in August 1924, and was by this time living in Stamford Baron St Martin, which historically is a part of Northamptonshire, but is now considered to be a part of Lincolnshire.

Frances Cooper

Frances Sophia Cooper

In Loving memory of Frances Sophia Cooper, who died in 1939. If I read correctly, she was just four years old. 
This stone was found in the churchyard of St Philip and St James, the Parish Church of Groby, Leicestershire, England. The church was built in 1840 by the Earl of Stamford as it was then nearer to his home, Bradgate House, than the church of near by Ratby.

Praises on tombs are vainly spent....

....A man's good name is his best monument

Although I agree with the sentiment expressed on this monument, what a monument it is to put such a statement on!!

This is the upper portion of the grave marker for Frederick Collins, who died in 1913 and later his wife Ellen who joined him in 1919. Although this is not a Victorian monument, Mr Collins at 75, would have lived much of his life as a Victorian, and they preferred height to girth when it came to grave markings, and this mixed material monument reached skyward in style.

All Saints Cossington

All Saints, Cossington

Cossington is a village in Leicestershire, England. All Saints Church had some interesting grave stones and some interesting features, like a sundial carved into the stone.

The church dates mostly from the 13th Century, the oldest parts are from the 12th Century, with renovations taking place in the 1860's. A really pretty setting.

Angel

Angel

This is an Angel detailing from a grave with a surround, found in the cemetery of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. 

A little bit unfortunate is the placing of the watermark right across the eyes, but it has become a necessity, as grave photo's were the first of my photographs that I found to go wandering around the internet without my permission, links back to me or in some cases no interaction from the person using them. If someone really likes one of my photo's, it's nice to know that :)

Slate Sundial

Slate Sundial

I found this Sundial in the churchyard of All Saints with Holy Trinity, Loughborough, Leicestershire, England.

I was out testing an old Pentacon 50mm lens on my digital camera when I found this. Considering how many times I have walked through this churchyard, I had never seen it before. However, there is some building work going on near by and perhaps this has recently been uncovered from somewhere near by the church. Perhaps I have just not noticed it before. I really like the look of this old Sundial though, it is a shame that it has been damaged.

Pray for the soul of Jane

Pray for the soul of Jane

This is a detail from the impressive grave marker of Jane Smith who died in 1864. She was followed in 1892 by her husband John. The Smiths are buried in Loughborough Cemetery.

I believe this detailing to be Ivy, which symbolizes wedded love, friendship, eternity and fidelity and is a common feature on headstones.

Sleep of Angels

Sleep of Angels

This is the grave marker for Catherine Judith Hill, a bit of a guess, the details are hard to read as many of the letters have fallen out. It appears to be from 1939. The church in the background is All Saints at Cossington, Leicestershire. The church mostly dates from the 13th Century.

Angel - Wilford Hill Cemetery

Angel in Wilford Hill Southern Cemetery

This angel looks over Emily and William Mawby. Emily died in 1926 and was followed by William in 1928. Mawby is a location based surname dating from Anglo-Saxon times.

Willford Hill is the highest point in Nottinghamshire, and great views of the surrounding area can be seen whilst walking around the cemetery. The cemetery opened in 1919.

St Winifred

St Winifred

St Winifred gazes down on all who enter the church of St Winifred, Kingston Upon Soar, Nottinghamshire. The church is Grade I listed, with parts dating from 1540, it was extensively restored in 1900.

Welford Road Cemetery

Angel - Welford Road

Here is one of many Angels in the Welford Road Cemetery in Leicester, England. It is to date my favourite cemetery that I have visited, with Church Cemetery in Nottingham a very close second. I really must return to explore it further. I have no date for this particular monument, as that was not something I routinely recorded back then. 

Welford Road Cemetery opened in 1849 and is the oldest and largest municipal cemetery in Leicester. There are over 35,000 graves, 10,000 headstones and it is Grade II listed. There is a fantastic range of styles and materials that really show off the style and splendor of Victorian designs in contrast to later styles.