UNUSUAL EPITAPHS 5

Rich Victorians and Edwardians often made a spectacular statement with their memorials. These two are to be seen in Lawnswood cemetery, Leeds 16.

 

Memorial. 1911. Italian marble. Statue (life-size) standing under a Classical porch with composite columns supporting entablature, cornice and balustraded parapet; black marble panelled doors. The subject is represented standing outside the house holding a bunch of flowers. Inscriptions:       on right plinth:

 

'TO THE DEAR MEMORY OF/ ETHEL/ WIFE OF WALTER PRESTON/
OF THE GRANGE BEESTON/ DIED MARCH 24th 1911 AGED 50 YEARS';

 

on left plinth:

 

'TO THE DEAR MEMORY OF/ WALTER/ HUSBAND OF EMILY
AND THE LATE ETHEL PRESTON/ DIED OCT 24th 1930'.

 

Reputed to be a replica of the entrance to The Grange, Beeston (demolished), the doors are slightly open.  Grade 11 listed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memorial and grave of Sam Wilson. 1918. By E Caldwell Spruce.
Black marble, bronze figures and plaques. On a corner site;
central plaque with raised lettering:

 

'IN LOVING MEMORY OF/
SAM WILSON JP OF LEEDS/ BORN JAN 16th 1851/ DIED DEC 13th
1918/ AND OF/ ANN WILSON/ HIS BELOVED WIFE/ BORN FEB 27th
1862/ DIED FEB 27th 1931/ 'MORS JANUA VITAE''.

 

Above this is a plaque with symbols of death and mourning in relief, behind is an angled screen 'wall' surmounted by a tall angel holding a torch aloft; side panels ramped down to form bases for statues representing 'Faith' (left, a shrouded figure with book and crucifix) and 'Benevolence' (right, a kneeling female figure holding cross and cup).   Samuel Wilson, of Rutland Lodge, Potternewton, was chairman of Joshua Wilson and Sons, worsted coating manufacturers of Bean Ing Mills, Wellington Street. His principal public works were connected with Leeds Art Gallery and he left his collection ofpaintings, porcelain, bronzes and furniture to the city on the
death of his wife. He left £100 in his will to the Headingley-cum-Burley Burial Board for the upkeep of a grave and tombstone.

Grade 11 listed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

William Lee also has a fine memorial to be seen in  Beckett Street Cemetery, Leeds 9.

The 'broken column' I believe is intentional but the 'brandy and salt' remedy doesn't seem to have done him any good?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burial mystery

 

Many rich Victorians favoured a family tomb.

Despite her large family tomb being in  the churchyard of St Peter’s church at Onchan in the Isle of Man, Caroline Elizabeth, youngest daughter of Major Joseph Bury Clew, was buried outside the tomb. A small grave stone situated close to the tomb tells us that she died in 1866 aged 40 years. A curious thing is that whilst other gravestones in this churchyard face north/south, Caroline’s stone faces east. It is not known how this situation came to be.

 

 

 

 

 

 Family tomb with adjacent gravestone

 

 

 

A fake gravestone

 

A simple grave slab in the churchyard of St Chad's church at Shrewsbury, declares it to be that of Ebenezer Scrooge and it is indeed a fake. In fact it was a film prop when the church was featured in the film ‘Christmas Carol’ which was filmed in Shrewsbury and the crew left it in situ.