070315.Bathampton, Murder Most Cruel?

March 15, 2007 at 1:58 am | In Architecture, Bathampton, Chisel Marks, Flowers, Monuments and Memorials, cemeteries - churchyards - and tombstones, somerset |

070226.086.Somset.Bathhampton.St Nicholas
Nearby this flower font in St Nicholas’ Churchyard is this tomb memorial. Who was the 26-year-old Elsie Adeline Luke (1865(?)-1891). The recent replacement stone was funded by the estate of Lucy Barlow. Who was Barlow? Did Barlow know of Luke, or was she caught by the “cruelly murdered” tag, which inspired her to preserve the memory of Luke instead of any number of other lost stones. I know some 36 or so 17th and 18th Century stones in the Old Dutch Burying Ground in Sleepy Hollow, New York were “conserved” by the Rockefeller family in the 1960s as a goodwill gesture to the community there since the Rockefeller’s lived nearby. These stones were not re-carved but had a cement backing poured on them to allow them to remain standing. I’m not sure if that’s good conservation since cement and conservation generally don’t mix well (…don’t bring up the pun).
070226.089.Somset.Bathhampton.St Nicholas.Elsie Adeline Luke

7 Comments »

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  1. Thank for making this valuable information available to the public.

    Comment by Inez Wells — March 15, 2007 #

  2. Oh, your spring coincides with ours in Richmond on the James. Beautiful photos, fascinating stories.

    Thank you!!!

    Comment by ms. place — March 15, 2007 #

  3. J!

    Come on deary!

    That headstone SO looks TOTALLY shopped!!! ;)

    And quit creepin’ me out…you’re too young to be wandering around cemeteries…that should be left for orb-seeking crazies like Moi!

    Love your story AND your snaps in spite of it all!

    Bristol or Bath–which one???!!!
    x

    Comment by Ame — March 15, 2007 #

  4. “cruelly murdered.” that is unique. Kudos to Lucy for preserving this.

    Comment by JosyC — March 15, 2007 #

  5. Well, shiver me timbers! Where is Sherlock Holmes, when we need him…

    Comment by Isabella — March 15, 2007 #

  6. are there ghosts there?

    Comment by Piika — March 15, 2007 #

  7. hi James!! That’s a sad story about Elsie. I’ve featured you on today’s post at Cheltenham. Well, your blog, not you lol.

    Comment by lynn — March 15, 2007 #

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