Riviera Heritage
Unlocking a Cemetery’s Secrets Jenny Ridd works to unlock the secrets of Teignmouth’s Tombs and discover her family history as well as other Teignmouth past residents.
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one of us will ever forget the pandemic of 2020, nor stunning sea views. This surely was heaven on earth. how our lives changed overnight. One thing we all I was on a mission, not only to maintain my greathad in common was identifying green space to walk in, uncle’s grave, but to get my exercise by walking round somewhere quiet, preferably isolated and close to nature. the cemetery and at the same time discover some of the And where could be better than a cemetery? other poignant memorials to Teignmouth’s past residents, I decided to use some both magnificent and of this time tracing humble, whole and broken, my family history, and remembered and forgotten. remembered that I had a In 1851 the Teignmouth Great-Uncle George buried Extra Mural Cemetery in Teignmouth Cemetery. Company met to discuss In need of a bit of ‘P and the selling of public shares Q’ one day, I set out to find to create the cemetery. him, only vaguely recalling There were representatives the grave location from a from the Palk and Acland previous visit. I had such a families and shares were shock when I saw the ‘Old set at 2/6d. Solicitors Cemetery’ looking more Messrs Tozer, Whidbourne, like a wildflower meadow Mackenzie & Tozer, Great Uncle George’s cleared grave than a tended graveyard, and carried out the administration. Great-Uncle George nowhere to be seen. Interestingly, Tozers still survives today in Newton I contacted the Friends of Teignmouth Cemetery, and Abbott, 169 years later. in an act of supreme kindness, research volunteer and In 1855 the cemetery opened, with its two chapels maintenance man Geoff Wood, found the grave on the having “a heavy sombre look” and being “fit only for burial plan, identified it under a foot of ivy and arranged the city of the dead”. The Rev. Sherlock of St Michael’s for another volunteer, Wendy, to strim it. The next time Church, Teignmouth laid the foundation stone. Soon the I saw it I felt I was on an island – the only cleared grave rich, poor, famous and unknown were being buried there. in a sea of gently waving grasses, high on a hill, and with Nicholas Toms Carrington described the cemetery in his
englishrivieramagazine.co.uk
August/September 2020 | 27
