Cemeteries and graveyards, full of love, betrayal, tragic deaths, murder, and suicide. What will you find?

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Darling Dick

(c) Nicola Carpenter 2012


Taphophilia is a passion for and enjoyment of cemeteries. The singular term is a taphophile.


"In Loving Memory of Darling Dick.  The dearly beloved son of DICK and GID RUSSELL who died on his seventh birthday July 9th 1896 - Teach Me Thy Ways O Lord!"




Dick Russell was born on 9th July 1889 in Walton-on-Thames Surrey to Richard Russell a Stockbroker and Lina Mary Scott.  Dick's mother was from a very wealthy family, her mother being Lady Maria Scott and her sister Countess Mabel Edith Russell (no relation to Richard Russell).  Countess Mabel and Lady Maria Scott where implicated in the great Russell - Scott Scandal.

One thing I don't understand is why Lina is listed on the memorial as GID.  Maybe it's a nickname like Dick for Richard.  I guess we will never know.



For more Taphophile Tragics, please click here.

8 comments:

  1. Interesting name mystery! Sounds as if this family was embroiled in a few dark secrets!

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  2. Death at seventeen that is tragic.

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  3. Great editing on your image. Congrats.

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  4. ... not to mention the unfortunate moniker of 'Darling Dick'!?

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  5. I suspect that line would not be inscribed now-a-days. The origin of the name 'Gid' had puzzled me also. HOwever, you will be chuffed to know that GID stands for 'Gender Identity Disorder'.

    The arms on this statue remind me of a particular Picasso painting, early on, of two women running ... along a beach, I think.

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  6. darling dick... indeed, i wouldnt want that on my stone had i be named dick... :)

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  7. On his 7th birthday. How very sad.
    Welcome to the geneabloggers family.
    Regards,
    Theresa (Tangled Trees)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for visiting and commenting. Yes, it was that line that drew me to his gravemarker. Not something you usually see. My own daughter is six years old, so I can only imagine the pain his parents went through.

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