More autumn shadows from behind St Thomas the Apostle

Two weeks ago I showed you the shadows cast across Tinker's Passage.

This photograph was taken a minute or too before that one. This time we are looking across the burial ground of St Thomas the Apostle church. Tinker's Passage lies on the other side and the previous photograph was taken just around the corner on the right.

The weather has changed since then and I doubt there'll be any more strong shadows such as these to be enjoyed for many months.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

The last resting place of Fanny Bush

On the South side of St George's churchyard lies the grave of Fanny Bush. The inscription reads

"Sacred to the memory of Fanny Bush, the beloved child of Simon and Gaiki, Bush people, born 8th day of August, 1846, on board the Brig 'Fanny', of Liverpool, Captain Wheeler, on their voyage to England. She died of consumption, at Hyde, the 29th day of September, 1849, at seven o'clock a.m."

The child alluded to belonged to some travelling showmen who came to exhibit a party of "savages" on Hyde Market Ground. Whilst at Hyde she died and was buried at St George's, the "savages" attending the service in charge of their keepers. The unusual nature of the funeral procession drew a great number of sightseers.

The Rev. Alexander Read composed a verse which is also inscribed on the tombstone:

Savage her race, and dark her hue,
Brief her career of life has been;
But in the great Creator's view,
Young, old, dark, fair, are equal seen.
By Christian hands to Baptism brought,
And dedicated thus to God,
The Saviour's heart rejects her not,
She gains salvation through His blood.

(Information c/o Thomas Middleton: History of Hyde (St George's) Church, 1911)

For an overview of the tombstone see Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Taphophile Tragics and Our World Tuesday.

ABC Wednesday: D is for the dead centre of Hyde

Where is the dead centre of Hyde?

The cemetery of course!

In March you wouldn't have seen the entrance down that tree-lined path - a JCB was digging through the rubble of the last Cemetery Chapel - see Hyde DP Xtra.

Now a few green shoots are poking out of the ground where the chapel stood.

Hyde cemetery was laid out in 1894. The Non-Conformist chapel was the last of three chapels which originally stood in the cemetery. It was designed by J.W. Beaumont; an architect with at least three listed buildings to his name, including Hyde Town Hall (1883-5, Grade II) and the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester (c.1895-1900, Grade II).

When the local council intimated that they wanted to demolish the chapel Nancy Morris of the Hyde Cheshire blog applied to English Heritage to have the chapel listed but was turned down. The main reasons given were as follows

• The chapel at Hyde is a late example of its type as Municipal cemeteries were laid out from the 1850s, with the height of cemetery chapel construction spanning the period 1840-1880
• This Non-Conformist chapel has lost the context of its companion chapels to the north and south, although it still retains its place within the landscape and relationship with the lodge.
• Although designed by a respected architect, this is not the best example of his work; aside from the unusual tower, the design is largely standard for its date.

The second reason seems to me particularly ironic, the loss of its sisters being a good argument for its retention.

See how the chapel looked in my post of August 3rd 2011

See the view in the opposite direction on Hyde DP Xtra.

This post is a contribution to ABC Wednesday and Taphophile Tragics.

The Weekend in Black and White: St George's Burial Ground

Earlier this week I posted a WW1 grave in St George's churchyard. Some commentators wondered why it was placed on the edge of the burial ground.

I'm not sure but this photograph depicts the other edge of the burial ground which lies at the top of the steep valley of the Gower Hey Brook. I understand that some of the older gravestones may have slid down the valley.

The coloured version of this scene can be viewed on Geograph.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White.

ABC Wednesday: R is for Richmond Hill

Richmond Hill is an old footpath leading down from Back Bower. On the right is Hyde Cemetery. The flats on the left are on Southside and Peveril Terrace.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

1914-1918 War Grave

One of the newest graves at St George's church is this one on the edge of the burial ground.

The inscription reads:

1914 - 1918

Those honoured here died in the service of their country and lie buried in this churchyard

Private W.L.Ashton
Manchester Regiment 9.5.1916
Private J.Barber
Labour Corps 11.2.1919
Private H.Beeley
South Lancashire Regiment 18.3.1917
Private J.Middleton
South Lancashire Regiment 22.9.1916
Private E.Smith
Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) 14.7.1916
Colour Sergeant C.S.Apleton
Kings Shropshire Light Infantry 16.8.1916

A wider view can be seen on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Taphophile Tragics.

Shadows over Hyde Cemetery

Looking over Hyde Cemetery from its Southern entrance off Back Bower Lane.

Down the path on the right lies the remants of the cemetery chapel now demolished.

See how it looked under snow in February 2009.

See also how it looked on Monday, 31st January 2000 when the jury at Preston Crown Court convicted Harold Shipman of 15 murders and of forging a will.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday and Taphophile Tragics.

ABC Wednesday: I is for Ignominy

This post follows on from the scene I showed you on Monday with a JCB ready to gather up the remnants of the chapel in Hyde Cemetery.

Here we see the remains of a pair of stout doors and a broken lintel, smashed and awaiting removal. Could they not have been extracted and recylced?

A clear case of an ignominious ending.

Another pair of doors suffered the same fate as can be seen on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday and Taphophile Tragics.

Yellow Monster in Hyde Cemetery

As I posted on Thursday, the chapel in Hyde Cemetery is no more. Here a JCB is sitting by the rubble ready to clear the remnants into a lorry that is waiting nearby.

Hyde cemetery was laid out in 1894. The Non-Conformist chapel was the last of three chapels which originally stood in the cemetery. It was designed by J.W. Beaumont; an architect with at least three listed buildings to his name, including Hyde Town Hall (1883-5, Grade II) and the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester (c.1895-1900, Grade II).

When the local council intimated that they wanted to demolish the chapel Nancy Morris of the Hyde Cheshire blog applied to English Heritage to have the chapel listed but was turned down. The main reasons given were as follows

• The chapel at Hyde is a late example of its type as Municipal cemeteries were laid out from the 1850s, with the height of cemetery chapel construction spanning the period 1840-1880
• This Non-Conformist chapel has lost the context of its companion chapels to the north and south, although it still retains its place within the landscape and relationship with the lodge.
• Although designed by a respected architect, this is not the best example of his work; aside from the unusual tower, the design is largely standard for its date.

The second reason seems to me particularly ironic, the loss of its sisters being a good argument for its retention.

See how the chapel looked in my post of August 3rd 2011

Two more demolition photos can be found on Hyde DP Xtra.

This post is a contribution to Mellow Yellow Monday and Taphophile Tragics.

Grey Day in Hyde Cemetery

Last October I showed you the view up the main drive at Hyde Cemetery with the chapel at the end.

This was the scene on Tuesday. All that was left of the old chapel was some rubble. A JCB and a lorry were there to clear it away.

I showed you the chapel itself in my post of 3rd August 2011.

I have more photos of the demolished chapel which I'll be posting in the future.

This post is a contribution to Taphophile Tragics.

ABC Wednesday: V is for Voting

The time has come to vote for the best of Hyde DP 2011.

View the twelve contenders at Best of Hyde 2011 and vote for your favourite three photographs.

Voting closes 12 noon GMT, Friday 30th December 2011.

For more V posts visit ABC Wednesday.

Herbet Allkin's Tomb

Herbert Allkin was the first minister of St. George's Church. He died in 1849 at the age of 49. He was interred at the East end of the church in a grave which now lies beneath the clergy vestry. Originally this was an altar tomb outwith the walls but when a new vestry was built in 1897, the slabs of the tomb were placed in an upright position and now form part of the vestry walls.

Read more about him on Old Hyde.

Grey Day for Cemetery Chapel

As you enter Hyde Cemetery from Stockport Road the view leads up the remaining Cemetery Chapel. Hyde cemetery was laid out in 1894. The Non-Conformist chapel is the last of three chapels which originally stood in the cemetery. It was designed by J.W. Beaumont; an architect with at least three listed buildings to his name, including Hyde Town Hall (1883-5, Grade II) and the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester (c.1895-1900, Grade II).

The local council now wants to demolish the chapel despite local objection. Nancy Morris of the Hyde Cheshire blog applied to English Heritage to have the chapel listed but has been turned down. The main reasons given were as follows

• The chapel at Hyde is a late example of its type as Municipal cemeteries were laid out from the 1850s, with the height of cemetery chapel construction spanning the period 1840-1880
• This Non-Conformist chapel has lost the context of its companion chapels to the north and south, although it still retains its place within the landscape and relationship with the lodge.
• Although designed by a respected architect, this is not the best example of his work; aside from the unusual tower, the design is largely standard for its date.

The second reason seems to me particularly ironic, the loss of its sisters being a good argument for its retention.

For more information and to support Nancy's campaign see Hyde Cheshire.

A wider coloured version of this photograph can be seen on Geograph.

ABC Wednesday: C is for Cemetery Chapel

At one time there were three chaples in Hyde Cemetery. One one now remains and it's future too is understood to be threatened.

See how it looked in 2000 on Old Hyde.

More photographs of the cemetery can be found on Hyde DP Xtra.

For more C posts visit ABC Wednesday.