"2,000-year-old body found in Watton"

Watton Town sign
Wikipedia

Swaffham and Watton Times 21st July 2011

"Human remains thought to be nearly 2,000 years old have been unearthed at a building site in Norfolk.The man’s body, found crouched in a burial pit, could date back to Roman times and is the latest in a string of fascinating discoveries to be made at the former RAF Watton base.  Experts working at the site have previously uncovered six Bronze Age axes while a Bronze Age round barrow with a cremation urn and five other cremation burials were found at the end of 2010".

Burial sites - work in progress

Burial sites - work in progress

                   

· Amies. John. Died 1847. (Link)   Saint Botolph-Trunch, Norfolk

· Barnes. Robert. Priest Died July 1918 [Link]. Saint Mary – Burgh Next Aylsham. [Link]

· Barnes. Thomas. Priest Died 1917. [Link]. Saint Mary – Burgh Next Aylsham. [Link]

· Bateman, William. (Bishop of Norwich) 1298-1355 (Link) – Buried at Avignon

· Bennett. John.   1840-1864. Link) Buried Saint Andrew-West Bradenham

· Bennett. Robert 1811-1879. (Link) Buried Saint Andrew-West Bradenham-Norfolk

· Bennett. Sarah 1812-1892 (Link) Buried Saint Andrew-West Bradenham

· Bobbins. HRJ.  (5773070) - Died 2nd July 1940. [Link] Saint Mary - Heacham (Link)

· Boleyn. Sir William. 1451- 1505 Great Grandfather to Queen Elizabeth. (Link) Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Boulter. Charles.  Died 1816. Saint Mary – Burgh Next Aylsham. [Link]

· Bugden. John.  Died 16th October 1838. [Link]. All Saints – Skeyton [Link]

· Butters. William Chilvers. Died 2 October 1894. (Link). Buried Saint Nicholas – Ashill

· Calthorpe. Dame Elizabeth. Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Corbet. Richard. (Bishop of Norwich) 1582-1635  (Link) Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Courtney. Richard. – (Bishop of Norwich) Died 1415 (Link) – Buried Westminster Abbey

· Crofts. John. Dean of Norwich.(Link)  Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Daines. George. 1840 – 1929. (Link) Buried Saint Andrew – Holme Hale

· Dawes. Henry. 1788 -1873. (Link)  Buried Saint Andrew-West Bradenham

· De Gray. Johannes. . (Bishop of Norwich) Died 1214 (Link)

· De Hart, Walter. (Bishop of Norwich) Died 1472 (Link)

· De Walton. Simeon. . (Bishop of Norwich)  Died 1266 (Link) – Buried Norwich Cathedral (Lady Chapel

· Dunham. Ann. Died 1848.  (Link) Saint Andrew-East Lexham-Norfolk

· Dunham. William. Died 1850. (Link) Saint Andrew-East Lexham-Norfolk

· Erpingham. Sir Thomas. 1355-1428 (Link)  Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Fortescue. William Henry. 1st Earl of Clermont. Died 30 September 1806. [Link]. Buried Saint Andrew – Little Cressingham

· Freake. Edmund. (Bishop of Norwich) 1516-1591 (Link) – Buried at Worcester cathedral

· Gardiner. Georger. 1535-1589 (Link). Dean of Norwich. Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Haggard . William Meybohm Rider.1817 – 1893. (Link)    Buried Saint Andrew-West Bradenham

· Haggard. Ella (nee Doveton) 1819 - 9th December 1889. (Link). Buried Saint Andrew-West Bradenham

· Hall. Joseph. (Bishop of Norwich) 1574-1656  (Link) Buried Heigham Church.

· Hassal. Dr. John. Buried Creak Church

· Herbert. William. (Bishop of Norwich) (Link) Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Hobart. James (of Holt)  Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Hobart. Sir James.  (Link) Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Hudson. Edward. Died November 25 1907. (Link)  Buried Saint Andrew-Holme Hale

· Jerningham. Hon. Frances Stafford. Died Genoa 1838. Buried Our Lady and Saint Walstan. (Link) Costessey, Norwich

· Jerningham. Hon. Georgiana Stafford. Died 1848. Leamington Spa. Buried Our Lady and Saint Walstan. (Link) Costessey, Norwich

· Jerningham. Hon. Isabella Stafford.  Buried Our Lady and Saint Walstan. (Link) Costessey, Norwich

· Karolyi. Count Adam 1917 – 1939 (Link) 1^st Burial at Chale, Isle of Wight. Then Hungry.

· Kent. Armine.  Died 21st August 1818 [Link]. Saint Mary – Burgh Next Aylsham. [Link]

· Kiddell. Elizabeth. 1812 - October 27th 1856. (Link) Buried Saint Andrew – Holme Hale

· Kirbell. Ann.  Died  September 1779. (Link).  Buried All Saints – Necton

· Le Spencer. Henry. (Bishop of Norwich) 1341–1406 (Link) Buried Norwich Cathedral

·  Markham. Thomas. Died 1686 (Link) All Saints-Litcham, Norfolk

· Mason. Dorothy. 1559 – 1645. [Link]. Saint Mary - Heacham (Link)

· Masters, Dr. Chancellor of Norwich Buried Norwich Cathedral

· McDonough. Albert. [Link]. Died 1871. Saint Mary - Heacham (Link)

· Meadows. Lydia. Died 11th March 1845. Buried All Saints – Necton

· Meadows. Rich. Died .January 10th 1767  (Link)  Buried All Saints – Necton

· Miller. Donna Florinda. 1860-1864 (Link). Buried All Saints – Necton

· Montagu.  Richard. . (Bishop of Norwich) 1577 -1641 (Link) Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Moore. Minnie-Rose. Died January 10th 1895. [Link]. Buried Saint Andrew – Little Cressingham

· Neal. James. 1822 – 1906.[Link]. All Saints – Skeyton [Link]

· Nicks. Richard (Bishop of Norwich) 1447-1535. (Link) Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Overall. John . (Bishop of Norwich) 1559–1619 (Link) Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Pankhurst. John. (Bishop of Norwich. 1511-1574. (Link) Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Parmeter. John William..Died 25th July 1799 [Link]. Saint Mary – Burgh Next Aylsham. [Link]

· Penrose. Alexander Doyle Peckover.1896 – 1950 (Link) Buried Saint Andrew-West Bradenham

· Percy. Thomas. . (Bishop of Norwich) Died 1369  (Link) Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Porter. Edmund. Prebend. Buried Norwich Cathedral. 1595-1670 (Link) Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Raylie. Anne. died 1627. [Link]. Buried Saint Nicholas – King’s Lynn [Link]

· Salmon. John. . (Bishop of Norwich) Died 1325 (Link) Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Salter.Walter – Died 1776. (Link) Buried Saint Mary-Haddiscoe

· Scambler. Edmund. (Bishop of Norwich) 1520-1594. (Link) Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Sceberras-Testaferrata. Rinaldo. Died 21^st December 1845. [Link] Buried Ferozeshah, India [Link]

· Secker. James.  d. June 3 1911. Buried Saint Andrew- Holme Hale

· Sexton. Ann Elizabeth – Skeyton. [Link].  All Saints – Skeyton [Link]

· Skerning. Roger. . (Bishop of Norwich) Died 1278  (Link) Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Somerville. Mary Stuart Maitland Makgill 1829-1895. (Link). Buried Chale Isle of Wight

· Southwell. Sir Francis

· Spencer. Captain Robert Cavendish. Died on 4 November, 1830. Buried Saint Michael’s bastion-Valetta.

· Spencer. Miles. LLD. Buried Norwich Cathedral (Link) Between pillars of the South aisle

· Stracey. Charlotte 1816 - 1884. [Link]. Buried All Saints - Rackheath

· Stracey. Edward, Paulet. (Link) Died  1949 All Saints-Rackheath

· Suthfield. Walter. . (Bishop of Norwich) (Link) – Buried in the Lady Chapel.

· Thirlby. William (Bishop of Norwich) 1500–1570 (Link) Buried Norwich Cathedral

·  Tottington.  Alexander. (Bishop of Norwich) Died 1413.  (Link) – Buried Norwich Cathedral (Lady Chapel)

· Trollop. Brightmer . Born .1811 Died August 20th 1881. (Link).  Buried All Saints – Necton

· Turbus. William. (Bishop of Norwich) 1146 - 1174 (Link) Buried Norwich Cathedral

· Turner. Ann. Died 29th September 1734. (Link)  Buried Saint Mary - Little  Walsingham

· Uvedale. Sir Edmund.  Died 1606. (Link). Buried  Wimborne Minster

· Whitby. James.  Died . 6th September 1825. (Link)  Buried Saint Andrew – Holme Hale

· Williamson. Florence and Robert. [Link]. Saint Mary - Heacham (Link)

· Winter. Mary. Died August 1921. [Link].  Saint Mary – Burgh Next Aylsham. [Link]

· Wright. Kate Emma Died 1931. [Link]. Saint Mary - Heacham (Link)

· Wych. Richard.  (Bishop of Chichester and Saint) 1197 -1253. (Link) Buried Chichester  Cathedral

14th Century grave cover

© Godric Godricson

Thetford - Epitaph



© Godric Godricson



My grandfather was buried here,
My cousin Jane, and two uncles dear;
My father perished with a mortification in his thighs,
My sister dropped down dead in the Minories.
But the reason why I am here, according to my thinking,
Is owing to my good living and hard drinking,
Therefore good Christians, if you’d wish to live long,
Beware of drinking brandy, gin, or anything strong.

Title: Gleanings in Graveyards a collection of Curious Epitaphs Author: Horatio Edward Norfolk

Hethersett - Saint Remigius

Saint Remigius ("Saint Rémy") is an unusual saint for the UK. He is likely to be a 5^th Century French saint and with the traditional antipathy between England and France over the years it is something of a surprise to find such a saint at the heart of a Norfolk commuter village close to Norwich.  The people at Wikipedia have a potted biography  of Remigius on this link which illuminates the reasons why a dedication to this saint is unusual in Norfolk, specifically, and in the UK generally. Remigius is a rather grand saint in a county and country where we have less spectacular saints. There is some debate asking if the four Churches in Norfolk  (out of a total of six in the UK as a whole) are dedicated to Remegius of Rheims or whether or not they may relate to Remigius of Fécamp.  The identity of 'Remigius' is somewhat academic in nature and either would mean that the Church is at least a thousand years old (and perhaps older) which is pretty much the usual age for a parish Church in England  even if the Church was ‘restored within an inch of its life’ in the Victorian period.

Despite the French connections offered to the 21^st Century by either Remigius; England has a continuing love of the older, Saxon, saints and even the newly built Roman Catholic Churches in the 19^th Century were sometimes dedicated to Saint Wulstan  or similar in an attempt to link the newly legalised Catholic Church with an antiquarian sense of Englishness. Compared to Saxon saints; Saint Remigius is instinctively ‘un-English’ in nature and the name speaks of a purposeful dedication by a Frenchman/Norman who wished to plant a hint of Gallicism in the heart of this garden county.

I passed this Church for many years and it was only in 2008 that I stopped and had a walk around the cemetery to see what was there. My childhood 'cemetery addiction' has  stayed with me although I now indulge this addiction with care and prudence;  only stopping when I think there is something to see. This assiduous selection is fine but it does apparently mean that I miss out on some of the more spectacular monuments. When I was younger, I would run around like a Labrador with a scent in its nose. Now, I have a cooler head.



Hethersett - Saint Remigius

© Godric Godricson



Despite my reservation, Saint Remigius did surprise me and I attach a picture of a monument that sits in a far corner of the green and pleasant space. One web site that I normally admire referred to this monument as being “pompous” although I think of the monument as being totally marvellous in inspiration and delivery.  However, rather than the monument in isolation I like a number of factors that are perhaps not obvious. I like the siting of this fabulous monument on the edge of the cemetery and away from others. We have the notion of inclusion of the monument in the cemetery. There is a wholeness of the monument with the community and at the same time the finery of the sculpture sets  the monument apart from all the others. A statement is being made and a statement that is for all to see.

The monument sits in a space that still has a rural aspect and this is a very English thing to achieve. English people all know what it is to have just the right spot. We, instinctively, have that special place where we are not too crowded and not too far away from the centre. Not too snooty and not too close to the common crowd. Neither do we wish to be haughty or a tyrant or a fawning sycophant. Englishness calls for a sort of inherent balance being sought and this monument is a way of demonstrating just that inherent knowledge of place and situation. The monument is in sight of the countryside and the rural idyll that is Norfolk and yet it is set within the consecrated ground of the Church. This monument is clearly placed and constructed by English people with an English sensibility. I understand  the English and their ways. So, whilst the monument is included in the cemetery it is also ‘exclusive’ in nature. This is a strange blend of ‘inclusive’ and ‘exclusive’ in the same monument and something that speaks of the people and the land unified in the cemetery.

Saint Remigius, as a cemetery, is geographically large and this single monument is the most spectacular monument in this large space. However, when I walked around  the cemetery, I was conscious that the antiquity of the dedication to either Saint Remigius  ensured that I was walking in a holy place, sanctified by use and by the faith of the departed in their ultimate Resurrection.