Swanage Congregational Burial Ground

Queens Road, Swanage

Transcribed by Thomas Masters Hardy, 1971.
Revised by Martin Ayres and Richard Wiltshire, December 2004.

 

The stones have been moved from their original position and are now all lined up along the western wall of the churchyard. They have been allocated a number starting from the southern end, nearest the entrance from Queens Road.

 

1.

Beneath are deposited the remains of
 Sarah daughter of Francis and Sarah Bishop
 July 28 1845 aged 19 years

Also of Frederic her brother Jan 28th 1846 aged 8 years

Also Sarah mother of the above named children who also
fell asleep 'In Jesus' October 11th [?] 1865 [illegible inscription]
 
Also the above named Francis Bishop who [illegible inscription] aged 79[?]

 

2.
 (Peculiar half-height stone with no other wording apparent)

REVD JAMES SMEDMORE
DIED May 31st 1864
Aged 56

 

3.

IN
Loving Memory
Of
JOSEPH SMEDMORE
DIED AUGUST 29TH 1846
AGED 66

ANNA SMEDMORE
WIFE OF THE ABOVE
DIED JANUARY 30TH 1840
AGED 64

AND HIS DAUGHTERS
JANE SMEDMORE
DIED SEPTEMBER 10TH 1837
AGED 22

ANNE SMEDMORE
DIED NOVEMBER 12TH 1874
AGED 69

 

4.

In
Loving Memory
Of
JOHN SEYMOUR SMEDMORE
WHO ENTERED INTO REST
MAY 3RD 1877 AGED 67 YEARS

AND OF HIS WIFE
JANE
WHO PASSED AWAY MARCH 8TH 1893
AGED 76 YEARS
AND WAS INTERRED
AT WALLINGTON, SURREY

ALSO OF THEIR DAUGHTER
ANNE SEYMOUR
… MARCH 9TH 1842
(rest of inscription possibly under ground level)

 

5.

IN
AFFECTIONATE REMEMBERANCE
OF
WILLIAM BUTLER
WHO DIED JULY 30TH 1858
AGED 71 YEARS

ALSO OF
JANE WOODSFORD BUTLER
WIFE OF THE ABOVE
WHO DIED MARCH 20TH 1862
AGED 75
… OF JOY
(rest of inscription possibly under ground level)

 

6.
(Footstone-type stone, almost illegible)

K.C. [?]

 

7.

IN MEMORY OF
ELIZABETH
DAUGHTER OF
ROBERT AND ELIZABETH CHAMBERLAIN
WHO FELL ASLEEP IN JESUS
[2] OCTOBER 1840
(date now below ground level)

 

8.

S.H. [?]
1862 [?]

 

9.

IN
MEMORY
OF
SAMUEL SPENCER TATCHELL
WHO DIED APRIL 6TH 1858
AGED 1 YEAR AND 2 MONTHS

Also JOHN SPENCER TATCHELL
WHO DIED OCTOBER 9TH 1858
AGED 7 YEARS
THE BELOVED CHILDREN OF
WILLIAM AND ELIZABETH TATCHELL
… HER LAMBS
…WITH HIS ARM
(2 lines of text partially buried)

 

10.

IN MEMORY OF
RICHARD MOORE HOULSTON
WHO DIED JANUARY 17 18[8]2
AGED 27 [?]

AND OF JANE
MOTHER OF THE ABOVE
WHO DIED DECEMBER 28 18[51]
(More text almost illegible)

 

11.
[Face of stone badly eroded]
[NB. In 1851 Samuel Hadcraft was living with his parents Thomas and Caroline in Swanage.
He was 24 years old and was a carpenter.]

IN MEMORY OF
SAMUEL HADCRAFT
WHO … ED

 

12.

In loving Memory of
HENRY LANCE CLEALL
Who departed this life
APRIL 22ND 1869
AGED 54 YEARS
Come unto me all ye that labour and
Are heavy laden and I shall give you rest

ALSO OF CAROLINE
Beloved wife of the above
WHO DIED JULY 9TH 1886
AGED 68 YEARS

 

13.

In
Memory of
MARY BISHOP HAYSOM
DIED MAY 31ST 1846
AGED 19 YEARS

ALSO OF ANN WIFE OF FRANCIS HAYSOM
AND MOTHER OF THE ABOVE
DIED MAY 22ND 1868
AGED 73 YEARS

ALSO OF (THE ABOVE)
FRANCIS HAYSOM
WHO DIED FEBRUARY 14 1879
AGED 88 YEARS

 

14.

IN
Memory of
WILLIAM STEVENS
WHO PASSED AWAY JULY 14TH 1904
AGED 83

ALSO OF
JOHN STEVENS FATHER OF THE ABOVE
WHO FELL ASLEEP DEC 23RD 1864
AGED 86

ALSO OF ELIZABETH
MOTHER OF THE ABOVE
WHO PASSED AWAY FEB 2ND 1856
AGED 76

ALSO OF
ANNE SMEDMORE
WIFE OF THE ABOVE WILLIAM STEVENS
WHO PASSED AWAY JUNE 3RD 1907
AGED 83

 


 

Records kept by the Congregational Chapel, High Street, Swanage (now the United Reformed Church) state that the cemetery was presented to the chapel by Mr Joseph Smedmore and opened on 14th September 1837 when Miss Jane Smedmore was buried therein.

In 1877 it was recorded that there were eleven family vaults in the graveyard and eighteen family earthen graves. Nine interments had been made in the preceding decade, two in 1868, two in 1869, two in 1870, one in 1871, one in 1874 and another in 1875. A list of 39 names was drawn up showing those who had a right to be buried in one of these graves, presumably showing the relationship to the family member already interred.

 

Number

Name

Age

Relationship

       
1 Miss Wiltshire 89 Cousins
2 Francis Haysom 86 Wife and Daughter
3 Elizabeth Harden 76  
4 Stevens 69 Husband
5 Richard Hancock 68 Daughter
6 Hancock 66 Daughter
7 Henry Spencer 65 Father and Mother
8 Mrs. J.S. Smedmore 62 Husband
9 Joseph Smedmore 59 Father and various others
10 Caroline Cleall 57 Husband
11 William Stevens 57 Father, Mother and Brother
12 Tatchell 57 Children
13 Mrs. J. Smedmore 55 Husband
14 W.D. Tatchell 55 Children
15 James Butler 55 Wife, Father and Mother
16 Maria Collins 54  
17 Isaac Collins 54  
18 Charlotte Cleall 54 Father, Mother and Brother
19 Ann Stevens [Mrs.. W.] 53 Father, Mother, Uncles, Aunts, Brothers and Sister
20 Frederick Kelley 49 Son
21 Kelley 45 Mother, Son and Father
22 Frederick John Cleall   Father
23 John S. Smedmore   Father and Various
24 Mary Smedmore   Father and Various
25 E. Tatchell 29 Brothers and Sister
26 Robert C. Smedmore   Father and Various
27 Thirza Roe 27  
28 Jane Smedmore   Father and Various
29 Emma Cleall   Father-in-law
30 Sarah Ann Smedmore 23 Father and Various
31 Francis Stevens 20 Various
32 George Kelley 15 Brother
33 Flora Kelley 13 Brother
34 William Kelley 11 Brother
35 Albert Kelley 5 Brother
36 Alice Beatrice Cleall 3 Various
37 Maud Elizabeth Cleall 3 Grandfather
38 Margaret Kelley 3 Brother
39 Alfred Ernest Cleall 1 Grandfather

 

The Congregational Chapel Burial Register also distinguishes a number of those buried in this cemetery.

Name

Date of Burial

Age

Occupation

Cause

         
CLEALL, Henry January 26, 1866   Painter etc. Stoppage of the bowels
HAYSOM, Ann May 23, 1868 73 Wife of pier master Fever
CLEALL, Henry Lance December 11, 1868 5 days   Stoppage of bowels
CLEALL, Henry Lance April 23, 1869 54 Painter Disease of the heart
HARDING, Albert November 16, 1869 Infant    
KELLEY, Arthur John May 31, 1870   Father a gardener Bronchitis
PHIPPARD, Frank December 25, 1870 22 Mason Asthma
TOMES, Eliza August 27, 1871 2    
SMEDMORE, Anne November 12, 1874 69    
BISHOP, Francis May 16, 1875 79 Builder Chronic Bronchitis