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LOOSE IN LONDON: WHAT KRISTINE SAW AT HIGHGATE CEMETERY

Victoria and I had finally arrived at Highgate Cemetery. It was a glorious afternoon – warm, sun shiny and the Cemetery was practically deserted. We were able to stroll the lanes and explore the East Cemetery all on our lonesomes. Save for the occasional birdsong, the air was still, quiet and the graves themselves were quite beautiful.

Victoria and I strolled in companionable silence, she a bit ahead of me as I threaded my way past crosses and angels, stopping to read some of the gravestones. At one time, all of these people were the light of someone’s life – a cherished spouse, a beloved child, a much missed grandparent, a favourite sibling or one’s closest friend. They were mourned, tears were shed over their loss and their graves were no doubt tended faithfully. Now, one hundred years on at least, they were nothing but forgotten bones in a cemetery, albeit resting beneath impressive monuments. It is said that no one is truly gone as long as there is someone, one person, who continues to remember them. I doubted there were many resting here who still had someone to remember them in 2014.

Meandering down the path, I was brought up short by one of the next graves I encountered. 

“Vicky!”
“Hmmm?”
“Look what I found.”
“What is it?” she asked, coming to stand at my side. She read the gravestone and then looked at me. “Trust you to find a connection to Artie at Highgate. Who’s Michael?”
“Who’s Viscount Dangan?” I asked in return. 
“Is it a family title?”
“Earl Cowley, Marquess of Douro, Lord Mornington . . . . . Viscount Wellesley I know. Dangan I do not.”
“Maybe it’s not even our Wellesleys.” 
“Has to be. How many other Wellesley families can there be? And how many who produced a viscount?” I looked at the stone again. “He was only six when he died.” 
Further research once I got home revealed that Michael would have been the Duke’s grand nephew, a descendant of his brother Henry and one of Henry’s children whom the Duke and Kitty helped to raise. He died of leukemia. ***

Eventually, Victoria and I made our way to the West Cemetery in order to join the 3 p.m. tour group. Once we were gathered, our tour guide gave us a brief history of the Cemetery, which opened in 1839. As we gathered in the large inner courtyard, our guide painted a vivid picture of the Cemetery as a thriving business concern – the courtyard would have been filled with hearses, carriages and male mourners as upwards of forty funerals a day were carried out on a typical day. Services had to be timed to the minute, as well as the arrival and departure of the attendant retinues, in order for everything to have run smoothly. You can read the Wikipedia entry on the Cemetery here.

The West Cemetery had a different feel to it from the East side – wilder, more imperfect, more tumble down, more macabre in a Hammer Studios way. In fact, it occurred to me that most of the cemeteries depicted on film had perhaps been modeled after the East Cemetery. Nothing could have been more perfect. Sunlight filtered through the branches overhead and our tour group followed the leader through the stillness as we took in the surrounding graves and monuments, the silence broken only by his commentary on what we were seeing and the history of funeral architecture. 

Here, in the exclusive Egyptian Avenue, crypts were sold for the highest prices. Mourners coming to pay their respects often brought picnic lunches and erected tables within the crypts of their loved ones. Today, the plaques bearing the names of the departed are moss covered and the doors locked behind cobwebs that have been spun over the decades.

The Circle of Lebanon, above, is another of the exclusive section of crypts at the Cemetery. It was here that our guide took a detour and led us into an underground burial chamber. Once inside, there was almost no daylight, thus most of the photos I took did not come out well. Here’s one of mine below.

And here’s one taken in better light that I swiped off the internet so that you’d have a better idea of the space we were in. As I said, we were nearly in the pitch dark, surrounded on all sides by sealed crypts. As you can see in the photo below, there are sky lights in the ceiling, but by 2014 the vegetation had grown over them, dimming the space further. It was so dark that I had to step in close to peer at the stones that were marking the individual graves.

So you can imagine my surprise, nay shock, when I leaned down to read the lower stones only to be met by this sight.

Thank God the lid was still intact.

Perhaps one of my favourite graves is that of Tom Sayers, above. The grave stone, with the image of his faithful dog, a Mastiff named Lion, draped over his coffin as chief mourner is reminiscent of another of my favourite works of art, “The Old Shepherd’s Chief Mourner,” by Edwin Landseer.

Our group stood around the grave appreciating the poignancy of it all until our guide asked if any of us knew who Tom Sayer was. No one spoke up and for a time I considered whether or not I should answer. It seemed that either Victoria or I had been the only ones to know the answer to several of our guides previous questions. Victoria had been the only one among us to know who the lesbian author Radclyffe Hall was, which delighted our guide.  I was loathe to have the Americans once again provide the answer to his question. However, when it became apparent that no one else in the group was going to volunteer, I said, “A boxer. The best bare knuckle fighter in Victorian England.”

The guide’s eyes widened, “Yes! And it’s not too far a stretch that an American should know the answer to that question, is it?”

“Not if you know the story,” I answered. And so he began to relate the story of Sayers’s career to our group. You can read all about it here.

Sayers died in 1865 and huge crowds, made up of many of London’s rabble rousers and fight enthusiasts, followed his funeral cortege to Highgate Cemetery on the day of his burial. As the Morning Post of 16 Nov. 1865 put it:  The scene was “…an exhibition for which irredeemable blackguardism, brutal levity and barbaric ferocity, we are sure the like never disgraced the hallowed precincts of that most hallowed of spots – an English graveyard.” 

On our way towards the exit near the end of our tour, Victoria called me over to see something she’d found in the underbrush.  

A single, perfect wild strawberry to remind us that life goes on.

______________________________________________________

You’ll find the Highgate Cemetery website here, which is full of information of interest, including lists of other notable graves and the history of the Cemetery. Do also check out the site of The Friends of Highgate Cemetery – these are the people who volunteer their time as guides and who are at the forefront of restoration and upkeep for the Cemetery.

*** From Wikipedia: Earl Cowley is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1857 for the diplomat Henry Wellesley, 2nd Baron Cowley. He was Ambassador to France from 1852 to 1867. He was made Viscount Dangan, of Dangan in the County of Meath, at the same time as he was given the earldom. This title is also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Lord Cowley was the eldest son of Henry Wellesley, 1st Baron Cowley, who like his son served as Ambassador to France. In 1828 he was created Baron Cowley, of Wellesley in the County of Somerset, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. A member of the prominent Wellesley family, Cowley was the fifth and youngest son of Garret Wellesley, 1st Earl of Mornington, and the younger brother of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, and Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley.

MEET THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF WELLINGTON

Arthur Charles Valerian Wellesley, 9th Duke of Wellington, OBE DL (born 19 August 1945), is the present Duke of Wellington. He is the son of Valerian Wellesley, 8th Duke of Wellington, and his wife, Diana McConnel.

He married Princess Antonia of Prussia (who no longer uses her royal title) on 3 February 1977 at St. Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge,London. Princess Antonia of Prussia, Duchess of Wellington, Duchess of Ciudad Rodrigo, OBE (born 28 April 1955), is a great-granddaughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and is descended from Queen Victoria through her daughter, Princess Victoria. Antonia Elizabeth Brigid Louise Mansfeld was born in London on 28 April 1955, the daughter of Prince Frederick of Prussia and Lady Brigid Katherine Rachel Guinness, daughter of Rupert Guinness, 2nd Earl of Iveagh. She is the twin sister of Prince Rupert Alexander Frederi
ck. She was educated at Cobham Hall School and King’s College London (BA, English). She was awarded the OBE in the 2008 Birthday Honours for services to social housing as President of the Guiness Trust.

The Duke and Duchess of Wellington have five children:


  • Arthur Gerald Wellesley, Marquess of Douro (above, born 31 January 1978); married as of 4 June 2005 to the former model Jemma Kidd, a fashion stylist and great-granddaughter of Lord Beaverbrook. They have twins and a younger son:
    • Lady Mae Madeleine (born 4 January 2010).
    • Arthur Darcy, Earl of Mornington (born 4 January 2010).
    • Lord Alfred (born 10 December 2014).[3]
  • Lady Honor Victoria Wellesley (born 25 October 1979); married (as his second wife) the Honourable Orlando Montagu, younger son of the Earl of Sandwich, and had issue:
    • Walter Montagu (born 3 December 2005); first grandchild of the Duke and the Duchess, then the Marquess and Marchioness of Douro.
    • Nancy Jemima Montagu (born January 2007).
  • Lady Mary Luise Wellesley (born 16 December 1986).[4]
  • Lady Charlotte Anne Wellesley (born 8 October 1990); attends Oxford University.
  • Lord Frederick Charles Wellesley (born 30 September 1992); attended Eton College.




BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS, JANUARY 8, 1815

For a listing of commemorative events in New Orleans this week, click here.

As we have noted from time to time on this blog, the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain took place in the years 1812-1814, with the Treaty of Ghent, supposedly ending the hostilities, signed on December 24, 1814. In those days of very slow communication, neither army on US territory knew of the settlement when the Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815.

General Jackson encourages his troops to repel the Highlanders
1920 Painting by Edward Moran, with incorrect uniforms (no kilts were worn here)
but trying to capture the spirit of the moment
The American commander was General Andrew Jackson, later the 7th President of the U.S.. The British were led by General Edward (Ned) Pakenham (1778-1815), younger brother of the Duchess of Wellington. Although the British Parliament had approved the treaty, and it had been signed by the Prince Regent on December 30, 1814, The U.S Senate did not ratify the treaty until February 18, 1815.
Death of Pakenham, 1860
by Felix O. C. Darley
Many British troops that fought in the Peninsula had been sent to fight in North America after the Peace of 1814. But since the War with Napoleon was over, there was no need to enforce trade restriction — or board U.S. flag vessels on the high seas to look for so-called British Navy deserters.

Andrew Jackson, 1819
by Charles Willson Peale

The battle was fought a few miles south of the New Orleans at Chalmette in a swampy area unfamiliar to the British troops, a fact which benefited the Americans. There had been some preliminary fights in previous weeks. The Americans had built some earthworks and as the British attacked, they were driven back. General Pakenham was killed along with many of his countrymen, totaling almost 300 dead and 1,300 wounded.  The America casualties were 13 dead and over 50 missing or wounded. Like that of Admiral Nelson after Trafalgar, Pakenham’s body was returned to England in a barrel of rum.

The Battle of New Orleans, 1839, by Eugene Louis Lami, 
 Louisiana State Museum

The British withdrew to the Royal Navy vessels.which attacked Fort St. Philips the next day. For over a week, they attempted to breach the fort’s defenses, but eventually withdrew on January 18, ending the final battle of the war.

Some of the British troops returned to Europe in time to participate in the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, but many did not get back across the Atlantic in time.

The Treaty of Ghent made few changes from the time before the war.  The declared causes of the U.S. complaints were no longer in effect; other causes, such as the desire to take land from Canada, had not been achieved. The losers were, as it seemed throughout North American history, were the Native Americans. Various attempts to establish an Indian state came to naught.

About the only lasting memories of the War of 1812, from the U.S. side, were the burning of Washington and the writing of the National Anthem the Star Spangled Banner. For this aspect of the war, click here.

The British really don’t remember the War of 1812 at all. But to our friends in Canada, it means a great deal.  And in New Orleans this week, the battle will be re-enacted and other festivities are planned to commemorate 200th anniversary.  For more information, click here.

Chalmette Memorial Battle Site

For more information on the National Park Service’s Chalmette Battlefield, click here.

LOOSE IN LONDON: HIGHGATE CEMETERY

After our morning at Kenwood, we still had a few particles of energy left…enough for a visit to Highgate Cemetery?  Well, we’d only know if we gave it a try.  So Kristine and Victoria climbed aboard a bus and trusted we’d remembered the right number — and voila!  Soon we were across the Heath and at the cemetery gates.  From here on, this is Victoria’s account. Kristine’s will come in her own inimitable style.

Entrance Gates in Swain’s Lane
We started out wandering in the East part of the cemetery, where individual rambles are allowed.
The paths are lined with memorials of all sizes and shapes.

I wonder if anyone has ever counted all the angels watching over the departed?
As we will see even more below, Mother Nature rules the area.
The draped urns on so many markers represent the soul and the image of grief.

Many kinds of crosses 
We moved slowly, fascinated by the sights, and soon we had to hurry back to the West part of the cemetery for our guided tour, beginning at the Chapel. As you will see below, there is a reason to require guides for this larger part of the cemetery. It would be very easy to get lost!
Victorian Stained Glass in the Chapel

Monuments of all varieties
Highgate Cemetery is maintained and managed by a Friends group which organized to preserve the grounds. Though some of the monuments and graves are maintained by families, many were abandoned long ago.  The Friends group keeps the natural growth under some control without trying to restore the appearance to that of the originals. It is also a wildlife refuge for all sorts of creatures, few of which ventured out while we humans were trudging around.
Areas on both sides of the cemetery are available for current burials, and among the Victorian monuments, you find recent graves here and there.  One of the most famous is below.
Alexander Litvinenko (1962-2006) is widely believed to have been poisoned by Russian agents in London.
Author Beryl Bainbridge, DBE, 1932-2010,
And many old ones…
The tomb of General Sir Loftus Otway, 1775-1854, hero of the Peninsular War
and family members
The Egyptian Avenue,
among the most exotic areas reflecting the Victorian imagination  of the cemetery creators.
Circle of Lebanon
The Family Catacomb of P.W. Talbot of 439 Haverstock Hill
Vault of author Radclyffe Hall 1880-1943 and her partner Mabel Batten
Hall wrote The Well of Loneliness, 1928; admirers keep fresh flowers here always.
This horse is one of the numerous animals adorning gravesites.

Our Guide tells us about the tomb of George Wombwell 1777-1850
known as The Menagerist, owner of a Victorian Traveling circus, 
interred below a statue of his favorite lion, Nero
Highgate was begun as a garden cemetery on the outskirts of London; by the mid-19th century, parish graveyards were running out of space.  In 1836, Parliament established joint-stock companies to build cemeteries. Stephen Geary (1797-1854) headed the group that laid out (so to speak) Highgate, planning to hold 30,000 gravesites

The slope on which Highgate was located had excellent views and clear clean air, contributing to the appeal of the site.

Victorian families acquired lots in the cemetery and sometimes adorned them with statuary before anyone died.  They often visited for picnics or just to admire their property. 
In preparation for this visit, I read Audrey Niffenegger’s interesting novel set at Highgate, Her Fearful Symmetry.  And I re-read Tracy Chevalier’s Falling Angels, also set at a Victorian burial ground. Both novels are fascinating for the subject matter and also for excellent prose styles.
RIP, Mary Nichols, and family. And all the other souls in this amazing place.