One of the tasks the Cherishing Sidmouth’s Cemeteries working party has set itself has been to uncover many of the graves at the main cemetery in Sidmouth – not only as part of the wider remit of ‘managing’ the site, but also very much in the spirit of respecting those who are buried in this focal point of Sidmouth life.
It is a shame that so many of the older graves have been neglected for so long – and the volunteers have spent considerable efforts over recent weeks in literally uncovering several graves – all of which have a history. These include family graves in the Cemetery such as the Barratts and the Goviers, as well as individual graves of local ‘personalities’ such as William Hardinge Hastings and John Field.
However, not every grave is quite so badly managed, as there are several in the ‘later’ part of SIdmouth Cemetery which is regularly mown by District Council workers. And it is through this area that visitors can wander, looking at the more easily identifiable graves.
During the CSC working party session on 7th November, volunteers located two graves near the chapel – following research which unearthed an interesting article written in the Sidmouth Herald in 2016.
They are of two fearless army Chaplains from the First World war, Charles Graham Swann and Vivian Banham – with portraits put together at the website’s new other graves page. Here’s the introduction:
These Churchmen retired to Sidmouth, so the major effects of their lives were felt elsewhere, on battlefields and in their parishes. There is an article about them in the Sidmouth Herald.
Here’s a photo of Charles Graham Swann’s grave taken by CSC volunteer Amanda O’Carroll:
Other graves – Cherishing Sidmouth Cemeteries
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