Comments on: Summer At Bow Cemetery

By: Cherub

Cherub — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 12:51:26 +0000

I love cemeteries, they are a great insight into social history. Once when wandering through one at Dean Village in Edinburgh I was struck by how many children on the gravestones and family monuments had died in infancy. There is a cemetery in a churchyard near me in Basel where the stones are ornate and imposing, I assume these were perhaps very grand and rich citizens.

By: debra sewell

debra sewell — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 12:06:01 +0000

Its so beautiful. And dust to dust. We return to the earth. So green and nature filled. I love it. I hope always protected. from greedy land developers .. Thank you

By: Peter Holford

Peter Holford — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 10:08:28 +0000

I’m currently assisting in a project that is indexing cemetery records for Woodgrange Park at Forest Gate for the period beginning 1892. Woodgrange Park is four miles north-east of Bow and is filled with East Enders plus a number from south of the river and the City. Approximately one in seven had a private funeral with a headstone with the majority going into a common grave as you describe. What is more surprising is that about 60% of burials are of infants or still born babies. As many as ten successive entries in the register can be aged ‘zero years’. Virtually no adult made 50 years.

It puts some perspective on how remarkable some of our ancestors fared. My grandfather (born 1884) was the youngest of eleven growing up in Hackney and just one died before maturity.

By: Carolyn Hirst

Carolyn Hirst — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 09:30:15 +0000

Thank you for this article Gentle Author – it is such a special place. I also have family buried here and some were fortunate enough to have grave markers. Your readers may like to know about the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park who do excellent work here – as their website describes they are “an independent charity that looks after Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, a unique and vital nature reserve and heritage site in East London” https://fothcp.org/

By: David Bishop

David Bishop — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 07:53:48 +0000

Another beautiful post. Thank you Gentle Author.

By: Arabella Warner

Arabella Warner — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 07:35:15 +0000

What a wonderful evocative piece. I love cemeteries too – always so peaceful.

By: Lorraine

Lorraine — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 07:10:06 +0000

I became emotional reading today’s piece. It brought to mind my numerous ancestors who rest there, whose graves I have sought out & visited in recent years. My great grandparents were poor & German so lie in the unconsecrated/non-conformist area with no headstones. Such folk are these days commemorated by a modern wooden structure with seating, built by volunteers I understand, as a memorial to replace the original small chapel which has long gone. It is now the only remaining sign of their burial place. I paused there & allowed my mind to drift out toward my family then moved on to stand for a few moments at the graves of my grandfather & his brother, the first generation of my family to be born in England, & who were entitled to be interred in the main cemetery. It is important to thank all the enthusiastic volunteers who maintain this beautiful place, which is exactly as described in the eloquent words of the GA. By the way GA, thank you for acknowledging the contribution of the Eastenders to the building of our great city.

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 06:49:47 +0000

A good piece with fitting pictures. I go to a friend’s funeral today. He was 102.
A Doctor,whose wife Joyce, met Mahatma Gandhi twice, while a medical missionary

By: Karen Rothstein ( printladyk )

Karen Rothstein ( printladyk ) — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 05:24:09 +0000

I love the cemetery pictures ~ I walk in two different historic cemeteries here in Atlanta, Ga area and often when I go out of the country and different cities in the USA. I ALSO love many other subjects ( artists, cats, printing and button shops/manufacturers) that you cover
I read every day nearly. If I ever get to your area, I’ll be sure to look you up and see if you’re doing a tour of interest.

Be well, be happy.

Karen ( Printladyk )