Six-Feet-Down-Under : St Matthews, Windsor

My first trip to the graveyard surrounding the Anglican Church of St Matthews in Windsor, was in the middle of 2008 when I was a member of an Historic Houses Trust (HHT) group tracing the ill-feeling between the architect, Francis Greenway, and the builder, Henry Kitchen. And the towering ego of both these gentlemen, AND the governor of the colony, Lachlan Macquarie. The church was constructed in fits and starts between 1810 and 1820, with the first service conducted in 1821. Andrew Thompson was the first to be interred in the graveyard of this church, in 1810, and interred by none other than the Governor himself.


Even with a two hour wander, there was not enough time to carefully consider each and every gravestone, so I shall return before the end of this calender year. It is unusual in Sydney to see a graveyard, rather than a cemetery, although St Stephen's at Camperdown, and St Jude's at Randwick come readily to mind, both of which are also Anglican Churches. At St Matthew's, though, there has been much freelance renovation! There is a sign at the front of the church requesting that no work be done on the graves without prior authorisation, but I suspect this is honoured more in the breach. Neither St Stephen's, nor St Jude's, has stones with the print re-inked, or stones painted white to hightlight the print. And yet, there are some wonderfully historic resting places within this churchyard. I will research some of them, singularly, for my 'Monday-In-Memoriam' post to this expanding blog.

Is sacrilege like pregancy - you either are or you aren't?

This headstone dates from 1826, and wind, sun, and rain have had their way with it. What to do? What to do?

Bingo! Re-paint the big writing, 'cause that is funny! And then plug a plaque onto the back with all the small, unreadable writing. Tsk! Tsk! Surely, a discreet, adjacent notice-board would have been more respectful and informative.

At the order of Captain Brabyn, JP, Constable William Green came to the aid of Judith Connolly, who was being wooed - and jostled - by Issac Smith. Smith pistol-whipped the young constable, who died soon-after. Three weeks later, on a Friday, Smith was found guilty by Judge Francis Forbes of the NSW Supreme Court. He was hung, by Harry Stain the 'finisher of the law', on the Monday.

This memorial is located within the graveyard of St Matthew's Anglican Church, at Windsor, New South Wales.

Taphophile Tragics # 37

Each of these headstones was photographed at St Matthew's Anglican Church in Windsor, NSW, one of the earliest graveyards in the colony, the church being 'authorised' by Governor Lachlan Macquarie, and designed by the reknowned convict architect, Francis Greenway. The foundation stone states 1820.


My issue here: Is it sacrilege to renovate a headstone? A quick definition of sacrilege: the desecration or misuse of something regarded as worthy of extreme respect. The first headstone is showing extreme weathering and is already bordering on unreadable. The smaller pair of headstones have been 'renovated' in two separate styles. The final headstone ... what can one say about this level of vandalism? Each of these methods seem, to me, to be lacking a deft touch. But I do not want the information lost to history. But should history have the final say?

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Welcome to the 37th week of Taphophile Tragics.

Your contribution is most welcome. Please ensure that you include some details of the cemetery in which you took your photographs, and link directly to your post, rather than simply to your blog in general. This week, Mr Linky opens at 9:30pm Monday, Sydney time (GMT+10), and closes at 9:30pm on the Friday. When you can, please visit the other contributing bloggers to show your appreciation of their endeavours. Due to time zone variations and overcrowded schedules, some contributions are made later than Tuesday/Wednesday. As per usual, we are working with the Linky with thumbnails, and displaying the oldest entry first, with no randomising.