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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.

None of us will ever forget the pandemic of 2020, nor stunning sea views.  is 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 magni cent 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  nd to create the cemetery. him, only vaguely recalling  ere 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 wild ower meadow Great Uncle George’s cleared grave Mackenzie & Tozer, 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 Geo Wood, found the grave on the having “a heavy sombre look” and being “ t only for burial plan, identi ed it under a foot of ivy and arranged the city of the dead”.  e Rev. Sherlock of St Michael’s for another volunteer, Wendy, to strim it.  e 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

Guidebook of 1865: “ e situation is commanding, and polymath, his passions were nature, geology, oceanography the enclosed space, which is entirely surrounded by wall and archaeology. He excavated in Crete and wrote books and railing, may comprise about two acres”. He describes on the Mediterranean. the chapels as being “for worshippers belonging to the I have a friend Sarah in Sussex who excavates in C of E”, and the other for “dissenters”.  ey were once Crete. On enquiring whether she knew of Spratt, Sarah identical, but today the Anglican chapel is boarded up, told me that her late husband had gained his Ph.D. by while the non-conformist chapel is a ruin. researching his life, and she was willing to share any

Carrington’s Guidebook was published by Edward information with the Friends, who will gain exclusive Croydon, Teignmouth’s predata. It was a serendipitous eminent publisher who had piece of synchronicity, produced lithographs since and will honour this great 1820. His Repository of Arts man whose tomb is so very was next to Croydon’s Free modest and unassuming. Library in a Regency-Gothic Following years of building, which now houses austerity, Teignbridge W.H. Smith. Croydon District Council lacks the worked with worthy artists resources to maintain the like Strutt, Spreat and cemetery to its former Havell, and produced standard and it relies heavily thousands of lithographic on a small band of dedicated prints of the area, these volunteers to keep pathways being the forerunners of Edward Croydon’s angel open, strim, plant  owers, the postcard. It is  tting then, stop granite monuments toppling that the imposing Croydon and maintain the Commonwealth family monument is still in the Graves. It is a big ask, and they do cemetery. Once a bold statement a fantastic job.  e volunteers in of success, wealth and artistry, turn, rely on membership fees to sadly it is now in pieces, literally the Friends group, (£5 a year) and with a fallen angel, although donations to buy their equipment, suitably, the angel is holding a while they o er their time and book. skills for nothing, as well as giving

A memorial, which is a personal expert advice on the resident favourite, belongs to Dr John wildlife,  ora and fauna, which Pulsford who died in 1897. He they are striving to conserve. was the author of several religious  e Friends are determined books written while living at that both the famous, like Huntly in Bishopsteignton. On Spratt, and the ordinary, like top of a lofty granite column, a Great-Uncle George, will have  nger points heavenwards, while their stories told. In parallel lower down two doves of peace with their tremendous e orts of watch over him. It is a supreme Dr John Pulsford’s lofty granite  nger maintenance, they are raising piece of monumental masonry. awareness through various  e Torbay coast was home to many o cers who fought websites and intend to run promotional events when in the Napoleonic Wars, and Teignmouth was part of that. life returns to normal. Alongside their vital work, a Its most famous admiral was  omas Abel Brimage Spratt, Trust has been formed to fundraise for restoration of son of Commander James Spratt (aka Jack) of Woodway the chapel and the lodge house at the centre of the House, Teignmouth, who fought at Trafalgar with Nelson. cemetery.  omas was born in Teignmouth in 1812 and fought in For more information, or if you fancy volunteering, the Crimea, for which he became a CB (Commander of please visit the website: gravetales.wordpress.com and the Bath). He was a surveyor in the Navy, in particular the Friends of Teignmouth Cemetery Facebook page. dealing with the approaches to the Suez Canal. A Victorian You will be pleasantly surprised. 