THE CEMETERY

Finding that you have correctly traced an ancestor's certificate or census entry is very satisfying, but nothing can compare with finally standing beside the grave of a long lost relative knowing that you stand within feet of the actual persons remains. Many cemeteries are pleasant places to visit, not worthy of the old joke "I wouldn't be found dead in a place like this", and they also have an interesting history.

Throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries there was increasing criticism of burials in Church of England graveyards and vaults in urban areas. Churchyards were full to overflowing, which created unsanitary conditions and spread disease. From the mid-seventeenth century onwards, people like Sir Christopher Wren, John Evelyn and Sir John Vanbrugh revived the Ancient Roman idea of burial with cemeteries on the outskirts of town. The first such burial ground was opened in Bloomsbury in 1714.

As the idea of the neoclassical cemetery gained ground, outdoor burial became increasingly attractive. In the 1770s urban cemeteries were created in Edinburgh (Calton Hill) and Belfast (Clifton), but not until 1819 was the first public cemetery in England opened, in Norwich (The Rosary). During the 1820s several more provincial cemeteries were opened, but still there was no national movement for cemetery creation. There was no legislation to allow public authorities to set up publicly accessible cemeteries. Instead, most were created by private Joint Stock Companies, set up expressly to make a profit from the interment of the dead. Private enterprise was responsible for the first public cemetery in the capital: All Souls' Cemetery at Kensal Green, which was opened in 1833.

By 1850, urban churchyards had had their day. Over-full, exclusively Anglican, and suspected of being sinks of contamination, they were closed in large numbers over the next few years. A public alternative to the profit-making private cemeteries was needed, however; the Metropolitan Interment Act of 1850 allowed for the provision of publicly-funded cemeteries in London, and was extended across the country by an Act of 1853.

HEADSTONE SYMBOLS

• Anchor and Chain - symbolises firm faith in salvation
• Bird (often a dove)
• Flying down: with Holy Spirit
• Flying up: the spirit ascending
• Perched: like Noah's dove after the flood
• Book: The Testament, often open at a suitable page
• Broken column: cut off in the prime of life or a loss of support, often denotes head of the family.
• Broken or severed flower: A sign or early or sudden death. A severed bud denotes a child.
• Butterfly: A symbol of resurrection
• Celtic cross: Originally associated with the pre-Norman Church particularly in the Celtic fringe areas.
• Circle: The sign of eternity.
• Clasped hands: Found on family graves and symbolising either the hope of reunification in the next life or 'Farewell, see you soon
• Gate or arch: Gateway to Heaven.
• Heart: Love and devotion.
• Hour-glass: The transience of this life.
• IHS The sacred monogram: an abbreviation of the word for Jesus in Greek.
• Ivy: Memories remaining evergreen.
• Lamp: The light of knowledge and truth.
• Laurel: Wreath Accolade to life's achievements.
• Lily: Purity
• Lyre: (harp) A recognition of musical talents.
• Obelisk: A tall rectangular or triangular pointed column which is the ancient Egyptian symbol for life and health.
• Palette: and brushes The artist's accolade.
• Palm: Symbolises the triumph of life over death through resurrection.
• Rocks: A reminder of St Peter, the rock of faith.
• Rose: Goodness and innocence.
• Serpent: Ancient Egyptian symbol for life and health.
• Serpent Swallowing Tail: life eternal
• Set square and compasses: Usually a Masonic mark but also used to denote an architect.
• Torch: The human being.
• Upright: Human Life Entwined by snake: Health Inverted: Life extinguished (hence 'snuffed out')
• Tree: The tree of life
• Yew tree: evergreen, life after death
• Willow tree: Mourning.
• Urn: Symbol of death copied from cinerary urns of antiquity.