God's Acre

Thursday, 9 August 2012

"Health of towns" 1843

"Health of towns":
an examination of the report
and evidence of the Select Committee:
of Mr. Mackinnon's Bill:
.... for establishing
cemeteries around the metropolis.
(p:22 1843)

The Rev. J. C. Abdy, of St. John's, Southwark, says,

" My opinion decidedly is, that funerals, in certain churchyards in the metropolis, should not be, without qualification, prohibited. I can imagine very serious evils to arise, if there be any law which shall, without certain restrictions and qualifications, prohibit funerals in certain churchyards; and I do sincerely hope and trust such a stringent law may not pass. In my own parish we have a very large spacious churchyard, and we have no inconvenience arising from the interment of the dead: we have a number of vaults; there are many of them with scarcely more than one or two tenants, and they may hold from ten to twenty more".

Edith Cavell - Modern hero and martyr

In some postings we have focused on the saints as examples of funerals and burials that have religious connotations. We have also referenced relics as an example of the bones and tissue of the dead being a desirable object to have around the living. However, the story of Edith Cavell gives us something of a modern hero and martyr from World War One. Edith Cavell is remembered in Norwich and is buried there at the rear of the Cathedral. perhaps in years gone by we would have seen a small chapel dedicated to her somewhere in this mausoleum of a building.

The grave of Edith is now covered in scaffolding due to building works on the cathedral although you can still see the care that it receives. Modern hero and martyr.