This morning on Bluesky, I saw a post by the Friends of Lister Lane cemetery. It was a photograph of a memorial at Edgerton Cemetery in Huddersfield to those children buried in unmarked graves. It prompted me to try to assemble those throughts and ideas that have been rambling around my head into something – this blog post.
Last week in Clopook, Co. Laois, I spotted that some more headstones that moved the thought of infant dead towards the top of my brain list.
There are very many headstones with unnamed infants. Regularly there might be a reference to the likes of ‘Their two young sons, died young’ or ‘And his infant brother.’ My nephew was stillborn twenty-four years ago. He was named and his name went on the grave marker. From my graveyard strolls, especially in earlier years, naming was not always done.
Last week in Clopook, Co. Laois, I spotted that some more headstones that moved the thought of infant dead towards the top of my brain list.
There are very many headstones with unnamed infants. Regularly there might be a reference to the likes of ‘Their two young sons, died young’ or ‘And his infant brother.’ My nephew was stillborn twenty-four years ago. He was named and his name went on the grave marker. From my graveyard strolls, especially in earlier years, naming was not always done.
 Young Mr Kelly may have waited 50 years from his existence to be recognised in stone |  The Laffan headstone appears modern and machine-cut. I wonder if Bridget’s name was carved only when Matty died. |
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Michael Brennan is named after his mother who died a year later. A subsequent headstone places his father, traditional head of the family, first on the headstone despite he dying 67 years after Michael.
Headstones not in chronological order are very frequently encountered. Subject to a detailed study, my impression is that in such situations a male is generally the first named.
Headstones not in chronological order are very frequently encountered. Subject to a detailed study, my impression is that in such situations a male is generally the first named.
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These two memorials are at Grey Abbey in Kildare town – just behind Kildare Village and to the likes of me, much more deserving of a visit. Eileen (Aileen) died in 1948, three years after James yet the markers look new and of modern construction.
There are more and more memorials in cemeteries, at cillíní and at churches to those buried in unmarked graves. My study some years ago found that the erecting of memorial plaques to the dead children is a reasonably modern tradition.
There are more and more memorials in cemeteries, at cillíní and at churches to those buried in unmarked graves. My study some years ago found that the erecting of memorial plaques to the dead children is a reasonably modern tradition.
This is a prompt to self to restart the research into where my own uncle may be buried while I can still talk with some of that generation…..
