Hartshill Cemetery (reflecting the values of Victorian Society)

 

 

The Sexton's Lodge

 

Location 15 on the index map

 

The southern gates and Sexton's Lodge
The southern gates and sexton's Lodge

sexton n. person who looks after a church and churchyard, 
 [French segerstein from Latin sacristanus]

In the 1891 census returns the occupiers of the Sexton's lodge was recorded as:

Queens Road [Sexton's Lodge]:

Name Position Status Age Employment Place of Birth
William Wright Head Married 53 Sexton - Borough Cemetery Staffs, Tittensor
Mary Wright Wife Married 43 Staffs, Hulme End

The cemetery committee met monthly usually at Stoke Town Hall, but occasionally at the cemetery registrar’s lodge. At each committee meeting there was a report from the registrar of the number of burials and proposals for headstones which had to be approved by the committee. There were also decisions about fees charged, workmen employed, and the general management of the cemetery. Some of those decisions regarding the sexton's position, extracted from the cemetery committee minute book, are given below:

12 April 1899: That Mr Wright the sexton receive one month’s notice to terminate his present engagement.

16 June 1899: That Hugh Hughes, 39 Bedford Street, Basford, be appointed sexton at the weekly wage of 17 shillings and 6 pence, with house, coal, gas and rates free. That the sexton be not allowed to take lodgers without the consent of the committee.

Note: It appears that the original sexton had been taking lodgers without authorisation and was dismissed for this.

 


  

next:  are houses in Queen's road 
previous:  was the 2nd World War servicemen's graves 


questions/comments/contributions? email: Steve Birks