Hello all,
I'm sure everyone remembers the scene in
Hamlet where the gravedigger turns up, and
eventually tosses aside, the skull of Yorick.
As I understand it, this was the common practice
until fairly recently, when heavy metal coffins
began to be used. People were buried, in a
shroud alone or a wooden coffin, and by the
time the next generation was to be buried, the
same site might be used. The bones were sometimes
collected together and deposited in a charnel
house.
So, as disturbing as it can be to think of
our ancestors being displaced or paved over, we
do need to remember that our attitude is fairly
modern. At many churces in England today, the
markers are removed & piled somewhere, to make it easier to cut the
grass, or to pave over the area.
If the grave of everyone who has lived sat in place
with one occupant and a stone marker, there would
not be much room for the living. That's not to
say that I don't wish all of MY ancestors were
the exception to the rule!
Regards,
Peggy
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