Sue and I visited Charlton Cemetery back in August 2016, and after our recent visit to Charlton Village, we decided to make a return visit to search from some of Sue’s family’s graves. (One of the joys of being married to a genealogist is that you occasionally have to visit churches and graveyards to do research.)
The cemetery contains some Commonwealth War Graves, and just inside the entrance is an example of the Cross of Sacrifice.
The local council is responsible for the upkeep of the local cemeteries, and they have a policy of leaving large areas of them to ‘go wild’ to encourage wildflowers, butterflies, and other wildlife to flourish. If I was a cynic, I might think that another incentive to do this is that it is saves money as they do not have to employ as many gardeners!
Because the cemetery was originally a privately set up 'Gentleman's Cemetery', almost every grave in the fifteen-acre grounds marks a family plot.
Unfortunately, although the cemetery is split into lettered areas (which are easy to identify, thanks to a map near the gates) and each grave in an area is numbered (e.g. A38), there are no numbers on any of the graves and no way of finding an individual plot! As Sue and I were looking for a number of graves belonging to members of her family, the task of finding them was huge, and after nearly an hour we were on the verge of giving up finding any when we found one, almost by accident!
It belonged to Henry Joseph Bayne and his brother Frederick Percival Bayne, and contains their remains and that of their wives, although the latter do not seem to have been memorialised on the headstone!
By the time we had got back to where we had parked our car, it was lunchtime, and we decided to return to 'The Baguette Café' in Charlton Village for something to eat. After eating another excellent lunch, we went next door to ' The Village Greengrocers' to buy some strawberries and grapes to take home to eat later. It sells lots of organic produce as well as sourdough bread, cakes, honey, dips, and oak milk.
We hope to return to Charlton Cemetery again in the future, but whether or not we will find the 'missing' graves is anybody's guess!
I enjoy visiting graveyards and we have an excellent Victorian one here in Bristol at Arnos Vale. Rather derelict due to years of neglect, it has come Commonwealth graves as well as tow or three VC holders in the grounds. Some magnificent tombs on view when you can see them through the undergrowth. I really shoudl go and visit again, ditto to the one in Bath that looks good from the view via the gate.
ReplyDeleteSteve J.,
DeleteThe only graveyard that I have visited in the Bristol area is St Andrew’s Churchyard, Clifton. It is behind the Victoria Square Hotel, which is where we usually stay. I seem to remember that the churchyard has now been given over to be a public urban space, but that there are still some monuments extant.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteThe Produce at the Village Green Grocers looks spectacular- love this style of old world shop and shopping- so inviting. I've never been to a Graveyard to search for a headstone...my Cousin (who is a Priest) has done a lot of this as he looked into Family History of Robertson and Crowe and Relatives. Regards. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteThe shop has gone for an old-fashioned look, even though most of its clients seem to be millennials who like to eat organic food and drink oat milk that costs £2.00 per litre!
Sue and I like to wander around graveyards, even if we are not looking for a specific grave. We have found all sorts of interesting memorials and monuments during our visits.
How far back has your cousin managed to get? Sue has traced her family back to the birth of a boy in Edinburgh Castle in the early years of the 1700s.
All the best,
Bob
My family come from Fen Drayton and environs, with the Johnsons living in the former as far back as 1598. One second cousin has done an extended family tree and I believe there is also a Dutch link with drainging the Fens.
DeleteSteve J.,
DeleteI must have gone past Fen Drayton almost every time that I’ve driven to Knuston Hall to go to COW!
It’s interesting how so many families stay in a locale for generations. My wife’s family came to Woolwich in 1765 ... and many of them are still living within a mile of the centre of the town.
That said, we have found distant ancestors from Spain (as a result of the Siege of Gibraltar) and India (because they worked for the Honourable East India Company and took an local wife).
All the best,
Bob
On wandering (pre lockdown ) through the old graveyard in Dundee, the Howff, you can imagine my surprise at coming across this gravestone-
ReplyDeleteJules Legendre, Lietenant in the French Imperial Guard, Born Chartres 1785, Died Dundee 1840.
There's got to be a story for the telling there!
Derek Moore,
DeleteNow that must have an interesting backstory to it!
I’ll see if I can find out more about him.
All the best,
Bob
Derek Moore,
DeleteAccording to FIND A GRAVE and other sources:
Jules met his future wife, Jean Inches (of Dunkeld), while he was a POW in Perth, Scotland. They married and he continued to live in Scotland until his death.
His full name may have been Jean Jules Legendre and he was captured in 1812.
He was born in Chartres, France, and died oh heart disease.
After leaving the army, he supported himself and his family by teaching French.
The two daughters that renewed the family's monument in 1891 are Therese Legendre Chardenal and Caroline Legendre Ower. He had a son (William Cleviller) who died in infancy.
A very interesting story.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob,
DeleteAs far as I know we (Robertson) -hail from Loch Ranoch Scotland...and the Crowe are from County Clair Ireland...that is about as much as I'm aware- must speak with my Cousin to hear about anything further. Regards. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteIt looks like you have strong Celtic origins. According to my latest DNA results, I am about 20% Irish/Scottish, the rest bring predominately Northern European.
All the best,
Bob
Bob,
DeleteI consider myself to be of Scottish Heritage - though what % I have no idea...My Grand Farther was Scottish and my Grand Mother was a 'Stephenson'...English? Must ask my Cousin...confusing the issue is that my Mum was a 'Stone'...? So- in the end I'm AUSTRALIAN. Cheers. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteMy wife’s family is Scottish by origin although none of them have lived there since the middle of the eighteenth century! When asked, I identify myself as English, mainly because I am a real mixture!
All the best,
Bob