Talk on Audlem Cemetery

Last week, Ralph Warburton gave the March talk at the Audlem District History Society meeting on Audlem Cemetery. Ralph has kindly sent AudlemOnline his speaking notes which we think may of interest to many who have admired Audlem's beautifully maintained cemetery.

Audlem Cemetery

Ralph said: Before I talk on the cemetery, I would like to explain how I came to be running the place.

I was a director of a very large company in Liverpool – having worked there from 1958 as a junior stock clerk and climbed the sticky pole to become a board director. In 1983 I suffered a heart attack – result of a, can I say, very heavy lifestyle.

This was followed by others and then a triple heart bypass in 1985, at which time my company pensioned me off. As we no longer needed to be near to Liverpool, Joan and I decided to move south.

Having tried house prices down in Hampshire, we quickly realised we could not afford much more than garage! And as I had a collection of some 10 cars, this was not on. So we looked around Cheshire and came, by total accident, to a house in Buerton. Bought it on the spot. All in three days.

Great life for both of us as we found that Audlem was a real gem.

Sadly my Joan died tragically following a fall, and she was buried here in the cemetery, where we had bought a plot earlier – for we loved the cemetery and its position and peace.

Maureen Mayne was clerk, then a with Fred Bowen as manager and chairman. She became friend of mine and asked would I help her. It was more than help – as she stopped and left it all to me. So from the end of 2000 I took over as Clerk and then as manager on the death of Fred Bowen. 2

So that is back ground to my being here. On now to the cemetery itself.

Burial Board

A Burial Board was formed covering the Ecclesiastical Area of Audlem, Buerton, Hankelow, part of Burleydam and Part of Newhall.

Each Parish council sent representatives in number related to the population of each parish. For example, Audlem with the greater number of residents, has four members. Newhall with few, has just one.

1874, January 21st. Burial Board borrowed £2000 ( in today's money that is £160,000) – at interest rate of 5% – over 30 instalments – HP!!

February 4th – Burial Board buys 2 acres from the estate of John Knight Armstrong for £600 (£48,000 current prices).

Lebanese Cedar

In the land bought was the Lebanese Cedar Tree – many such trees were planted in the mid-18th Century as great gardeners included such trees in their schemes. For this we are truly grateful to the late John Knight as the tree is such a wonderful example and by far the best tree in the village. The age of the Cedar is far greater than the cemetery and is said to be around 200 years old.

At this time, records show that the Lime trees that feature on the right of the front lawns were planted to form the boundary to the land now owned by the Board. The conifers that guard the central path came later but still are about 100 years old plus. 3

1875: The Board Builds the Chapels at a cost of £170,000 in today's money. Architect was a Thomas Bower – Bower Eddlestone of Nantwich! Builders were named Jones. These two chapels are very fine examples of Gothic Victorian, with the Minton tiled floors and the wonderful timbered ceiling. Strange that the Chapels have never been given Graded title.

First Burial

16th September 1875 – 140 years ago Audlem Cemetery opens for business. The first burial was 4th December – an independent widow named Hannah Sandells, aged 66, in grave number 152!

Ann Evans bought the grave for 16 shillings – about £300 today. Cost of the burial was £1.7.6d. Ann Evans was then buried there in 1875 at the age of 59. This grave is in Row 11 and 4 graves in from the path. Totally mystifying as to why planted there in what at the time was a totally bare field – albeit with hedges placed on the boundary next to what is now the car park.

The grave next to the one on which the tall Irish yew tree grows was that of the Lisle Family – two graves were bought as one plot by Claude Lewis Lisle of Hyde for £3.2.0d and created as was often done then, as brick lined vaults.

Buried in these two are Claude himself in 1881, plus four more of the Lisle family over the years to 1952 – the last being Emily Claudine Lisle aged 90. The Yew tree is around 125 years old and this grave (illustrated in the talk) has Jane Lees and John Lees in it. They were buried there in 1881 and 1893 – bought for 16s.

At this juncture, it should be noted that the left hand side of the first path, with the old graves, was land on which Church of England persons were interred. On the right was the burial ground for all others. And this situation kept going for many many years.

Consecrated

The C of E land burial areas were consecrated land whilst the rest was not. This situation obtained right up to around 1997, when Rev Bill Seville of the Methodist Church was asked to bless the whole of the cemetery and make all land consecrated – quite a statement on how life was back then.

Burial Board becomes the Joint Burial Board – note at some time later this became the Burial Committee.

1921/22: As the burials grew, it became clear that a need for more land should be considered.

1923: A Ministry of Health enquiry was held in the Public Hall to determine the need for the extension of the cemetery. The upshot was an agreement to proceed.

1924: Burial Committee bought 3 acres and 38 perches (Perch is an old measure equal to 30 sq yds or 160 sq perches to an acre). The Land came from a Mr William Smith. Richard Mathews was the architect.

Within the older area, we have some 600 old Church of England graves and on the right hand side a further 300 bought graves for the non C of E residents – plus of course the paupers graves – all of whom were then buried in un-consecrated land! More on the paupers graves later.

War Graves

We have seven War Graves, purchased by the Imperial War Graves Commission. I say purchased but no fees were levied for these war graves. Interred within the War graves are Privates, a gunner, a driver and a rifleman, ranging in age from 19 to 41. All died between 1917 and 1920 . Each other year, the War Graves Commission come here to check the graves and clean the headstones and we are paid a yearly fee of £56 to ensure full maintenance.

German Graves

Down towards the bottom, we have the grave of a German count, Robert Von Trutzschler-Falkenstein, 1940, aged 64 years. In addition, two German nationals, named Rudolf Durnbach, aged 33, and Josef Steppe, aged 40, were buried right down at the very bottom of the un-consecrated area in November 1945. I presume POW's. Both were later disinterred under Home Office licences and reinterred in the German Cemetery at Cannock Chase.

So, I am in charge of burials from end of 2000.

Forgotten Graves

I received the registers and records. I studied these and as I did, I realised that there were many forgotten graves down to the bottom of the cemetery, overgrown by brambles and under a mound that was home to many rabbits. These were, as I read on, graves of paupers – buried on the Parish, as they say. Such a shame that this neglect had been allowed all these years. I took it upon myself, with the agreement of the Committee, to get the land cleared and brought into the overall care that we give to the whole cemetery.

Then I pursued the plan of erecting a stone to record the passing of close to 80 persons, ranging in age from just a few hours. The Committee agreed to my proposition and then began the search for the best granite. Using Rodgers of Nantwich, this was achieved and the result is there for all to see and to pause – and to remember.

Finances

On taking over, I inherited a bank balance if some £5000. By judicious marketing of what I felt was the best cemetery around, I built this to such an extent that much improvement has been effected – spending some £60,000 on new paths, new front drive, new glass for the period windows, converting the whole to a lawned place, creating a new cremated remains area, new signage, new front boundary wall etc . Plus moving to a policy of buying a new mower every other year in order that we keep all in good order with the very best maintenance .

We moved to the new area in 2003 for burials and developed the area that what was then hay meadow to give bigger future area for burials.

Plots

All in all we have some 2000 plots taken and a further 1250 or so to offer, and as it stands now, I estimate we have circa 50 more years of plots. So I anticipate no new graves will be available by about the year 2070.

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