In the nineteenth century, an unscrupulous verger at Tong Church set up a rough grave with a few stones, and showed it, for a fee, to gullible tourists saying that this really was the little heroine’s last resting place. The verger even faked a burial registry!
(Dickens had apparently revealed by this point that Tong had been the original for the village in which Nell dies in the book).
Of course, this deceit couldn’t go on, so the church authorities stepped in to stop it.
But the villagers wanted to keep the legend going, so the authorities didn’t actually ban the idea, they just insisted the word ‘reputed’ be put in…
A very English compromise.
This post has been featured on Taphophile Tragics (the cemetery-enthusiasts' website)
Ha ha. Only in the UK. We do love our legends, don't we.
ReplyDeleteBeneath Thy Feet
those church authorities can be such a killjoy at times, eh?!
ReplyDeleteYes, I enjoyed this immensely. What a brilliant verger. Yes, a little dodgey, but wittily so.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for your kind words about the quality of the contributions to Taphophile Tragics. The topic is not to all tastes, I agree. But those who are interested, really interested, put a lot of time and effort into their posts. Which I appreciate very much, and really value. It is an aim of mine. Not just to post, but to learn about life and about death. Thanks for your continuing contribuitons, Mark.
Yes, I like your Taphophile Tragics site a lot. To me, cemeteries are like living museums - with works of art (some quite significant), historical artefacts (national as well as local), records of past-times, even a bit of poetry (!) and packed with symbolism and pathos. And this, from someone who is not a believer.
DeleteThe wonderful variation in cemeteries is reflected on your site; and has already provoked me to book trips to some...!