Holy Cross Graveyard, Canterbury

~ HOLY CROSS GRAVEYARD ~

WESTGATE, CANTERBURY

MEMORIAL INSCRIPTIONS

Inscriptions inside Holy Cross Church from J. M. Cowper

Inscriptions from Holy Cross Churchyard from J. M. Cowper

A view of the Holy Cross Church Tower and Graveyard with St. Peter's Street in the background on the left (a photograph in my collection)

Stone of Daniel Friend center, John Friend on the right and Thomas Friend to the far left

Black & White photo courtesy of Paul Crampton www.paulcramptonbooks.co.uk/

Below are the same three memorials now

MEMORIAL INSCRIPTIONS

Inscriptions inside Holy Cross Church from J. M. Cowper

Inscriptions from Holy Cross Churchyard from J. M. Cowper

Black & White photo courtesy of Paul Crampton www.paulcramptonbooks.co.uk/

"Churchyard of Holy Cross looking towards Tower House"

James LEGGETT Memorial

Black & White photo courtesy of Paul Crampton www.paulcramptonbooks.co.uk/

A well-kept churchyard usually means a well-kept parish; and a reverent care for the last resting-place of the dead generally implies that the living are neither neglected nor forgotton. The feeling is gradually gaining ground that the Parish Churchyard deserves a better fate than to serve as an accommodation pasture to be let at so many shillings a year to the local butcher, into which he may turn his sheep until he requires them elsewhere. This custom of using burial grounds as sheep-walks has, I think, done much towards reducing many churchyards to the very unsatisfactory condition in which they now are. The first thing required is that the Incumbent should sacrifice the very small profit he receives from the churchyard; then with a small outlay on the part of the parishioners, and a little care regularly bestowed, the outside of the house of God will correspond with the order and cleanliness which are generally, and should always be found within. JWC

Black & White photo courtesy of Paul Crampton www.paulcramptonbooks.co.uk/

In crowded cities, where open spaces are few and far between, there is some excuse for "Brabazonising" our disused burial grounds by converting them into places of recreation; but in small cities like our own, where the green fields and breezy hills are within easy reach of all but the very infirm, our duty seems to be to beautify these hallowed spots under whose carpet of grass moulder the remains of many generations of our ancestors. It is true that all our dead do not lie under the sod. The churchyard with which this little volume deals extended, not very many years ago, into what is now the public highway on the north side of the church. The increase of population and the increase of traffic made it necessary to open a roadway between the City Gate and the church; and to do this the churchyard on that side had to be sacrificed. The Memorial Stones, or some of them, were then removed to the south side of the church, and placed in the ground there, still commemorating the dead, but not indicating the spot where their bodies were laid.

"Churchyard of Holy Cross looking towards St. Peter's Place"

Black & White photo courtesy of Paul Crampton www.paulcramptonbooks.co.uk/

When I undertook to put Holy Cross churchyard in due order, part of my plan was to copy all the inscriptions which remained, with a view to their permanent preservation, and this I have done with all the care and all the accuracy I could bestow. Small as our churchyard is, and few, comparatively, as are the Memorials, it has not been an easy task. But, in one sense, it has been a pleasant one; and it has been all the more agreeable because I felt I had the approbation of some few whose good opinion I value. JWC

"Churchyard of Holy Cross looking towards Tower House" You can just see Tower House in the background beyond the wall

Although the Memorials which I have here endeavoured to rescue from the effacing hand of Time may not contain the name of even one great man, I think not many will look through them without agreeing with me that they ought to be preserved. The large proportion of foreign names, representing those who left home and country for the sake of their religion, would justify me in doing what I have done, if any justification were necessary. One of the many glories of Canterbury is the welcome it gave to those who sought a refuge here from persecution of the fiercest kind abroad; and our churchyards and Parish Registers are full of the names of the brave men and women who literally forsook all rather than submit to what they believed was wrong. The many descendants of these, who to-day stand in the foremost ranks of Englishmen, would be doing honour to themselves as well as to the dead if they would combine to erect a memorial to the Refugees who sought and found a home, and large numbers of them a grave, in our parish. It has been suggested that their descendants, who are now scattered over England and have become as thoroughly English as ourselves, should erect some monument in their memory. The Members of the Huguenot Society have visited the place, and when they were in Canterbury the idea of a Memorial Window in Holy Cross Church was mooted. Who will assist us in this work? JWC

Stone of Mary Strouts

Black & White photo courtesy of Paul Crampton www.paulcramptonbooks.co.uk/

The following are the names of those who kindly responded to my* appeal for funds to put our churchyard in order: (*J. M. Cowper)

C. J. AYRE, Canterbury

Joseph BATHO, London

B. Harris COWPER, London

F. W. CROSS, Canterbury

Henry FIELD, Canterbury

J. Henniker HEATON, M.P., London

Edward HOMERSHAM, Streatham

John HOMERSHAM, London

Robert HOVENDEN, Croydon

James KNOWLER, Manchester

The Company of Leathersellers, London

Alderman LINOM, Canterbury

C. MASON, London

Richard PIERCE, Canterbury

Walter REEVE, Canterbury *Chemist and Druggist of Canterbury (Westgate)

Henry WAGNER, London

Alfred James WATERLOW, Reigate

Stephen WILLIAMSON, Canterbury

Councillor J. E. WILTSHIER, Canterbury

To these friends I commend this volume.

J. M. COWPER

Holy Cross Canterbury, February 18, 1888

Burial of a Mary TERRY, of Westgate, age 17 years, on August 13th, 1820

Index of Wills

William SAINT, beere-brewer, Hollyecross Westgate, Canterbury, 1654 folio 335


~ HOLY CROSS GRAVEYARD ~ WESTGATE, CANTERBURY MEMORIAL INSCRIPTIONS Inscriptions inside Holy Cross Church from J. M. Cowper Inscriptions from Holy Cross Churchyard from J. M. Cowper A view of the Holy Cross Church Tower and Graveyard with St. Peter's Street in the background on the left (a photograph in my collection) Stone of Daniel Friend center, John Friend on the right and Thomas Friend to the far left Black & White photo courtesy of Paul Crampton www.paulcramptonbooks.co.uk/ Below are the same three memorials now MEMORIAL INSCRIPTIONS Inscriptions inside Holy Cross Church from J. M. Cowper Inscriptions from Holy Cross Churchyard from J. M. Cowper Black & White photo courtesy of Paul Crampton www.paulcramptonbooks.co.uk/ "Churchyard of Holy Cross looking towards Tower House" _ James LEGGETT Memorial Black & White photo courtesy of Paul Crampton www.paulcramptonbooks.co.uk/ A well-kept churchyard usually means a well-kept parish; and a reverent care for the last resting-place of the dead generally implies that the living are neither neglected nor forgotton. The feeling is gradually gaining ground that the Parish Churchyard deserves a better fate than to serve as an accommodation pasture to be let at so many shillings a year to the local butcher, into which he may turn his sheep until he requires them elsewhere. This custom of using burial grounds as sheep-walks has, I think, done much towards reducing many churchyards to the very unsatisfactory condition in which they now are. The first thing required is that the Incumbent should sacrifice the very small profit he receives from the churchyard; then with a small outlay on the part of the parishioners, and a little care regularly bestowed, the outside of the house of God will correspond with the order and cleanliness which are generally, and should always be found within. JWC _ Black & White photo courtesy of Paul Crampton www.paulcramptonbooks.co.uk/ In crowded cities, where open spaces are few and far between, there is some excuse for "Brabazonising" our disused burial grounds by converting them into places of recreation; but in small cities like our own, where the green fields and breezy hills are within easy reach of all but the very infirm, our duty seems to be to beautify these hallowed spots under whose carpet of grass moulder the remains of many generations of our ancestors. It is true that all our dead do not lie under the sod. The churchyard with which this little volume deals extended, not very many years ago, into what is now the public highway on the north side of the church. The increase of population and the increase of traffic made it necessary to open a roadway between the City Gate and the church; and to do this the churchyard on that side had to be sacrificed. The Memorial Stones, or some of them, were then removed to the south side of the church, and placed in the ground there, still commemorating the dead, but not indicating the spot where their bodies were laid. "Churchyard of Holy Cross looking towards St. Peter's Place" Black & White photo courtesy of Paul Crampton www.paulcramptonbooks.co.uk/ When I undertook to put Holy Cross churchyard in due order, part of my plan was to copy all the inscriptions which remained, with a view to their permanent preservation, and this I have done with all the care and all the accuracy I could bestow. Small as our churchyard is, and few, comparatively, as are the Memorials, it has not been an easy task. But, in one sense, it has been a pleasant one; and it has been all the more agreeable because I felt I had the approbation of some few whose good opinion I value. JWC "Churchyard of Holy Cross looking towards Tower House" You can just see Tower House in the background beyond the wall Although the Memorials which I have here endeavoured to rescue from the effacing hand of Time may not contain the name of even one great man, I think not many will look through them without agreeing with me that they ought to be preserved. The large proportion of foreign names, representing those who left home and country for the sake of their religion, would justify me in doing what I have done, if any justification were necessary. One of the many glories of Canterbury is the welcome it gave to those who sought a refuge here from persecution of the fiercest kind abroad; and our churchyards and Parish Registers are full of the names of the brave men and women who literally forsook all rather than submit to what they believed was wrong. The many descendants of these, who to-day stand in the foremost ranks of Englishmen, would be doing honour to themselves as well as to the dead if they would combine to erect a memorial to the Refugees who sought and found a home, and large numbers of them a grave, in our parish. It has been suggested that their descendants, who are now scattered over England and have become as thoroughly English as ourselves, should erect some monument in their memory. The Members of the Huguenot Society have visited the place, and when they were in Canterbury the idea of a Memorial Window in Holy Cross Church was mooted. Who will assist us in this work? JWC __ Stone of Mary Strouts Black & White photo courtesy of Paul Crampton www.paulcramptonbooks.co.uk/ *The following are the names of those who kindly responded to my appeal for funds to put our churchyard in order: (J. M. Cowper)* C. J. AYRE, Canterbury Joseph BATHO, London B. Harris COWPER, London F. W. CROSS, Canterbury Henry FIELD, Canterbury J. Henniker HEATON, M.P., London Edward HOMERSHAM, Streatham John HOMERSHAM, London Robert HOVENDEN, Croydon James KNOWLER, Manchester The Company of Leathersellers, London Alderman LINOM, Canterbury C. MASON, London Richard PIERCE, Canterbury *Walter REEVE, Canterbury Chemist and Druggist of Canterbury (Westgate) Henry WAGNER, London Alfred James WATERLOW, Reigate Stephen WILLIAMSON, Canterbury Councillor J. E. WILTSHIER, Canterbury To these friends I commend this volume. J. M. COWPER Holy Cross Canterbury, February 18, 1888 Burial of a Mary TERRY, of Westgate, age 17 years, on August 13th, 1820 Index of Wills William SAINT, beere-brewer, Hollyecross Westgate, Canterbury, 1654 folio 335**
CHURCHES	HOME
© T. Machado 2013