‘What is this Death? – a quiet of the heart?
The whole of that of which we are a part?
For life is but a vision – what I see
Of all which lives alone is life to me,
And being so – the absent are the dead,
Who haunt us from tranquillity, and spread
A dreary shroud around us, and invest
With sad remembrances our hours of rest.
~ Lord Byron
Welcome to a Wander Among the Dead with the Graveyard Squirrel.
See YOU on the Other Side?
Have you ever heard the one about how there are only two things that are certain to us?
The first one being that we are all subject to some form of taxation and the second is that one day we WILL all die.
As a genealogical researcher my time is usually spent grappling with the mystery of death.
And if I’m not in search of a missing ancestor or researching another life long lost to history – I will be poring over the details on a newly discovered and often indecipherable certificate of death or trawling through the parish records in search of a burial entry.
Being able to locate the final resting place of those from my research endeavours has always been an important task and an unsuccessful search is disappointing as the final piece of the jigsaw remains missing.
However, if you struggle with the thought of death and have no wish to contemplate – MY world is probably NOT for you!
As I love nothing more than a ramble through a graveyard and have been pottering among the tombstones for as long as I can remember – I will be sharing the tales and triumphs of family history and the images and podcasts of my wanderings among the dead.
The author Lailah Gifty Akita once said that – “The graveyard is an everlasting home of every man” and within most of our cemeteries there is evidence of spectacular craftsmanship, awe inspiring stonework, history, sublime words of poignancy AND the occasional flashes of humour ALL just waiting to be discovered!
See YOU on the other side?
For all of those genealogy tales, ancestor gossip AND the whispers from the graveyard – subscribe to This Silent Land to bring forth EVERY snippet of chatter direct to your inbox!
Before I become too carried away with this wonderful account of the crowds of ordinary people who attended Byron to his grave – I am reminded of a letter written to his faithful publisher a summmer or three before.
Lady Byron was laid to rest at Kensal Green Cemetery London in May 1860 and despite the incorrect spelling of her first name – her simple and elegant grave can be discovered in the shadow of the enormous Dissenter’s Chapel.
Have you ever heard the one about how there are only two things that are certain to us?
The first one being that we are all subject to some form of taxation and the second is that one day we WILL all die.
‘Perpetual Peace is Only Found in the Graveyard’
Immanuel Kant
‘We Begin to Die as Soon as We are BORN and the END is Linked to the BEGINNING.’
~ Anon
Shortly after midday on a balmy August day – the body of a woman and that of her youngest child were recovered from the River Ouse in York.
And a story began to unfold so tragic that it would touch the hearts of many including that of the coroner who implored the media to use their influence to promote a better understanding on the subject of suicide.
The ONLY clear picture history accords Ms Mary Wilson is that of her death by poisoning one morning in May.
A scroll though our parish records and census returns have only added to the mystery of WHO Mary was, WHERE she came from and HOW she had managed to live independently well into her sixth decade!
DEATH – noun.
The end of the life of a person.
CHOCOLATE BOX – adjective.
Pretty in a superficial way or a romanticized aesthetic.
And the door of an atelier closed for the day – it is possible to catch a glimpse of a celebrated miniaturist and storyteller clad in her distinctive black feline boots wandering through the snickelways and secret passages of York in a quest to wake the dead.
And for those of a curious and hardy temperament – why not come along and listen to the Lady Brigante as she shares with you the tales of the illustrious, the miscreants, artists, misfits and those ordinary folk who have ALL been lost to history – until now!
However, for those of a sensitive nature who are averse to real stories of tears, heartache and tragedy – a meander through the fascinating streets of York with the Lady Brigante may NOT be to your taste.
Inspired by true crime stories from the Victorian era and through the lives of ordinary people whose tales are woven into the rich fabric of an ancient city’s social history – Death in a Chocolate Box offers walking tours through the streets of York.
Meticulously researched and innovative – the tours are designed to offer an informative and unique walk with an experienced storyteller.
Browse the shelves of our emporium for the deliciously unusual or become a fellow taphophile on our forum Beneath Thy Feet to quench those unanswered questions or dispel gossip from truth!
And if you would like to dig deeper and take a peek at the bundles of old documents, burial records and hear the untold tales of nefarious deeds and suspicious deaths from the exclusive Brigante archives – find your way to the membership site Patreon and step inside the twilight world of a celebrated miniaturist and storyteller.
