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| Watton Town sign Wikipedia |
Sunday, 31 July 2011
"2,000-year-old body found in Watton"
Swaffham and Watton Times 21st July 2011
Burial sites - work in progress
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| Burial sites - work in progress |
· 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
· Boleyn. Sir William. 1451- 1505 Great Grandfather to Queen Elizabeth. (Link) Buried Norwich
· Boulter. Charles. Died 1816. Saint Mary – Burgh Next Aylsham. [Link]
· Calthorpe. Dame Elizabeth. Buried Norwich
· Daines. George. 1840 – 1929. (Link) Buried Saint Andrew – Holme Hale
· Dawes. Henry. 1788 -1873. (Link) Buried Saint Andrew-West Bradenham
· Dunham. Ann. Died 1848. (Link) Saint Andrew-East Lexham-Norfolk
· Dunham. William. Died 1850. (Link) Saint Andrew-East Lexham-Norfolk
· Fortescue. William Henry. 1st Earl of Clermont. Died 30 September 1806 . [Link]. Buried Saint Andrew – Little Cressingham
· Haggard . William Meybohm Rider.1817 – 1893. (Link) Buried Saint Andrew-West Bradenham
· Hassal. Dr. John. Buried Creak Church
· Herbert. William. (Bishop of Norwich Norwich
· Hobart Norwich
· Jerningham. Hon. Frances Stafford. Died Genoa Norwich
· Jerningham. Hon. Georgiana Stafford. Died 1848. Leamington Spa. Buried Our Lady and Saint Walstan. (Link) Costessey, Norwich
· Kirbell. Ann. Died September 1779. (Link). Buried All Saints – Necton
· Masters, Dr. Chancellor of Norwich Norwich
· Meadows. Rich. Died .January 10th 1767 (Link) Buried All Saints – Necton
· Miller. Donna Florinda. 1860-1864 (Link). Buried All Saints – Necton
· Penrose. Alexander Doyle Peckover.1896 – 1950 (Link) Buried Saint Andrew-West Bradenham
· Porter. Edmund. Prebend. Buried Norwich Norwich
· Salter.Walter – Died 1776. (Link) Buried Saint Mary-Haddiscoe
· 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. Edward, Paulet. (Link) Died 1949 All Saints-Rackheath
· Suthfield. Walter. . (Bishop of Norwich
· Tottington. Alexander. (Bishop of Norwich Norwich
· Turbus. William. (Bishop of Norwich Norwich
· Uvedale. Sir Edmund. Died 1606. (Link). Buried Wimborne Minster
Saturday, 30 July 2011
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Thetford - Epitaph
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© Godric Godricson
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My grandfather was buried here,Title: Gleanings in Graveyards a collection of Curious Epitaphs Author: Horatio Edward Norfolk
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.
Monday, 25 July 2011
Hethersett - Saint Remigius
Despite the French connections offered to the 21st Century by either Remigius; England
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.
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| Hethersett - Saint Remigius
© Godric Godricson
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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
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.
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Wymondham - 1833
"Two leaden cases were dug up from a piece of ground at the east end of Wymondham church. One measured 6 ft 2 in. in length, and contained the mummified remains of an adult female; the other, 16¼ inches in length, a foetus of about the fourth month. The examination of the remains was conducted in the church on December 27th, by Mr. John Dalrymple, of Norwich, in the presence of sixty scientific and medical men. “As the mummies were taken from the site of the original choir, the female was most probably nearly allied to the founder of the abbey, William De Abbay or Daubeny, who died in the year 1156.”
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| Ancient Faith © Godric Godricson |
Title: Norfolk Annals A Chronological Record of Remarkable Events in the Nineteeth Century, Vol. 1 Author: Charles Mackie
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Saint Botolph - Banningham
This is the ancient parish of Saint Botolph at Banningham in the morning sun. The Churchyard is beautiful and reflects the traditional values of the village and the values of the people of Norfolk. The living and the dead are integrated in the Churchyard at the heart of the village. The sound of a helicopter can be heard on this brief video which is a shame and I hope that you enjoy despite that interruption.
© Godric Godricson
Friday, 15 July 2011
Saint Agatha's catacombs - Malta
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| Saint Agatha's Catacombs
© Godric Godricson
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The catacombs of Saint Agatha in Malta take us back to the early years of Christianity and to the earlier years of burials in the Mediterranean. The tombs are clammy because of the humidity and the atmosphere is a surreal mix of the guided tour and a visit to the underworld. The catacombs and caves have been much improved in recent years as they become a tourist venue on the island. However, that means more people!
Thursday, 7 July 2011
"Some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate"
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| From the Isle of Wight
© Godric Godricson
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Spirituality in the 21st Century context is less about ‘spirituality’ or being ‘spirit filled’ and is increasingly more about ‘feeling good’ in an instantaneous sort of way. Spirituality is currently about turning a fractured world into a ‘fluffy’ world is often inspired by Disney cartoons and “Hallmark Moments”. Contemporary spirituality is often without a real understanding of life and even death. I am not in any way advocating a return to medieval pessimism or a ‘momenti mori’ manner of thinking; instead, I am reflecting upon a Western spirituality that is socially progressive, hopeful for the future and realistically focused on our own mortality. Traditional certainties have to be available to people as a rock on which to build their lives. Most of all, I believe that we must give hope to a fractured and confused Western world that continues to be battered by financial insecurity.
In my assessment of the problem, I see many confused people in England who believe that spirituality is quickly attainable; available on a shelf and is something that has little personal cost. This is what may be seen as the ‘self-help’ sort of spirituality that one finds in Ottaker’s (other bookshops are also available). The ‘quick fix’ spiritual journey on offer may be Buddhist or ‘new-age’ in nature or from other traditions and may adopt values that are very far from traditional. However this sort of ‘spirituality’ rarely has reference to a Christian conception of God. I want to say at this point that I have no hang-ups about other world religions or Christian denominations and I believe that they all have their way of leading people from the darkness and into the light.
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© Godric Godricson
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To be explicit, I am not making an exclusive case for positive spiritual experiences within the context of Christianity in isolation. I freely acknowledge that there is always a place to explore experience and wisdom from all traditions. I also know of people who are not at all consciously religious who exude a sense of spiritual serenity and they manifest a certainty about the future which is comforting and also calming but this is to confuse matters further. I have a colleague in secular employment who denies any faith in religion who has the effect of immediately dropping my blood pressure when she speaks. I suspect that she is a natural healer if she only understood that role within herself. However, healing, feeling good and self-help are not the same as spirituality.
In some ways; people now ignore Western spirituality and a recognition of mortality and immediately look to the Far East for a spiritual dimension in their lives. We find exotic images in John Lewis as an example of hopes and expectations for the future. 100 years ago people in England Tiber ’ when they considered spirituality and their own mortality or even made the journey towards Orthodoxy when they considered a spiritual direction. The direction now is clearly much further East than Istanbul
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© Godric Godricson
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Yet, traditional Christian spirituality and a recognition of mortality is alive if not completely well. Whilst not encapsulating the whole Christian message Catholic spirituality is set within a strong context replete with history, prayer, hymns, meditations, art and sculpture. Similarly, the Church of England has a tradition that often utilises ‘smells and bells’, as part of a rich, diverse and musical liturgy. We also have a British Orthodox Church linked to the Copts of Alexandria. All of this rich and diverse heritage is already in the UK
However, for many people, the Church has no contemporary relevance and I perceive the major denominations as failing in leadership and a failure to take socially progressive measures in good time. The ancient role of the Church has been eroded by time and denominations have failed to make themselves relevant in the 21st Century. Denominations have many of the traditional tools to educate, entertain and inspire hope in society and yet they haven’t used those tools. The Churches remain locked and the cemeteries are no longer places of burial, spiritual refection and meditation.
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© Godric Godricson
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I continue to reflect on the Churches collective failure to inspire, educate and give hope to the whole people. Evangelical, Catholic and Orthodox have jointly failed to use the traditional resources open to them to create hope in the future and in this omission they have opened up routes towards communal doubt and fear. This doubt and fear in the future is reflected in the tendency of the British people to give themselves up to cremation and to a cosmopolitan spiritual supermarket. Where we once gave our mortal remains to the Church to lie in the Earth in the hope of eternity; we now give our bodies to the insatiable crematorium and in this process we collectively pollute the air.
It is 'hope' that has suffered most in the past two or three years as a result of the economic crisis and a failure of leadership. Perhaps hope is something that has to be re-introduced into the spirituality of England in the coming years. Perhaps a realistic, traditional sense of hope in the future tempered by the reality of mortality is the starting point for a resurgence of a happy and cohesive people.
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
HYDRIOTAPHIA (Ch 1) - Sir Thomas Browne (1658)
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| Sir Thomas Browne |
Though if Adam were made out of an extract of the earth, all parts might challenge a restitution, yet few have returned their bones far lower than they might receive them; not affecting the graves of giants, under hilly and heavy coverings, but content with less than their own depth, have wished their bones might lie soft, and the earth be light upon them. Even such as hope to rise again, would not be content with central interment, or so desperately to place their relicks as to lie beyond discovery; and in no way to be seen again; which happy contrivance hath made communication with our forefathers, and left unto our view some parts, which they never beheld themselves.
Though earth hath engrossed the name, yet water hath proved the smartest grave; which in forty days swallowed almost mankind, and the living creation; fishes not wholly escaping, except the salt ocean were handsomely contempered by a mixture of the fresh element.
Many have taken voluminous pains to determine the state of the soul upon disunion; but men have been most phantastical in the singular contrivances of their corporal dissolution: whilst the soberest nations have rested in two ways, of simple inhumation and burning.
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© Godric Godricson
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The same practice extended also far west; and besides Herulians, Getes, and Thracians, was in use with most of the Celtae, Sarmatians, Germans, Gauls, Danes, Swedes, Norwegians; not to omit some use thereof among Carthaginians and Americans. Of greater antiquity among the Romans than most opinion, or Pliny seems to allow: for (besides the old table laws of burning or burying within the city, of making the funeral fire with planed wood, or quenching the fire with wine), Manlius the consul burnt the body of his son: Numa, by special clause of his will, was not burnt but buried; and Remus was solemnly burned, according to the description of Ovid.
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© Godric Godricson
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But as many nations embraced, and many left it in- different, so others too much affected, or strictly declined this practice. The Indian Brachmans seemed too great friends unto fire, who burnt themselves alive and thought it the noblest way to end their days in fire; according to the expression of the Indian, burning himself at Athens
But the Chaldeans, the great idolaters of fire, abhorred the burning of their carcases, as a pollution of that deity. The Persian magi declined it upon the like scruples, and being only solicitous about their bones, exposed their flesh to the prey of birds and dogs. And the Persees now in India
The Egyptians were afraid of fire, not as a deity, but a devouring element, mercilessly consuming their bodies, and leaving too little of them; and therefore by precious embalmments, depositure in dry earths, or handsome inclosure in glasses, contrived the notablest ways of integral conservation. And from such Egyptian scruples, imbibed by Pythagoras, it may be conjectured that Numa and the Pythagorical sect first waived the fiery solution.
The Scythians, who swore by wind and sword, that is, by life and death, were so far from burning their bodies, that they declined all interment, and made their graves in the air: and the Ichthyophagi, or fish-eating nations about Egypt
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© Godric Godricson
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Christians abhorred this way of obsequies, and though they sticked not to give their bodies to be burnt in their lives, detested that mode after death: affecting rather a depositure than absumption, and properly submitting unto the sentence of God, to return not unto ashes but unto dust again, and conformable unto the practice of the patriarchs, the interment of our Saviour, of Peter, Paul, and the ancient martyrs. And so far at last declining promiscuous interment with Pagans, that some have suffered ecclesiastical censures, for making no scruple thereof. The Mussulman believers will never admit this fiery resolution. For they hold a present trial from their black and white angels in the grave; which they must have made so hollow, that they may rise upon their knees.
The Jewish nation, though they entertained the old way of inhumation, yet sometimes admit this practice. For the men of Jabesh burnt the body of Saul; and by no prohibited practice, to avoid contagion or pollution, in time of pestilence, burnt the bodies of their friends. And when they burnt not their dead bodies, yet sometimes used great burnings near and about them, deducible from the expressions concerning Jehoram, Zedechias, and the sumptuous pyre of Asa. And were so little averse from Pagan burning, that the Jews lamenting the death of Caesar their friend, and revenger on Pompey, frequented the place where his body was burnt for many nights together. And as they raised noble monuments and mausoleums for their own nation, so they were not scrupulous in erecting some for others, according to the practice of Daniel, who left that lasting sepulchral pile in Ecbatana, for the Median and Persian kings.
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© Godric Godricson
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Nor in their long cohabitation with Egyptians, crept into a custom of their exact embalming, wherein deeply slashing the muscles, and taking out the brains and entrails, they had broken the subject of so entire a resurrection, nor fully answered the types of Enoch, Elijah, or Jonah, which yet to prevent or restore, was of equal facility unto that rising power able to break the fasciations and bands of death, to get clear out of the cerecloth, and an hundred pounds of ointment, and out of the sepulchre before the stone was rolled from it.
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© Godric Godricson
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Civilians make sepulture but of the law of nations, others do naturally found it and discover it also in animals. They that are so thick skinned as still to credit the story of the Phoenix
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