I learnt a new word today – Taphophile; someone who enjoys cemeteries.

Take a look here.

I would never have previously considered myself in this category, and maybe enjoy is even too strong a word. Nevertheless, if we consider ourselves in any part serious genealogists, we will all become one at some point, and probably sooner rather than later… just don’t get it confused with necrophile !

Those of you who use Genes Reunited will probably be aware of the facility which notifies you of record matches in your posted tree.

I had such a recent match, suggesting that Frederick Elmer HAGESTADT and his cousin, John, were both participants in World War I. A short spell of research revealed that they were, unfortunately, casualties.

Frederick fought in East Africa, and is commemorated at the Dar Es Salaam British & Indian Memorial.
His cousin, John, is commemorated at the Trois Arbres Cemetery, Steenwerck, France

R.I.P.

One has to visit a cemetery such as that at Canterbury to appreciate its scale ….

I had gone along Sunday with the hope and expectation of finding missing CASTLE ancestors which I was unable to locate in St Dunstan’s churchyard. I should have been much wiser, having gone armed with a cemetery plan which show its segmentation into smaller zones. And as usual I had not contacted the local council to determine possible plots numbers…. !

All this meant that I was relying on my usual wanderings through gravestones and along paths, recording any names which were recognisable. However, this did result in my locating two or three CASTLE graves for people not in my tree, and a Charles HATTON, which I need to investigate.

One benefit of checking by this method is that one tends to find graves which may not otherwise have been found.

All this took around 3 hours – and still probably less than a third of the cemetery checked…. !

Note to self (again) – really, REALLY, must research plot numbers with councils before visiting more cemeteries!

Having recently failed to find CASTLE ancestors at St. Dunstan’s graveyard, Canterbury, it would appear that, like Womenswold, I need to extend my research to a second cemetery.

David Wood, Chairman of the Canterbury Branch of Kent Family History Society (KFHS), informs me that I may find them buried at Canterbury Cemetery, Whitstable Road (just up from St. Dunstan’s). This cemetery opened for business from 1877 and, despite being registered in the parish of St. Dunstan’s, they may be buried there.

This would fit, since the earliest burial of this CASTLE family I have so far is 1883 – time to get hunting again!

After my trip to the cemetery at Blean on Sunday, I began researching the BALDOCK discovered there. This has now opened up a fourth line of research.

I am now researching BALDOCK lines from Womenswold (my direct line), Chartham, my mother’s uncle Bill, who’s origins I hope to trace once I have received his marriage certificate, and the fourth is Ospringe (the Blean connection).

Too much to do, and so little time!

I visited St.Dunstan’s church at Canterbury today, seeking CASTLE ancestry of my mother. Although I was unable to locate the relevant graves, I am confident of their existence from my sources. I believe that they are marked by some of the many weathered headstones.

Following this search, I moved on to nearby Blean and the churchyard at St. Cosmos & St. Damian. This was merely investigatory, with the possibility of locating a HATTON grave. Although I was unsuccessful in this goal, I surprisingly found a BALDOCK grave, for a couple I do not have, buried in the late 20th century. I now hope to trace these back for any possible links.

I could not believe my eyes today. Whilst Google-mapping (map.Googling?) and searching the environs of Womenswold for other churches/churchyards where my Womenswold BALDOCK and FAGG ancestors may be buried I discovered a much larger cemetery than that of the churchyard – just around 100 yards from the junction where I would have turned off to the village! I believe it may be classed as “Aylesham cemetery for Womenswold” – it is on the B2046 road towards Aylesham and Adisham.

I think I’ve just discovered where I’m going for my next graveyard shift – again!

[I must emphasise, before you read on, the rants contained herein are solely the opinion of the author!]

A couple of weeks ago, I visited the churchyard at Barham in Kent to seek out some more graves, since sources indicated that I would find BALDOCKs. I could not believe my eyes on arrival, to find that around 75% of the churchyard was void of headstones, their place being taken up with mole-hills … hundreds of them! All and any headstones which may have been respectfully locating graves were now stacked like dominoes against the back wall of the churchyard, with only the front row showing their inscriptions.

I realise that moles are difficult to eradicate – my father had a devil of a job to get rid of them from our back lawn many years ago, but he did it. And (for all you animal welfare nuts out there) they can be trapped successfully, or even killed humanely.

Walking around the remaining cemetery investigating the graves which were left (locating possible FAGG relatives), I could feel how spongy the grass was, suggesting the problem may see the end of the complete churchyard!

I realise maintaining such places can be expensive, but remedial work at this late stage will be even more costly! And where do relatives now go to pay their respects? Ancestors should not be forgotten just because they died 100 years ago?! After all, isn’t that why we’re all in the genealogy game? I didn’t know how much pity/sorrow/respect I would find myself feeling for long-lost relatives until I started. Tracing family on the internet is all well and good, but visiting their graves makes it all very personal, however distantly they may be related. After all, DNA makes us a part of them…

Maybe it is not considered a priority now that there is a second cemetery on the opposite side of the road where I found more FAGGs (but not necessarily related yet) – but how long before this is affected if moles find the area so homely … ?

Please, Barham Parish Council, or Dover Borough Council, or Canterbury City Council, or Kent County Council, or even Kent Archaeological Society, do something to curb the problem.
Even the dead deserve respect – and their families would expect it!

I visited Dover St. Mary’s Cemetery and Eastry Cemetery yesterday, the first to get some dates of relatives I knew were buried there, and the latter to see if I could find any! Eastry features a lot in my family. My grandmother (one of ten children) was born in Eastry, as was most of her family.
The visits provided me with some confirmed dates, and some names/dates to investigate.