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An unidentified object on a disused churchyard

Hi Morturn, How interesting !! I have never seen anything like your object before but there is quite a lot of info on google about mortsafes and images too. That one looks small, maybe for a childs grave ?? I do hope someone can answer your question.
 
I have been around dozens of churchyards in this part of Cheshire, photographing War Graves, and I've never seen aything like that object.
God, that's a creepy-looking churchyard !
 
There's a very similar one on https://www.flickriver.com/photos/wilfy2007/5456389735/

The grave of Sarah Wrench (1833-1848), by the North wall of the chancel at St. Edmund's Church, East Mersea, Essex, is unusual for an English grave because it is covered by a mortsafe, a protective cage used at the time in Scotland to protect corpses from graverobbers.

Richard Jones, in Myths of Britain and Ireland, refers to popular speculation that Sarah Wrench was a witch, and that the cage was designed to keep her from escaping her grave after death. Although East Anglia was at one time known for witch trials, this was in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, not the mid-nineteenth.
 
Maypolebaz; I’m a churchyard fan too, have spent a lot of time looking, but never seen anything like this before.

ALB10N; thanks for that link, I had seen a picture of that one, but not the description.

I did wonder if it had more of a symbolic meaning, almost like not wanting something to escape; certainly not practical as a mortsafe, one could just dig around the side of it.
 
As most of you know I spend a lot of time in Graveyards and Cemeteries I also have never come across one of these. It would be nice if someone has the real answer or are these objects a bit of a mystery.
 
This reminds me, the other evening we were walking our dogs in the fields alongside the graveyard when some young lads asked us whether we knew if the graveyard was “haunted” laughing I joked with them that the only spirits they might find in there would be in the bottom of the bottles that have been left behind, but seriously I would avoid walking in there when I’m on my own (a very spooky place) even with my Doberman and Ridgeback and they (the dogs) get excited whenever we go in there, I imagine that they might come back with more than they should as some of the graves are in very bad disrepair, but really they are only chasing the rabbits and squirrels, which disappear down holes alongside the graves.

The remains of the brick building in the pictures in Morturn’s link are the ruins of Dowles Parish room of 1883. I will look out for the Mortsafe the next time I walk in there I’ve never noticed it myself, but then I’m usually keeping an eye on the dogs.
 
I'm not far from Bewdley. Can you tell me where this graveyard is please (won't go on me own, honest)!
 
Hi Every one, My hubby thinks its more like a hay rack if you turn it up ,because in his opinion they would have needed one to feed the horses , that would have brought the coffin, and the carriages that carried the poor mourners. Lizzie
 
Charlie said:
I'm not far from Bewdley. Can you tell me where this graveyard is please (won't go on me own, honest)!
Click to expand...

Just walk up stream from Bewdley towards the old Dowles Bridge, its about two hundred yards before the remains of the bridge piers, on the left up a footpath.
 
Morturn, that link is brilliant. Dad likes the churchyards, we think as a result of walking round many of them with the grandchildren when we attended various weddings and christenings. As a result, Owen my son is fascinated with them too, he learnt to read names from the gravestones, teacher was not amused when she asked how he knew what the names said!!
That said, they have never seen a mortsafe.
Sue
 
Hi everyone , I have been looking on the net, there are a few picks of them in Edinburgh , they are the same shape of the coffin, weird things, my daughter who likes horror films says they look like they are made to either keep the vampires in or out. ha ha :mask:
 
I'm another person who likes to explore old graveyards but again this mortsafe is a new one on me. The sides must have been deep in the ground otherwise the body snatchers could have levered in up out of the freshly dug soil, it might even be weighed down with stones to keep it secure. In Dublin the largest graveyard has an interpretive centre for visitors and it shows the technique that body snatchers used when they removed corpes from coffins (ones without mortsafes), not how I imagined they would do it at all, fascinating if rather morbid!!

Simon
 
Mystery Solved, this is an email I received from Dr Julian Litten, author of The English Way of Death.


Dear Morturn,

Thank you for your e-mail. As you suggest, the item appears to be insufiiciently robust to be a mortsafe per se. It is, in fact, a wreath-rack, on which such items as immortelles (wreaths of either porcelain or dried flowers) would be placed throughout the year.

There are a number (thought not many) of these items around; they were not 'standard stock' items and were invariably made to order by local blacksmiths. This appears to be such an item.
 
Hi, How very interesting, I can give my husband a little pat on the back for guessing it was a rack.:smug:We will have to take a walk round this grave yard, it is not that far from us.Really enjoyed this topic.Lizzie
 
Its well worth a visit, one of Bewdley’s best kept secrets, if you need directions please ask.
 
I do hope it's protected as such an interesting piece of history, before the scrap villans find it!!
 
Hi, Our family have always enjoyed ,looking at the names of people past on.We have lived in Worcester for thirty years, and often go to the local villages to visit the Church yards.We have never seen one like the photos you have shown. So we would appreciate a visit if you would give us the directions. I would gladly give you our private address,so that you know we can be trusted to leave it as we find it. best regards Lizzie
 
Wendy said:
I do hope it's protected as such an interesting piece of history, before the scrap villans find it!!
Click to expand...

Hi Wendy

A good point you make, I’m going to have a chat with Bewdley’s historical society when I get back from holiday.
 
BusyLizzie

I would park in Bewdley and walk along the bank of the Severn upstream. Its about ¾ of a mile just before the remains of Dowles railway bridge on the left. There is a right of way footpath straight to it.

Go and enjoy yourself, I found it quite a peaceful place.

By the way, there is a list of some of the gravestone inscriptions here https://www.gravestonephotos.com/public/cemetery.php?cemetery=484
 
Hi Richard, Thanks for that, I did leave you a p m, i was a little worried that i might have compromised the situation by asking how to reach the grave yard. I can see now I have not. I will go with my family ASAP. As long as it does not flood,lets hope it stops raining. Best regards Lizzie.
 
Hello, So sorry and please excuse my ignorance but I have always wondered. What is the difference between a graveyard
and a cemetery????
Betty.
 
Is it that a Graveyard is attached to a church or cathedral whereas a Cemetery is dedicated to burials only and may have a chapel?
 
Hello BernardR for the explanation I THINK I understand it.Although they have given me another word " Churchyard "
Having read through the explanation you sent me and studying the photographs that Morturn has taken of the cemetery/ graveyard/
churchyard in Bewdley I am not looking forward to going to bed tonight !!!!!!!.
 
maypolebaz said:
...God, that's a creepy-looking churchyard !
Click to expand...
I'm afraid I can't agree. To me it looks quite tranquil. I image to be buried there would feel like having a woodland burial (if one feels anything at all when one's fell off the perch.) :topsy_turvy:
 
I did find a better site Betty but it looked quite spooky so decided not to direct you there.
 
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