By the 1880s the burial of the dead had become a controversial issue. Various forces were in operation. A rapidly increasing population saw a demand on burial space, which in turn became a public health problem. Added to this were demands from the dissenting congregation who demanded burial under their own beliefs, rejecting the constraints of the established church.
The problem extended beyond the growing cities and towns to small, rural parishes. When the churchyard at St Mary's closed on April 1, 1887 the parishioners in Lydiard Tregoze were forced to bury their dead in neighbouring cemeteries. When Martha Hale of Creeches Farm died in 1890 she was buried in Radnor Street Cemetery, Swindon.
For more than two years there had been no provision for the people of Lydiard Tregoze to bury their dead and on Wednesday, May 8 1889 a Local Government Board enquiry was held at the National School in Hook to discuss the cemetery question.
The meeting was a lengthy one, beginning at 11 in the morning and continuing until almost 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
Neighbouring parishes had since passed resolutions to no longer receive the dead of Lydiard Tregoze and it was asked how was it that matters had been going on as they had and no steps had been taken?
Negotiations had been long and acrimonious as the responsibility for providing the cemetery had shifted back and forth between the Sanitary Authority and the parish.
Lord Bolingbroke had objected to the extension of the churchyard close to his mansion, Lydiard House and instead offered the parish a parcel of land called Park Copse on Hook Street measuring three quarters of an acre with £100 towards the cost of laying out the cemetery. But the Rev Henry G. Baily, Rector at St Mary's argue that the proposed burial ground was too far away from the church.
Swindon architect, W.H. Read, responsible for designing Radnor Street Cemetery, said he had surveyed and planned the proposed site. Mr Read produced his plans and detailed the proposed work, which the Home Office Inspector suggested would require several slight alterations.
And although after much debate and deliberation the cemetery was eventually built, the problems didn't end there.
At a parish council meeting held on Wednesday July 14, 1897 matters concerning the cemetery were once again discussed.
First on the agenda was the purchase of a wheel bier, the discussion of which opened up old grievances. Chairman Mr A.J. Hitchcock explained that no tender for the bier had been accepted because there was no building in the cemetery in which to keep it.
Schoolmaster Mr F. Leighton proposed that a resolution "that a committee be appointed to procure a suitable site whereon to erect a building which will answer all the purposes of a mortuary, a mortuary chapel, and a place wherein to keep the wheel bier."
The problems of the siting of the cemetery were yet again aired and Mr Leighton emphasised the absence of anywhere in which to conduct a service at the burial ground. The report continued:- "In the first place the Cemetery was situated a long way from the Church and there was practically no place wherein to conduct the burial service except within the lychgate which was open on all sides. It was, therefore, an undesirable place in winter or in stormy weather, however pleasant it might be on a nice summer's day."
A reference was made to the living conditions of many in the parish.
"Secondly, owing to the wretched housing of the agricultural laborers of the parish, incidents were not wanting to prove that in too many cases the living and the dead laid side by side until the interment of the body took place. Even the most ignorant would readily admit that such a state of things should not be allowed to exist."
Mr Leighton's proposition was seconded and the resolution carried unanimously, after which the councillors moved onto the subject of appointing a cemetery caretaker and then feathers were well and truly ruffled.
Local businessman Mr E.H. Edmonds proposed "That the Rector be informed that the Parish Council do not intend to appoint a caretaker of the Cemetery."He went on to suggest that in fact the Council should have nothing further to do with Cemetery, adding "it had been a source of much trouble in the past and the less they had to do with it the better."
Mr Leighton felt that it was the responsibility of the council to ensure the cemetery was kept in good condition but his proposition met with no seconder and then things entered the realms of the slightly ridiculous. He proposed that the cemetery keys "be destroyed in the presence of the Cemetery Committee and a certificate to that effect under the seal of the Council be forwarded to the Rector."
The proposition was seconded and carried unanimously after which the meeting then closed.
Phew!
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The problem extended beyond the growing cities and towns to small, rural parishes. When the churchyard at St Mary's closed on April 1, 1887 the parishioners in Lydiard Tregoze were forced to bury their dead in neighbouring cemeteries. When Martha Hale of Creeches Farm died in 1890 she was buried in Radnor Street Cemetery, Swindon.
For more than two years there had been no provision for the people of Lydiard Tregoze to bury their dead and on Wednesday, May 8 1889 a Local Government Board enquiry was held at the National School in Hook to discuss the cemetery question.
The meeting was a lengthy one, beginning at 11 in the morning and continuing until almost 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
Neighbouring parishes had since passed resolutions to no longer receive the dead of Lydiard Tregoze and it was asked how was it that matters had been going on as they had and no steps had been taken?
Negotiations had been long and acrimonious as the responsibility for providing the cemetery had shifted back and forth between the Sanitary Authority and the parish.
Lord Bolingbroke had objected to the extension of the churchyard close to his mansion, Lydiard House and instead offered the parish a parcel of land called Park Copse on Hook Street measuring three quarters of an acre with £100 towards the cost of laying out the cemetery. But the Rev Henry G. Baily, Rector at St Mary's argue that the proposed burial ground was too far away from the church.
Swindon architect, W.H. Read, responsible for designing Radnor Street Cemetery, said he had surveyed and planned the proposed site. Mr Read produced his plans and detailed the proposed work, which the Home Office Inspector suggested would require several slight alterations.
And although after much debate and deliberation the cemetery was eventually built, the problems didn't end there.
At a parish council meeting held on Wednesday July 14, 1897 matters concerning the cemetery were once again discussed.
First on the agenda was the purchase of a wheel bier, the discussion of which opened up old grievances. Chairman Mr A.J. Hitchcock explained that no tender for the bier had been accepted because there was no building in the cemetery in which to keep it.
Schoolmaster Mr F. Leighton proposed that a resolution "that a committee be appointed to procure a suitable site whereon to erect a building which will answer all the purposes of a mortuary, a mortuary chapel, and a place wherein to keep the wheel bier."
The problems of the siting of the cemetery were yet again aired and Mr Leighton emphasised the absence of anywhere in which to conduct a service at the burial ground. The report continued:- "In the first place the Cemetery was situated a long way from the Church and there was practically no place wherein to conduct the burial service except within the lychgate which was open on all sides. It was, therefore, an undesirable place in winter or in stormy weather, however pleasant it might be on a nice summer's day."
A reference was made to the living conditions of many in the parish.
"Secondly, owing to the wretched housing of the agricultural laborers of the parish, incidents were not wanting to prove that in too many cases the living and the dead laid side by side until the interment of the body took place. Even the most ignorant would readily admit that such a state of things should not be allowed to exist."
Mr Leighton's proposition was seconded and the resolution carried unanimously, after which the councillors moved onto the subject of appointing a cemetery caretaker and then feathers were well and truly ruffled.
Local businessman Mr E.H. Edmonds proposed "That the Rector be informed that the Parish Council do not intend to appoint a caretaker of the Cemetery."He went on to suggest that in fact the Council should have nothing further to do with Cemetery, adding "it had been a source of much trouble in the past and the less they had to do with it the better."
Mr Leighton felt that it was the responsibility of the council to ensure the cemetery was kept in good condition but his proposition met with no seconder and then things entered the realms of the slightly ridiculous. He proposed that the cemetery keys "be destroyed in the presence of the Cemetery Committee and a certificate to that effect under the seal of the Council be forwarded to the Rector."
The proposition was seconded and carried unanimously after which the meeting then closed.
Phew!
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| The lychgate where it was proposed that funeral services might take place in the absence of a mortuary chapel |
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| The lychgate |
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| St Mary's Church is to the right of the photo (see wooded area of Lydiard Park). Hook Street Cemetery is the rectangular area to the extreme left of the photo, just past farm buildings. |