November 28, 2011
A study in graves: Part 2
Under the brooding, grey skies of a blustery November morning, I visited the graveyard of St Mary Magdalene, Barkway. Tucked away behind the main street of this sleepy Hertfordshire village, there were seven Nottage memorial inscriptions. I set out to discover the stories behind these weather-worn stones.
The oldest members of the Nottage family with gravestones were William and Jane Nottage, my 3 x great-uncle and aunt. They died in 1874 and 1876 respectively. Their memorial stone was completely obliterated with just the footstone bearing their initials and dates. They were married in the church where they are buried. William was a ploughman and Jane a housekeeper. There are no records of any children from their long marriage.
According to the FHS records, William’s niece lies nearby. Elizabeth Nottage, born in 1833, was also a housekeeper during her later years when she lived on the High St, just near the graveyard. She never married and died at the age of 73. Sadly, her headstone is no longer there.
Members of the family of Stephen Nottage, one of Elizabeth’s many cousins, are buried in the churchyard. His wife, Martha’s grave is marked with a dilapidated stone cross. She married Stephen in 1858 and they had ten children, two of whom died in infancy. Later that day as I trawled through the church records at the Hertfordshire archives, I found the baptismal entries for Stephen and Martha’s children. It was strange reading about their lives from 150 years ago after having stood before Martha’s gravestone.
Two of Martha’s sons are buried close by her: Henry George and William, along with William’s wife, Julia and their son, Frederick. The latter died in 1983, aged 76, bringing the generations almost into the present time. The older graves were completely consumed by moss and the inscriptions illegible.
The most poignant memorial inscription wasn’t in the church graveyard but at the edge of the village. On a war memorial to those lost in the First World War, Private George Nottage is remembered alongside his comrades. The son of Stephen Nottage’s brother, George was 29 when he died in combat on 12th Mar 1915. He is buried in an unknown grave with more than 13,000 brothers-in-arms in Pas-de-Calais. Visiting just a week after Armistice Day, I was saddened and proud to discover his sacrifice.
In undying memory of those who
Going out from this parish laid
Down their lives for the sake
Of their King and Country
