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Helmdon Historical Articles That Territory Of The Dead |
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an article by Val Moir (illustrations by June Drew)
The churchyard is remarkable for two botanical features. The yew tree is certified as 1,700 years old. It is amazing to think the Romans were still ruling the country when this tree was young. In 312 the Emperor Constantine, who is said to have been born at York, converted to Christianity, which subsequently became the official religion of the Romans. Helmdon also has an unusually large collection of lichen growing on the gravestones, an indication of the unpolluted atmosphere. In an endeavour to record the inscriptions on the gravestones a small group of W. E. A. members has roughly mapped the graveyard and wherever possible listed the memorials, checking with the parish burial register the names and dates found. The registers have been most helpful as, when on average only twelve people were buried each year, the date which usually came at the bottom of the old stones remained decipherable when the name was lost. We cannot say for certain that we have linked all the inscriptions correctly but suggest it as a strong possibility. A pair of sheep shears carved on one stone in a row of Gilks graves indicated another of that family, as they were frequently recorded as shepherds, but as no name or date was legible we could not record a person.
Although the practice of erecting permanent memorials seems to have been uncommon before 1700 Helmdon has at least five on which names and dates are clear. The earliest marked the grave of members of the Shortland family who were buried in 1678. Richard Shortland, an infant, died on March the 8th, Ann Shortland daughter of Richard Shortland died on May the 7th and Joyce Shortland died on July the 1st. As an indication of mans mortality the stone is decorated with the skull and crossbones. Another early memorial records the burial place of Vincent Shortland who died in 1680. Carved at the top of this stone is the head of a cherub or putto. This represents the messenger of the Gods who accompanied a man through his life and protected his soul and finally conducted it to the final resting place. The Shortland family are mentioned in the papers of Earl Ferrers relating to property at Astwell in the 14th century (Leicestershire Record Office). There are also early headstones marking the graves of John Bown, Edward Elkington, Barbara Stockley and two Edward Harriotts before 1700. Two more Edward Harriotts have memorials on the exterior south wall of the chancel, though they are now very difficult to read. We are fortunate to have a record of these inscriptions and those inside the church in Baker's History and Antiquities of Northampton published in 1822. Baker transcribed the memorials of Edward Harriott, gent. died 27th April 1729 aged 47; Ann his wife who died 8th August 1774 aged 85; and John their second son who died 6th March 1737 aged 11. The other is to the Reverend Edward Harriott, Rector of the adjoining parish of Syresham, died 7th April 1797 aged 72 and Mary his wife who died on 22 January 1820 aged 75.
The most beautifully carved stone is appropriately dedicated to John
Stockley who died in 1714. He was one of a family of stone masons,
and one wonders if he spent his declining years carving his own memorial
or whether a grieving apprentice was pleased to repay past kindness.
Edward Parry mentions John in his article on Helmdon stone in Northants
Past and Present Vol.vii and says that in his will he left his three
children £40 each, a considerable sum at the time. Blenheim Palace
accounts held at the British Library show John Stockley being paid
for Helmdon stone and its carriage in 1706. Article from Aspects of Helmdon 2 by Val Moir |
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