Old Ashburton

The Churchyard

Above: Memorial to Marjorie Vivienne Hern, who died in 1910.

My own photograph 2025

1530-31...And rope for tying pigs that came into the cemetery (2d)

Devon and Cornwall Record Society, Churchwardens Accounts of Ashburton, 1479-1580, Alison Hanham, The Devonshire Press Ltd., Torquay 1970, p86

See Ashburton Digital Archive for memorial inscriptions for St Andrew's Churchyard
http://www.ashburtonarchive.org.uk/

Memorials in St Andrew's Churchyard can also be accessed at this website: http://www.gravestonephotos.com/index.php

See also Some Deaths and Burials under People and Properties on this website.

For infornation on burials within the church, see St Andrew's Church in the sub-menu of Churches and Memorials

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In 1842 'a very neat cenotaph' was built in the churchyard, in memory of Henry Gervis. Eight foot high and built of grnaite, it had an urn decorating the top. The monument was designed by Mr E Crespin, a grandson of Mr. Gervis.

Western Times 22 October 1842, p3 col4

Right: The memorial to Henry Gervis

My own photograph 2025

'Formerly to be found in Ashburton churchyard. But the bitter sarcasm it flung in the face of the vicar and gentry, has led to its removal -
Here I lie at the chancel door;
Here I lie because I am poor;
The farther in the more you pay!
Here lie I as warm as they.'
The Home Magazine, ed. T S Arthur, Philadelphia, 1854, p310

'H. H.' writing in Notes and Queries, says that the epitaph was engraved upon slate, part of which was still, in 1852, embedded in the wall just outside the chancel door. He says that water found its way into the crevices of the stone, froze and expanded in the winter months, and caused the slate to 'desquamate' (shed off in flakes).
Notes and Queries, A Medium of Communication between Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists etc. vol 6, July-December 1852, London, p468

T J Pettigrew associates the epitaph with Elizabeth Ireland, died 1779, (as does H. H. above), and says that the epitaph is also at Kingsbridge.
Elizabeth the wife of William Ireland was buried at Ashburton 13 November 1779
Chronicles of the Tombs, Thomas Joseph Pettigrew, London 1888, p219
Parish records
For its association with Kingsbridge - http://u3asites.org.uk/files/k/kingsbridgeestuary/docs/kingsbridgechurch.pdf

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In 1854 a new Act, 'for the protection of the public health', stated that no new burial grounds should be opened in a number of places, without the approval of one of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State. There were some modifications, including at Ashburton, where no new burials were to be made within the church of St Andrew, or in the churchyard to the north of the church, or within 5 yards of the building. The exceptions to this were that existing vaults or brick graves within the church could be used, providing that each coffin was embedded in charcoal, and separated from others by 'concrete, brickwork or masonry'.
London Gazette Issue 21568 4 July 1854, p2079

1855 As the north side of the church was now too crowded for further burials, the authorities were poised to buy a piece of garden to enlarge the churchyard.
Western Times 27 January 1855 p7 col5

Nothing had been done by July, and the ratepayers called a meeting to discuss the situation. Mr W. Parkyn, Independent minister, wanted a section for dissenters to be provided if a (public) cemetery was built. But if church lands were to be extended, he thought the church authorities ought to bear the burden of the cost.
Western Times 28 July 1855 p7 col4

In August new land was selected near the old churchyard. The Western Times did not approve, saying that it had been selected by 'the few'.
Western Times 18 August 1855 p7 col5

1857 A correspondent to the Western Times claimed that the churchyard was 'crowded with graves and fragments of bones'. Sheep were often grazing there.
Western Times 13 June 1857 p7 col1

1866 There was still discussion about extending the churchyard. Members of the established church wanted to extend the burials into adjacent land called Folly Gardens, owned by Mr Rogers. Dissenters wanted a separate cemetery.
Western Times 16 February 1866 p7 col3

'Horrified' writing to the Western Morning News in 1867, complained about the state of the churchyard. Paths were neglected, with a lack of gravel and with grass growing in them; many of the graves were very untidy, and there was a plantation of sting-nettles two or three feet high. The correspondent learned that the weeds were rarely cut, but that sheep were turned out to eat the grass when it became too long.
Western Morning News 6 Sept 1867, p4 col7

The new burial ground was finally consecrated in 1868 by the Right Rev Bishop Trower. It extended the churchyard on the south side.
Exeter and Plymouth Gazette 22 May 1868 p7 col5

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Mr William Rolstone Whiteway was buried in the new section of the churchyard in July 1884. Nearly 300 people were present at the funeral

The Western Times 24 July 1884, p4 col2

The Bishop of Exeter consecrated a new additional area to the churchyard in March 1892. Formerly called Glebe Garden, and an acre in area, it was at the southern extremity of the churchyard. After a service in the church a procession of churchwardens, sidesmen, choir and clergy made its way to the new ground. Mr S Tozer, the parish warden, read the petition, after which the Bishop read the deed of consecration, which was then signed and witnessed. The service was finished in the church because of the bitter cold.

Western Times 8 March 1892, p8 col8

In October 1893 Dr Hoffmann held an inspection and an inquiry on why the churchyard should not be closed for further interments.

Mr J Bickford, the sexton, took Dr Hoffmann around the ground, after which the doctor said he proposed to deal with an area to the south of the church. He had noticed one stone with the date 1600 on it.

Mr E Cruse, a churchwarden, said it was almost impossible to dig fresh graves in the ground, which was about an acre, without disturbing existing graves. Two additions had been made to the churchyard, and the average number of burials had been 50 per annum for the last ten years.

Dr Hoffmann said he would recommend closing the old portion of the churchyard. The exceptions would be for walled graves and vaults, and also partially walled graves, provided that a depth of at least 5 feet could be dug without disturbing remains or exposing coffins. He recommended that a schedule of all walled graves was made,

Totnes Weekly Times 14 October 1893, p5 col2

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Chancellor Dibdin held an inquiry at the Town Hall in 1903 regarding the granting of a faculty for the diverting of a path in and separating two portions of the churchyiard. Mr Windeatt said that the churchyard had been enlarged in 1884 and 1892, the addition being separated from the old by a footpath. Now a new piece of land was being added. The application was to close the public footpath between the two sections, and to carry on the present footpath through the new churchyard.

'Everything depended on the question whether or not the footpath was to be included in the churchyard.'

Mr Firth said that ground once consecrated and dedicated to sacred purposes could not be altered except by Act of Parliament.

The Chancellor commented that if he was to grant the faculty he would not do so until the dividing footpaths had been consecrated.

One difficulty was the cutting off of a three cornered patch, which had two graves in it. Mr Firth thought it would be wise for it to be railed, with a gate somewhere near the middle to lead from the churchyard to this bit cut off.

Western Times 20 February 1903, p 11, col 5

Left and below:

To the left of the bottom path leading from the church to Stone Park is a triangle of ground, separated from the path by a metal fence. It is thought that unbaptised children are buried there.

My own photographs 2025

A building conservation website says that railings may have been installed originally in churchyards to mark the area of consecrated ground. However, from the above inquiry it would seem that ground on both sides of the railings above was consecrated, as there were already burials in the triangle before new railings were installed. The triangle is accessed through a gate.

Historic Railings - accessed 17-05-2025

An Ashburton resident, born in the mid 1930s, remembers the Sunday School occasionally going down to the churchyard with one of the Misses Butler. The children picked wild flowers on the way, and arranged them in jam jars along the wall at the back of this plot, in memory of the children.

With many thanks for this reminiscence

Barry Steer remembers that as a child his father pointed out an area within the triangle, and told him that that was where Barry's uncle Leslie was buried.*

Barry remembers seeing mounds there, which until the early 1950s often had flower on them.

With many thanks to Barry Steer.

* Leslie M Steer was born in the June quarter of 1915 in the Newton Abbot district, and died in the March quarter of 1916.

https://www.freebmd.org.uk/

1906. Seven year old Evelyn King was charged with stealing flowers from the graves in the graveyard. The Rev R J Bond said he was 'extremely sorry' to prosecute a young child, but there had been many complaints from relatives, and after a meeting of the parishioners it was decided to prosecute the first person caught offending. The father of the child pleaded guilty, and said that Evelyn had told him that she wanted to take the flowers to school for lessons.The vicar asked the Bench to be lenient, and the child was severely cautioned, and told she had to come up for judgement if called on.

Western Times 29 August 1906, p4 col6

There was a new housing development in West Street in 1992, and a 'storm' was caused by a developer laying a new sewer pipe through the churchyard. Roger Parker, a farmer, sat in the trench in an attempt to halt the work, but by June Teignbridge District Council was being asked to adopt the new sewer.

Torbay Express and South Devon Echo, 16 June 1992, p3 cols 2,3,4,5