The Churchyard of St.Mary
As far as I am aware there has been no formal attempt to document who buried in St.Mary's Churchyard. This is an attempt to do so.
Below is an aerial shot of the Church and churchyard taken from a Google Satellite image. It is orientated North at the top.
Information from Parish Registers and Genealogical websites is sketchy at best, the emphasis seemed to be focused in getting you to subscribe.
The listed tomb
This is in churchyard South of the transistion between the Nave and the Chancel. It is seen on the aerial image with two other tombs not listed.
The top of the tomb chest is enscribed but illegible due to lychen growth. The other two tomb chests are in a similar state in this location and it is guessed that they are of similar age and stature with respect to their occupants. The date of the late 1700s is contemporary with the early Raymond period.
There is an additional tomb chest for Frederick Perry d. 1885 at the North of the church. This would have been 100 years later.
The British History On-Line entry (1916) mentions a monument:
This does not sound like the listed monument as there are head and foot-stones. The listed tomb is of a chest type. The mention of Robert Ray yealds no cross-reference when searching the Essex Archives.
Incumbant corner
This is South of the tower closest to the road. Here the tombstones of the imcumbant family that were not interred in the family vault.
There are two rows of memorials, a row of 8 to the North and a further 4 South of these 8.
The last ஓaymond to have a stone here is Samuel Philip St. Clere ஓaymond (the second from the tower). The older memorials are further away from the tower however, the stone closest to the tower is not a ஓaymond.
It (the closest to the tower) is the Reverend Henry ஓaymond Smythies, died 1888, possibly a relation of Margaret Charlotte Montague Smythies, + 1939, d. of Francis Smythies, of Colchester, Essex. Margaret was the wife of Samuel John St.Clere ஓaymond.
Samuel John St.Clere ஓaymond died in 1900. Samuel John St.Clere ஓaymond is interred in the family vault under the altar in the Chancel, he is number 36 on my list
Row of 4
Moving along the tombstones in a Southerly direction away from the tower the next stone is:
Samuel Philip St. Clere ஓaymond and (Caroline) Mabel Louisa Astell
Samuel Philip St. Clere ஓaymond was born in 1886 and died in 1974. Married 1914, (Caroline) Mabel Louisa Astell, daughter of William Wynyard Astell. Mabel died September 1976, aged 90. Both names are found on the tombstone. The names are not easily seen due to the growth of lichen.
I need to re-visit the churchyard to continue my documentation.
There are a number of headstones, probably including John Mayne St. Clare Raymond and ending with Samuel William who is memorialised by the yew tree closest to the gate. (maybe).
Stones South of the path
George Washington Brownlow
George Washington Brownlow, the local painter and the artist who painted the pulpit and alter paintings, is buried in the churchyard not far from the ஓaymonds.
North of Tower
There is a grouping of graves here. Joseph Pannell, Robert Wright Stunt and Eliza Elinor Stunt, Leslie (d. 1996 [84]) and Eileen Chaplin (d.2000 [94]).
Parish Council Cemetery
The "lower" cemetery, East of the church, is administered by the Parish Council. A burial register has been kept recording the burials since the 1920's.
Virginia Penelope Ann Overton (Raymond), b. 1955 d. 2000.
Thorvald "Tommy" Hogsbjerg died in 1995 (aged 80) and his wife 1992.
The cremation plots
There is a corner of the churchyard that is dedicated for the memorials for those whose ashes are located at Belchamp Walter.
Among those memorialised there are Rochester (Sanford). Elizabeth Sanford born in 1863, married at Belchamp Walter in 1860 (more likely 1890) to Thomas Rochester, and died on the 20th February, 1940 aged seventy-seven.
This may or may not be the same as the Sandford family which were recorded in the 1891 census:
Elizabeth (lizzie) Sandford was probably born in Belchamp Walter in 1887 (or 1863). There is no record of her being buried in Belchamp Walter.
Elizabeth Sanford's great great grandaughter is Heidi Mumford.
Please note the spellings "Sanford" and "Sandford", these may or may not be the same family.
Background to this page
Having seen some of my history pages being found by those making an Internet search I have decided to add a bit more context on how the pages came about.
February 2022, I see that there was a visit from Christiansburg, Virginia. Perhaps there is someone in the graveyard that has relations there? Caroline Mabel Astel was born in Virginia 1886,died in 1976 aged 90.
The geni.com profile says that Mabel Astel was from Sudbury Suffolk - which makes sense as Belchamp Walter is only 5 miles away.
Prigg acted as farm manager for the Rev.St Clare.
Areas within the Churchyard
The Churchyard can be see as 5 specific areas. There are the four corners of the "old" churchyard and there is the "new" cemetery that is located East of the Church and the "old" Churchyard.
On the South of the church in the West is what I have named "Incumbant Corneer". This is where the R family that are not interred in vaults within the Church are commemorated. On the other side of the path from the gate and between the path and the road is a grouping of grave-stones that are for those residents of the village that are from the 19th century. The grave closest to the road is that of Firmin this is followed by a group of headstones with the name Smyth engraved.
Farmers
A group of 7?
- Thomas Tymothy Smyth d. 1883
- George Smyth d. 1856
- Susan Smith 1878
- Lousa Smith 1801
- Robert Firmin 1874
- Wooston Firmin ????
Names on tombstones
If this webpage is going to be of any use to those making a search with the intention of finding their ancestors.
The names, apart from the obvious, are: