Reviews: Cemeteries and Graveyards. A Guide for Family and Local Historians in England and Wales
Cemeteries and Graveyards. A Guide for Family and Local Historians in England and Wales. By Celia Heritage, (Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2022), 236 pp., b & w illustrations. £15.99. ISBN 978 1 52670 237 1.
Even though this volume in Pen & Sword’s Family History series is primarily aimed at those actively researching family or local history, there is much that will be of more general interest to those who want to know about burial and commemoration practices in England and Wales in the past. Having provided background information about the wide range of practices relating to death and burial across different cultures in chapter one as a means to contextualise matters in England, the next four chapters systematically explore the history of the treatment of the dead, using examples from across the country but with a good number from Kent.
Looking first at the evolution of parish churchyards from their beginnings in relation to minster churches in early medieval times through to such churchyards today, chapter two concludes with sections on those parish churchyards that are now closed to further burials or have even been abandoned and are completely detached from any ecclesiastical buildings. Due to the nature of the parochial system, parish churchyards are numerous nationwide for it was not until the later seventeenth century that the first of the Nonconformist burial grounds came into being, having been established by the Quakers.
These and many other types of graveyards are discussed in chapter three under the heading ‘Ex-Parochial Graveyards’. The chapter explores how and why a range of Nonconformist burial grounds came into being, with particular reference to London, and also considers the privatisation of cemeteries, as well as early municipal ones, the first established in 1569 in the capital. Additionally, there are short sections on burial practices relating to Roman Catholics and Jews, but a sizeable part of this chapter is devoted to institutional burial grounds, including those attached to hospital, asylums, workhouses and prisons. Also interesting are the case studies in the various chapters, which are fascinating in themselves but also offer practical advice, at times relaying how the author undertook her own family history research in search of her ancestors.
The nineteenth century brought an ever-greater movement of people from the countryside to the town, and this coupled with a massive increase in the population generally led to the need for change in the form of extremely large cemeteries, whether commercially run or administered by the local burial boards. Chapter four, looks at these developments in modern times from a cultural perspective, including examining influences from abroad and how ideas concerning public health were major drivers, including the move towards crematoria in the twentieth century. Building on the examination of different memorial styles, chapter five provides an [pg351]in-depth look at grave markers, especially the changes in style of gravestones over time and in different parts of the country, in part dependent on the local stone, but also influenced by broader cultural fashions. What is equally interesting is the long if not continuous use of imagery on tombs, memorial plaques and gravestones, for even though text might be seen as central, the use of motifs and the symbolic meanings they were intended to convey would often have been understood by their medieval predecessors.
Throughout the book, there are suggestions to the reader about how they should explore these burial places to gain the most from their research, not only in terms of finding information about a specific individual but similarly about the community of which they were a part. This approach is given much greater elaboration in the final two chapters, the first looking at the potentially wide range of records available from parish burial registers to newspapers. As a way of demonstrating the value of such sources, the author employs several case studies as well as indicating how the researcher can approach the different records and where they might be found.
This leads on to the final chapter that offers a step-by-step guide to those wanting to search the ever-growing number of online resources concerning the location of burials. Moreover, the author makes clear that sometimes such websites and databases may only take the researcher so far, and that at times it is important to think laterally. Although this chapter is principally for the family historian, those researching community histories more broadly will similarly find it helpful, and it has the potential to encourage first-time researchers. Even though more and more are becoming available in this way, the list of useful websites is a good place to start, while for those interested in allied topics the two appendices offer a republished short article on ‘Incised cross markers in Kent’ and a practical guide to carrying out a churchyard survey, whether this is ‘low-level’ or ‘high-level’ depending on the resources available. As befits a practical manual, as well as a study for the more general reader, the endnotes and bibliography with suggestions for further reading offer a good selection of ideas and tips.
Overall, this is a well-written and carefully researched book that is an engaging read which offers a great deal of fascinating information and practical advice on burial location and practices down the centuries. There are a good number of Kent examples and plenty of material on London, which may be especially pertinent for readers of Archaeologia Cantiana, but the examples from across England offer helpful social and cultural contrasts that enhance the book’s appeal. Thus, this is a valuable addition to the Family History series.
SHEILA SWEETINBURGH