The Fairmile Cemetery.

Go into the new graveyard at Cholsey Church and over on the far left hand side you will see this plaque commemorating the those who were buried there.

 "This Plaque is to commemorate all those who have been laid to rest in this churchyard and cemetery from Fairmile Hospital 1870 - 2003

"The eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms"    

             Deuteronomy 33v27 

Underneath are two other plaques placed there in memory of who I assume were patients there. My parents would have known if they had been alive.
The original  cemetery was over on the south west side.

A few headstones can be seen in the area though there is one which watches over them.

The grave belonged to Dr James William Murdock who was the superintendent at the Hospital  His last wish was that he was buried with his patients so he could watch over them

The inscription reads
"Write me as one (who laboured for) Loved his fellow men the Angel wrote"
He died on 28th April 1917 His wife Celia who is buried with him passed away on 9th October 1962 aged 92 years.
The statue used to have a trumpet but that disappeared many years ago.
There are a few headstones left in that part of the churchyard though I think it would have been full of cast iron grave markers 

 

Like these in the photo's above, when I was young lad I used to cut the grass in the churchyard and was always coming across them.
When the churchyard ran out of room an extension was built next door  and the Fairmile cemetery went next door as well.

The is the second Fairmile cemetery with a few headstones  showing, no doubt provided by their estate and relatives. Most of them have no marker to remember them. I'm also not sure if the area was used for paupers graves as I seem to remember an open grave with planks on which I was told was for this purpose.

One of the headstones you see above is to Ronald Leslie Walker or Les as his friends knew him. He used to work with my Father  for many years
 

 Another person or persons who worked at Fairmile were Moses Nicholls and Avery Nicholls the latter who I think was the son of Moses. Both worked as Stewards of Fairmile.  Moses is buired with his Wife  Maria and Avery with his Sister Blanche who I knew as Miss Nicholls and remember her riding a bicycle round the village and visiting a lady who lived next door to  me

William or Bill Southby who is buried with is parents was another member of staff who worked at Fairmile and was a keen sportsman. He now has a close named after him New housing at Fairmile. His grave like the last is in the old Churchyard

The O'Brians were family friends and used to live in the Star Terrace before moving to the new housing built in 1960 along Papist way I went to school with the oldest son and was Friends with him for years till we lost touch. Last I heard was that he had moved to Ireland. His younger brother Paul young like his Mother.

 The name Ethel Mary Fetherstone is a name I recognise but I could not tell you any more at the moment. The cemetery here is still provided for by the NHS in maintenance costs though there are few headstones there to remind you of what the place was used for. When you walk round the cemetery you can recognise many of the staff who worked there including my parents. A few I have shown and will add more in future.
The plaque on the wall is the reminder of those who lay buried here RIP.

Three Men in a Boat

I'm republishing this blog again for Inspired Sunday
Now this is not a book I have read though I know most of the places mentioned in it along the Thames near where I live. Jerome K Jerome was a name most of you know but I only found out a short time ago he was buried in a small village called Ewelme so I thought it was worth a visit to his grave. Before I carry on be warned I have used a lot of photo's on this blog so you might want a cup of coffee.

I'll start outside the church at this school which was built by William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk from the profits of the East Anglian wool trade in 1437, next door are some cloistered almshouses I have yet to photograph.

The church  is ajoind to the almsehouses by

this covered walkway.

It is well worth visiting the church which is rather stunning inside as you can see here looking at the chancel and rood screen.
 



Archways like this are on both sides of the church

but you really need to look and view the chancel window which is quite something to see.

As you walk in the church you can see this magnificent carved font cover with it's own winch to lift it up.

Going towards the front of the church look for two chest tombs






















This one with the brass on is to Thomas Chaucer

 His daughter Alice de la Pole lays in this tomb nearby

 This is one of the most amazing tombs I have seen.

Look inside the base through the tracery

and you can see her cadaver.
Thomas Chaucer was speaker of the house of commons and son of the poet
 Geoffrey Chaucer

It's also worth checking out the other intricate features you  can see in the church.

The panels below the chancel window are the ten commandments and lords prayer

Come out by this entrance as you are on the south side of the church

Go along the path to the left and you will have this view of the church.

Taking the path to the front of the porch it will lead you past these three graves.

 

One is Jerome K Jerome the other two are his wife and sister

His grave is one of many in the churchyard

Across the road is a cemetery where you can find more interesting graves.

 The village in one of the nicest in the area and the church though looking simple holds a lot of surprises. I intend to go back to visit again as I would like to get some photos in the Almshouses so if you in the area it could be worth your while spending a couple of hours wandering around.

Nineteen Eighy Four

Many of you will recognise the number as being from the book of the same name by George Orwell, his real name was Eric Arthur Blair 
Now like many of you I read the book when I was young as part of my literature for the exam's I would be taking but I never realised he was only buried a few miles away from my home. It was not until my later life I found this out and decided to visit when I had the chance which came about when I decided to take some photos from round Sutton Courtenay which is where his last resting place is.

All Saints Church is Sutton Courtenay

All Saint s church from the churchyard, I would have taken some photos inside but there was a service on, so another day.

Interesting porch this it was built built with money left to the poor of the parish by the 15th-century Bishop Thomas Bekynton of Bath & Wells. The obviously thought that saving the souls of the poor was more important than feeding them.

Walking on into the churchyard at he back you cannot but help noticing this tomb of Herbert Henry Asquith who was  the prime minister of England  from 1908 - 1916 he preferred to be buried here rather than Westminster Abbey

Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith tomb with the church in the background. Asquith lived nearby in a house which I think is no owned by Helena Bonham Carter  mind you he was her Great-Grandfather.

 It took a while to find Orwell's grave which was only done after I phoned my wife and she told me where to look after looking on the Internet.

 

As you can see  it is a simple headstone with a rose growing in front.

Behind you can see the grave of his friend David Astor

 Who when he heard his fried was to be buried in the churchyard bought both plots so he could be buried nearby.

The churchyard is well worth looking round  at the old graves which is parts are over grown.

And who knows you may well find some interesting ones there. I will return again to get a few photos of the inside which I will post on here for you to see. I hope you have enjoyed my tour of this churchyard.

Cholsey Churchyard

Over in the far right hand corner of Cholsey Churchyard not far from Agatha Christies grave you will find the grave of Alfred Shaw. Alfred was Station Master at the old Moulsford Station and would probably have lived with his wife in one of these houses

On the 21st February 1876 he was helping  load sheep on a wagon when one tried to escape. Alfred managed to stop it but ended up falling on top of it. He recovered ok and help load another 15 on the truck before going home for tea. After the last train had gone he retire and during the night his wife woke with  his soring and she told him to stop as it frightened her, next she heard a rattle in his throat and he died. At the inquest it was said that they think he died from internal injury  caused by the fall.

Moulsford station used to be here and the platforms would have been on the right of the photo and on the left where the two lines are near the old Hotel now a block of flats.

Alfred was 29 when he died and left his wife of 26 and two young children with no support. The inscription reads.
" Alfred Shaw of Manchester Late Station Master Moulsford GWR who died February 23rd 1878 age 29 Years  I will go to him but he shall not return to me"

Not far away near the church you will find the grave of Reverend Wyatt Cottle who fired the parish clerk for sacrilege and was then taken to court. The clerk was proved innocent but it ended up  in him going to the High court in London and being Granted a writ of mandamus to be given his old job back. The clerk ended up getting paid off with in effect 70 years wages. 

Cottle on the other hand was not trusted in the village after that and ended up himself being taken to court for non payment of work that had been done for him, he died on the 27th May 1832 age 77 being out lived by the clerk who died in 1845 age 70.

Near the church you can find the graves of the Hunt Family who were local landowners and farmers owning the Elms























The nice thing about the graves is that they have the footstones in place as well

Nearby you can see other graves with footstones which belong to the Larkcom family

In the north side of the church are more footstones though I must admit when I first saw them I though they were graves of children

The names mentioned in this blog can also be found in a new book called Crime & Calamity in Cholsey by Barrie Charles  which takes place between 1819 - 1919. If you wander round the churchyard you can find a lot of the graves of the people mentioned in the book.

Since writing this blog I the extension in the churchyard has opened and while looking around at some of the new graves I was surprised and upset to see this wooden cross. The name at first I made me think and the age was about right for who I thought it was. I asked one of the his friends and he confirmed it was who I thought it was, he had been killed in an RTA. Phil as I knew him used to be  a Scout leader and looked after the Cholsey cub pack when I knew him and also helped out. When our kids grew up he always asked after them when I saw him occasional. Phil worked as a bus driver taking children to and from. The school. On the day he died was on leave but the person who was supposed to drive did not turn in, Phil gave his day up to take the kids to school and it was while he was returning to the depot that a van cut across the road in front of him at a road junction and Phil's bus hit the van  and he was killed. I was very sad to hear this and even sadder I had not heard so I could attend his funeral. He will be missed by a lot of people.

Rest In Peace Phil