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.

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 28^th 1846 aged 8 years

Also Sarah mother of the above named children who also
fell asleep ‘In Jesus’ October 11^th [?] 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 31^st 1864
Aged 56

IN
Loving Memory
Of
JOSEPH SMEDMORE
DIED AUGUST 29^TH1846
AGED 66

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

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

ANNE SMEDMORE
DIED NOVEMBER 12^TH 1874
AGED 69

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

AND OF HIS WIFE
JANE
WHO PASSED AWAY MARCH 8^TH1893
AGED 76 YEARS
AND WAS INTERRED
AT WALLINGTON, SURREY

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

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

ALSO OF
JANE WOODSFORD BUTLER
WIFE OF THE ABOVE
WHO DIED MARCH 20^TH1862
AGED 75
… OF JOY
(rest of inscription possibly under ground level)

6.
(Footstone-type stone, almost illegible)

K.C. [?]

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

S.H. [?]
1862 [?]

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

Also JOHN SPENCER TATCHELL
WHO DIED OCTOBER 9^TH 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 22^ND 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 9^TH 1886
AGED 68 YEARS

13.

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

ALSO OF ANN WIFE OF FRANCIS HAYSOM
AND MOTHER OF THE ABOVE
DIED MAY 22^ND 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 14^TH1904
AGED 83

ALSO OF
JOHN STEVENS FATHER OF THE ABOVE
WHO FELL ASLEEP DEC 23^RD1864
AGED 86

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

ALSO OF
ANNE SMEDMORE
WIFE OF THE ABOVE WILLIAM STEVENS
WHO PASSED AWAY JUNE 3^RD 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

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