Cemetery Sunday - Overgrown

All Saints Churchyard, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England.

 

 

There us a reason that this particular churchyard is overgrown.  During the summer the grass in this section is left to grow wild.  This is due to some rare wildflowers and insects that have been found inhabiting the churchyard.  Once summer is over and it is safe to do so, the grass is cut.

 

 

 

Taphophile Tragics - Marmaduke and Eliza Mary Hitchcox, Saddlers of Marlow Buckingamshire

Memorial to Eliza Mary and Marmaduke Hitchcox, All Saints Churchyard, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England.


"Sacred to the memory of Eliza Mary Hitchcox who died Sept.er 10th 1834 aged 30 years - Also of  Marmaduke Hitchcox, Husband of the above who died Feb.ry 13th 1845 aged 47 years."


Eliza Mary Hitchcox was born illegitimately Eliza Mary Heine to George Albert Heine and Elizabeth Chapman in 1803.

In 1825 Eliza married Marmaduke Hitchcox on 19th September in Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. 

Marmaduke Hitchcox was born in Chadlington, Oxford in 1796 to Samuel Hitchcox and his wife Sarah.

Together they had six children, Mary born in 1826 who sadly died in 1827 and was buried on 14th January, Maria born 1827, George Albert born in 1829, Martha born in 1831, Samuel Sands born in 1832 and Menella Chapman born 1834.

Eliza Mary was to die soon after Menella's birth.  It is possible that her death was due to complications following the birth of her daughter.  Eliza Mary was buried at All Saints Churchyard on 14th September 1834.

On the 1841 Census the widowed Marmaduke appears, living on Spittal Street, Marlow, Buckinghamshire.  Marmaduke's occupation is given as a saddler, someone who makes saddles and harnesses for horses.  Living with Marmaduke are his children Maria, George, Martha, Samuel (listed as Sands) and Menella.  Also living with the family is Eliza Mary's mother, Elizabeth Heine.

Marmaduke was to pass away on 13th February 1845 aged just 47 years old. 


Taphophile Tragics
Tombstone Tuesday

Cemetery Sunday - John Shaw, Town Surgeon of Marlow

 

"Sacred

to the Memory of

JOHN SHAW

 late of this Town Surgeon

who died 9th October 1823

Aged 31 Years."

 

 

All Saints Churchyard, Marlow, Buckinghamshire England.


 

 

 

 



Taphophile Tragics - Thomas and Sarah Gibbons of Marlow Buckinghamshire

Monument to Thomas and Sarah Gibbons, All Saints Churchyard, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England.


"To the Memory of  Mr Thomas Gibbons who departed this life March 27th 1824, Aged 79 years - Also Of Sarah his Wife who died 23rd January 1810 Aged 58 years - Peacefull sleep out the Sabbath of the tomb.  And wake to raptures in a Life to come."


Sarah Gibbons was born Sarah Tubb in 1752.  On 27th July 1779 Sarah married Thomas Gibbons, gentleman of Marlow Buckinghamshire.  Thomas was born in Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire in 1744 to John Gibbons and his wife Elizabeth.

Sarah was to pass away on 23rd January 1810.  She was buried at All Saints Churchyard on 29th January 1810.  Thomas was to pass away on 27th March 1824 and was reunited with Sarah on 3rd April 1824.

Thomas and Sarah had three children that survived them, Thomas, Richard and Elizabeth Gibbons, who were well provided for after Thomas's death.

He left his sons, Thomas and Richard, the considerable amounts of five hundred pounds and six thousand pounds in Government Bounds as well as several properties in St Peter's Street, Marlow and several 'outbuildings'.  He requested  that an annual fund from the profits of the six thousand pounds be set up in a trust for Elizabeth, with the instruction that should she marry and have children then the trust would pass on to them after her death.


Taphophile Tragics
Tombstone Tuesday

Cemetery Sunday - Sacred

All Saints Churchyard, Marlow, Buckinghmashire, England.

 

 

 

 



War Grave Wednesday - Harry deSwart

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

 

 

"Of your charity pray for the soul of Harry deSwart who was killed in France Sept 30 1916 aged 29 R.I.P"

 

 

Harry deSwart is a bit of a mystery.  I have been unable to find out much about his family as he appears as a boarder in various schools and with various families on the Census returns.  He was born in 1887 in Pancras, London.

 

Sometime after the outbreak of World War I Harry deSwart joined the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.   Sadly he died of wounds he received in battle on 30th September 1816.

 

Harry's sister, Florence deSwart requested that she receive his medals after the war.  Her address at the time was Rio-de-Janeiro.

 

 

 

Please note that Harry is not buried at the grave site pictured above as he is buried where he fell in France.

 

 

 

 



Taphophile Tragics - Martha, William and Henry East of Marlow Buckinghamshire

Monument to Martha, William and Henry Eats, All Saints Churchyard, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England.


"To the Memory of Martha East who died Sept 12th 1838 aged 59 years - Also of - William East Butcher of this town who died August 19th 1852 aged 70 years - Also of Henry East son of the above who died July 19th 1857 aged 37 years."



Martha East was born Martha Grey around 1785 in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.  On 5th June 1804 Martha married William East, a butcher from Marlow, Buckinghamshire.

Sadly Martha was to pass away on 12th September 1838.

The recently widowed William appears on the 1841 Census, aged sixty, living in Spittal Street in Marlow Buckinghamshire.  Living with William at the time is twenty five year old Amelia, twenty year old Henry, six year old William and two year old Eliza, William Snr's grand-daughter.

Later that year Amelia East marries Thomas Fry, a butcher, in Chelsea, London.  They later moved to live in Cookham, Berkshire, leaving Amelia's illegitimate daughter, Eliza, to live with her grandfather and uncle.



1851 finds the family still living at Spittal Street in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.  Henry now aged thirty, is working with his father as a butcher.  Eliza, now aged thirteen is currently attending a local school.

Sadly William was to pass away just over a year later on 19th August 1852.  Sadly Henry was to follow his farther on 19th July.  Leaving Eliza alone.

Eliza moved to Kent to find work in a paper factory, where she met her future husband Alfred Eldridge, a fellow paper mill labourer.  In 1861 Eliza can be found lodging at her boyfriend's parents house, in Paul's Cray, Kent, along with her son William Eldridge who was born in 1858.  Alfred and Eliza married in Orpington, Kent in 1862.  Sadly young William Eldridge was to pass away in 1866 aged just eight years old.

By 1871 Eliza and her family had moved to Lower Road in Orpington, Kent.  Living with them, their children - seven year old Esther, four year old Georgina and five month old William.

1881 finds the family in Field Place in Orpington, Kent.  Joining the family is seven year old Alfred, three year old John and nine month old Joseph.

1891 and the family has moved again to Ford Croft Road.  Joining the family is eight year old Hannah.

1901 and the family has moved to Poverest Road. 

Sadly Eliza was to pass away to be reunited with her lost loved ones, in 1909 aged seventy one years old.


Taphophile Tragics

Cemetery Sunday - Embrace

Gravestone Embrace, St Peter's Churchyard, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England.

 

The above gravestone held no further information, only the craving of a couple embracing.

 

 



Cemetery Sunday - Crucifixion of Chirst

Ceramic Tile at St Peter's Churchyard
Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England.

Cliveden House - Pet Cemetery, Taplow, Buckinghamshire

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


The 'burials' date from 1874 - 1956 and contain mainly dogs and a few horses or ponies, unfortunately I can find no information on the history of the pet cemetery, or whether all the animals belonged to the same family, the Astors of Cliveden House.  It's in the Ilex Grove part of the grounds and sadly is not very well maintained or even sign posted.  We just happened across it.

There has been a house on the site at Cliveden, meaning - valley among cliffs, in Taplow Buckinghamshire since 1666.  The present house was built in 1851 and is a Grade I listed Italianate mansion.  In 1893 the estate was purchased by William Waldolf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor.  He became a virtual recluse after the death of his wife Mary Dahlgren Paul in 1894.  In 1906 Viscount Astor gave Cliveden and its ground to his son Waldorf on his marriage to Nancy Langhorne. The Astor family remained at Cliveden until 1969 when the house and grounds were leased by Stanford University.  The house is now owned by The National Trust and is a Luxuary Hotel.

It seems that most of the pet 'burials' took place during the time the Astor family resided at Cliveden.  It is such a shame that no more is known of this peaceful resting place for man and woman's best friends.

"Christoper, A favourite pony"

"Flossie"

"Missie"

"Chono"

"Laddie"

"Trixie"

"Baloo"

"Doushky"

"Dixie"

"Daphne"

"Midget"

"Blennie"

"Pugsy, dear pug"

"Tommy"

"Wallace"

"Snuff"

"Traffic Light"

There is another more famous pet cemetery in Hyde Park, London.  To read more about it, click here.

For more Taphophile Tragics, please click here.