The Churchyard

The weather has been gloomy today, but no gloom in this churchyard.

Another interesting walk with the Calderdale Heritage Society.
Lightcliffe ( near Halifax) old church has gone and all that remains is the tower. This was rescued by the Friends of Friendless Churches, when the rest of the building, built in 1787,  was demolished in 1973. The "new" church built in 1875 is just up the road.
The graveyard became very overgrown, but since 2012 it is  now being restored and maintained by volunteers. There were about 6 people there today, clearing leaves, cutting back brambles, etc.
It is also a conservation are for wild life. ( see notice)

You learn such a lot about the history of a place by looking at the grave stones.
I have just done a collage of three of the grave stones.
One of 4,  WW1 Commonwealth Graves. ( bottom Left)
241284 Gunner, J.L.Brook, 
Royal Field Artillery
Died 24th December 1918
He survived the war but did not survive the influenza pandemic when he came home.( this killed more people than the Great War)

The grave with the cross and sword, is that of Dragoon Guard  Joseph Naylor, who saw service in the Crimean War and is said to have taken his horse to war and brought it back  -  an early War Horse Story.
( Top left)

On another grave belonging to the Booth family, there is an insciption at the bottom:  ( bottom right)

"Fred Booth son of the above. Born Feb 16th 1860
died Jan. 6th 1934
and was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery, Cornwall, USA"
This was a man who went out to America to work in a carpet factory opened by our local company, T.F.Firths in 1888. The Factory and village were called Firthcliffe,  in Orange County, New York,and he was general manager. He died a very rich man, leaving 500,000 dollars.
The factory has since closed down, but the village is still there on the Hudson River.

Somewhere among the graves may be some of my ancesters, as my Great Grandmother was baptised here in 1831.
However I think they may have been too poor to have been able to afford a gravestone.
I need to do a bit more research, and will then be back.

Certainly a very interesting and entertaining afternoon. Pitty the light was poor for taking photos, but have done my best to lighten them since I got home.

Have just finished watching Strictly. What a fantastic show from Blackpool. One of the best ever, and Ed is still in there!!

I hope you have all had a good weekend, and survived the storms down south.

Churchyard web site SEE HERE