Taphophilia is a passion for and enjoyment of cemeteries. The singular term is a taphophile.
Monument to James, Florence Catherine, Albert George and Alfred Henry Nash, St Michael's Churchyard, Bray, Berkshire.
"Sacred To The Memory of
James Nash died Feb.y 9th 1878 aged 3 years
Florence Catherine Nash died Feb.y 3rd 1881 aged 11 months
Albert George Nash died Jan.y 18th 1882 aged 5 years
'Of such is the kingdom of heaven'
Alfred Henry Nash died June 1st 1887 aged 3 years"
James, Florence, Albert and Alfred were all the children of James and Martha Catherine Nash, nee Lewis.
James Nash snr was born in Maidenhead Berkshire in 1853, he later became a house painter before he married Martha Catherine Lewis in 1874. The couple soon moved to King Street in Maidenhead and started their family with the arrival of James in 1875 and followed by Albert George in 1876, Frederick William in 1879, Florence Catherine in 1880 and Alfred Henry in 1884, Frank Edward in 1886 and Bessie Louise in 1889. Tragically three were to die in the space of nine years.
In 1891 their mother Martha Catherine Nash passed away, yet she seems to have been buried elsewhere and not with her beloved children.
Poor James had lost three of his children and his wife within 17 years of their marriage. How must this have affected James and his remaining children, the youngest Bessie being a mere three years old at the time?
James continued to live and work in King Street with his surviving children until his death at the relatively young age of 51 in 1904. Did so much grief in such a short time prove too much for James? We shall never know.
And it seems James Sr isn't included, either.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if they ran out of money as it looks like the last child was added under the inscription 'of such is the kingdom of heaven' when they thought all was safe?
Don'tcha just love the history o f this? I know I do. When I view 'em either in photos or in real time, I always stop and wonder what their lives were like, and why they died.
ReplyDeleteExcellent image.
i also wonder how the remaining children were affected by all those deaths.
ReplyDeletesad..!
ReplyDeletehow do you always figure all this stuff out?! i often cannot find a thing about the names i find on cemeteries...
I wonder if just one of the reasons that couples had so many children in those days, was to ensure that at least some of them lived long enough to become an adult!
ReplyDeleteSo sad for the parents. Giving birth to one child as you bury another practically.
Certainly shortened their own lives, as well.
Good contribution again this week, Nicola.
What a sad story!
ReplyDelete