SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

LS1 wrote: Just to be pedantic, do you mean grave in what we think of as being a headstone and that or just where someone was buried?There must be some 13th century ones somewhere from when Leeds was first chartered. Do they still survive somewhere?What about those on St Georges Fields are there still graves there or did they just clear all the headstones. My understanding was geavestone.As for actual graves then we are going much much further back than th 13th century.Leeds had been around a long time before the charter of 1207.Grave yards/burial areas,when they go out of use,eventually lbecome overgrown and eventually forgotten.There must be many an occasion when we are walking across a field,or even in a town,when we are walking over the site of an ancient burial area

chameleon wrote: 'My motives for going round graveyards are different to Jonesys.'Thing that worries me Chris is when Mrs Chameleon and her co-conspiritors go visiting these places looking for relatives with note books in hand - and a couple of shovels in the car boot Well DNA is the new big thing in Fam hist

LS1 wrote: Just to be pedantic, do you mean grave in what we think of as being a headstone and that or just where someone was buried?There must be some 13th century ones somewhere from when Leeds was first chartered. Do they still survive somewhere?What about those on St Georges Fields are there still graves there or did they just clear all the headstones. It must mean headstone, otherwise the answer is easy. It was the first human being to be buried within what is now Leeds, tens of thousands of years ago. I believe he was called Ugg.

Si wrote: LS1 wrote: Just to be pedantic, do you mean grave in what we think of as being a headstone and that or just where someone was buried?There must be some 13th century ones somewhere from when Leeds was first chartered. Do they still survive somewhere?What about those on St Georges Fields are there still graves there or did they just clear all the headstones. It must mean headstone, otherwise the answer is easy. It was the first human being to be buried within what is now Leeds, tens of thousands of years ago. I believe he was called Ugg. Any relation to F_ _ Lad?

This refers to old grave sites:"During the successive Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Ages, the farming economy developed and changed under the influences of climatic change, social organisation and technological advance. In the Leeds district, evidence for these changes is slight, although sites do exist, for example, in Hawksworth, where a number of probable Bronze Age burial monuments survive as earth works."from a topographical survey of Leeds.Gravestone wise you would be lucky to find anything pre 17th century in situ I would think.I am not aware of any Roman,Celtic of even saxon in situ although Adel Church has a Viking era "Hogsback" tombstone inside it near the altar.

Aye up! welcome back Mr jones wez th'a bin hiding??

In Adel there's a 1694 gravestone flat over a family grave of several members over 100 years onwards. That's the oldest DATED grave I can find - high rise job. Over at the Puritan Chapel in Bramhope I managed something around 1811 and the stone marks a series of family graves set out in a "northerly direction" - head to toe jobs.Dunno when gravestones came in, or wether they were removed after many years, for new tenants but 1694 seems to me the date to beat?Fun game this - at least it reminds you YOU are still alive so enjoy it and stop moaning........

Re the query about when did gravestones (ie that is the flat markers not tombs etc) appear I don't really know but can put the date a bit further back as I've seen one circa 1620 in Bradfield churchyard near Sheffield.The oldest tomb I've seen in a church in England is a Saxon one for a bishop - that was in Exeter Cathedral and is circa 1050.There's some objects in Durham Cathedral from around 600-650 AD but I can't remember if any were related to tombs etc and then there's Ripon Cathedral crypt which is also 7th century...not really a grave though in that case.

that went on twice because this bloody site is playing up again - what is it with this site? I don't think I've come across one that's so technically inept site in all my time on the internet!

Catweazle wrote: Re the query about when did gravestones (ie that is the flat markers not tombs etc) appear I don't really know but can put the date a bit further back as I've seen one circa 1620 in Bradfield churchyard near Sheffield. I have seen references to gravestones only really coming in after the reformation so given Wikipedia says that 1648 you did really well there.Adel church history confirms they have nothing before the 1694 one I saw.In St.Johns in Leeds I found a 1759.In the Parish church I found a 1730Just inside the vehicle entrance by the Palace Pub so many a seceret Leedser has walked within yards of that!!!!