Graves and headstones

[overlandermatt]

I have a GGG grandfather, William Pope b1783 who was buried at Huish Episcopi St Mary's in 1870. After some online searching, I cannot find any trace of a grave/headstone and wondered if this is to be expected. His wife, Elizabeth (Betty?) Rogers possibly died in 1869 (to be confirmed) so perhaps I would have expected them to be buried together. Was this the way it worked back then?     

Thank you for any insight anyone can provide.

Matt

[Girl Guide]

Why do you have Elizabeth' surname as Rogers?  If she was married to William Pope then surely her surname would be Pope?

I see that Huish Episcopi is covered by the registration district of Langport.

You could try writing to St. Mary's Church to see if they can give you any assistance re headstone for William.  Email addy is:-

clerkhepc[at]gmail.com

[overlandermatt]

Thanks Girl Guide. I think your suggestion to check with the clerk is the way to go. I have not managed to find any record of the death or burial of Betty/Elizabeth Pope/Rogers. One imagines she would be buried with her husband but looks like I should confirm this locally.

Thanks again.

Matt

[rosie99]

Possible death for Elizabeth
POPE, ELIZABETH       age 78 
1853  June Quarter in LANGPORT  Volume 05C  Page 33

[Girl Guide]

That certainly fits in with Elizabeth's birth year of c 1775 which was on an earlier census.

There is a William Pape in the 1861 census as a widower, occ sawyer, born in Combe St. Nicholas and living at Westover, Westover in Curry Rivell, Langport.  This is on Find My Past.

The original image reveals the surname to be Pope.

[rosie99]

The NBI has a burial at Holy Trinity Long Sutton, Somerset for an Elizabeth Pope 19 June 1853 but it gives age as 72     

[Girl Guide]

The only way to verify if that is the correct Elizabeth Pope would be for overlandermatt to obtain the death certificate.

It would hopefully say who registered the death, which in theory should be her husband William.

Long Sutton does come under the registration district for Langport.

[overlandermatt]

Thanks for your comments and ideas. The William Pope in the 1861 census - a sawyer and now a widower - is almost certainly our man. As for his wife, I shall order the death certificate - I have it for William already.

There is plenty of variation in age reported in the census - William's death certificate from 1870 states he was 87, in 1861 he was 78, in 1851 he was 70 and in 1841 he was 60. Betty/Elizabeth on the other hand was 76 in 1851 and 60 in 1841.

I have found 3 sons to date - William baptised in 1811, John in 1812 and Thomas in 1825 - Betty would have been 45-50 if I take the older age possibility.

Hopefully the death certificate will confirm the link with William and give a better idea of age. I am amazed how easy it is to blindly follow research others have done on the Ancestry only to come up with incorrect details and even people!

Thanks.

[dawnsh]

Hi Matt

Back to your original questions, they may or may not be buried adjacent to each other in the churchyard, depends I suppose on how many years and burials there were between deaths.

As to a headstone, could the family have afforded one? Even today, headstones are a huge expense.