{"id":2467,"date":"2023-10-08T10:57:46","date_gmt":"2023-10-08T10:57:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/?p=2467"},"modified":"2025-07-15T15:22:34","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T14:22:34","slug":"st-cuthberts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/","title":{"rendered":"St Cuthbert’s Church"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

St Cuthbert\u2019s Church, Carlisle \u2013 a post about the church, and about memorial inscriptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St Cuthbert\u2019s church may be in the shadow of the lovely cathedral (and the literal shadows of the back walls of shops in English Street). But it is a little Georgian gem inside. And its historic churchyard is a pleasant spot to sit and reflect on life. Possibly (respectfully!) with a plastic glass of wine from the neighbouring Sportsman inn, officially the oldest recorded pub in the city<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The state management system of public houses in Carlisle is a topic in itself. But, back to the church…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St Cuthbert\u2019s…<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n

…has a unique moving pulpit, a fourteenth century window, a window commemorating our hospitality to a Latvian Lutheran congregation, and a very attractive series of windows depicting the life of St Cuthbert. It is open every day from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm (see above). Our motto is: “Christian Hospitality\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nSource HERE<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The present church was built in 1778. And the churchyard closed to burials in 1856.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can read why in this post<\/a> (Caldewgate churchyard was another that closed that year).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1889, the Carlisle Patriot<\/em> lamented that this was \u2018a whole generation ago\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Lamented,\u2019 because it meant there were few living people with close connection to those buried there, and very few who cared enough to <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u2018bestow on them a periodical coat of paint, as was formerly done pretty regularly\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u2018The consequence is that damp and frost run unchecked their career and every severe winter sees the surface of one or other grave stone shell silently fall off, and the inscription deposits itself on the ground in a heap of sand and scales.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Patriot was writing about a new book just published, of memorial inscriptions in the church and churchyard of St Cuthbert, which numbered about 550 inscriptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memorial inscriptions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So useful to family historians, they can give us information we cannot get elsewhere. For instance, we may find deaths recorded in parish registers, but when they are just \u20181785. John Sewell, buried July 17,\u2019 we have no way to know if this was the John Sewell we are looking for. Or his cousin or his father or his son\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memorial inscriptions can confirm we have the right person. And give us so much more, if they include other members of the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people today realise their value and transcribe what is left \u2013 you can find a lot of Cumbrian churchyards covered in publications (downloadable PDFs) sold by Cumbria Family History Socie<\/a>ty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But visit any old churchyard today and you can see how \u2018damp and frost have run unchecked their career\u2019. Indeed, there are graves I (thankfully) have family photos of taken at most 40 years ago that are barely legible today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back to St Cuthbert\u2019s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Patriot was writing 134 years ago, but even then:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Very few (memorials) are older than the present church (ie 1778)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In fact, THAT degradation was far from recent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Bishop Nicolson, in his miscellany accounts of the diocese, 1703 \u2026says “the gravestones are shabby or broken, the graves unlevelled.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Patriot\u2019s view will resonate with any family historian today:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t a case of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u2018the names of obscure dead<\/em>\u2019:\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u2018..this book may preserve important links in the pedigrees of heroes and heroines as yet unborn\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

You can find a copy of the 1889 MIs book in Carlisle Archives<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those that remained in 1889<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Patriot says the book included \u2018names well known in Carlisle in the last century\u2019: Atkinson, Armstrong, Backhouse, Barnes, Beaumont, Beck, Blacklock, Blamire, Boustead, Carrick, Carruthers, Carlyle, Connell, Elliott, Ferguson, Graham, Halton, Hodgson, Liddells, Losh, Mounsey, Robinson, Sewell, Sowerby, Stubbs<\/strong>, \u2018and etc\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It singled out those that pre-dated the Georgian church (which is likely the fourth built on the site, by the way):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

There is one to Alderman and Town Clerk Pearson, dated 1774, and another to Alderman Pears, dated 1772, a third to Alderman Backhouse, dated 1765.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Post-1856<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

St Cuthbert\u2019s churchyard may have been closed to burials in 1856, but there were a few exceptions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

From a note we gather that the last interment in the churchyard before it was closed in 1856 was Mr T. A. Kendale, of Henry Street. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since that time Fawcett and Mr Ferguson have been interred under orders granted by the Home Secretary. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Which Mr Ferguson, the Patriot doesn\u2019t say. Nor can I find a T A Kendale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reverend John Fawcett<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I thought \u2018Fawcett\u2019 (from elsewhere in the article) had to be the Rev John Fawcett. But he actually died in 1851. (His widow Eleanor died in 1857, perhaps she was granted the exception, to be buried with her husband?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Fawcett was 83 and had been perpetual curate of St Cuthbert\u2019s for some 50 years. He died on December 4, having preached his last sermon on November 23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
This simple stone honours the Reverend John Fawcett and his wife Eleanor Fawcett<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He was buried at St Cuthbert\u2019s on December 12. Shops closed for three hours, spectators lined the streets, and the funeral procession included the mayor and councillors and \u2018upwards of 200 citizens\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadly, the fact the mayor etc wore their civic robes and carried the Corporation sword and mace wasn\u2019t universally approved of. And led to a debate, a week or so later, on whether or not they should do the same at the funeral of the late Alderman Steel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The James Steel statue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mind you, there were (in august 1856) councillors who were opposed to a statue of James Steel being erected in the city centre \u2013 objecting that the fish market had been pulled down to clear the site, and if they put up a statue to one worthy man, everyone would want one!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I shall revisit James Steel at some point. Meanwhile, you can see the statue in this post<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

St Cuthbert\u2019s Church, Carlisle \u2013 a post about the church, and about memorial inscriptions. St Cuthbert\u2019s church may be in the shadow of the lovely cathedral (and the literal shadows of the back walls of shops in English Street). But it is a little Georgian gem inside. And its historic churchyard is a pleasant spot […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2468,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,2],"tags":[41],"class_list":["post-2467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cumbria-history","category-family-history","tag-carlisle"],"yoast_head":"\nSt Cuthbert's Church - Cumbrian Characters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"St Cuthbert\u2019s Church, Carlisle, is a little Georgian gem. A look at the church \u2013 and memorial inscriptions, for people tracing family history.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"St Cuthbert's Church - Cumbrian Characters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"St Cuthbert\u2019s Church, Carlisle, is a little Georgian gem. A look at the church \u2013 and memorial inscriptions, for people tracing family history.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cumbrian Characters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-10-08T10:57:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-15T14:22:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/St-Cuthberts-contrast.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"316\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"HarrietP\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GnaOxdown\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GnaOxdown\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"HarrietP\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"St Cuthbert's Church - Cumbrian Characters","description":"St Cuthbert\u2019s Church, Carlisle, is a little Georgian gem. A look at the church \u2013 and memorial inscriptions, for people tracing family history.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"St Cuthbert's Church - Cumbrian Characters","og_description":"St Cuthbert\u2019s Church, Carlisle, is a little Georgian gem. A look at the church \u2013 and memorial inscriptions, for people tracing family history.","og_url":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/","og_site_name":"Cumbrian Characters","article_published_time":"2023-10-08T10:57:46+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-07-15T14:22:34+00:00","og_image":[{"width":400,"height":316,"url":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/St-Cuthberts-contrast.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"HarrietP","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@GnaOxdown","twitter_site":"@GnaOxdown","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"HarrietP","Estimated reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/"},"author":{"name":"HarrietP","@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ca7d1ea06be5c263e8aaedf7f4af34c7"},"headline":"St Cuthbert’s Church","datePublished":"2023-10-08T10:57:46+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-15T14:22:34+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/"},"wordCount":957,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ca7d1ea06be5c263e8aaedf7f4af34c7"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/St-Cuthberts-contrast.jpg","keywords":["Carlisle"],"articleSection":["Cumbria history","family history"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/","url":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/","name":"St Cuthbert's Church - Cumbrian Characters","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/St-Cuthberts-contrast.jpg","datePublished":"2023-10-08T10:57:46+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-15T14:22:34+00:00","description":"St Cuthbert\u2019s Church, Carlisle, is a little Georgian gem. A look at the church \u2013 and memorial inscriptions, for people tracing family history.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/St-Cuthberts-contrast.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/St-Cuthberts-contrast.jpg","width":400,"height":316,"caption":"St Cuthbert's, Carlisle, Cumbrian Characters, memorial inscriptions, Fawcett,"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/st-cuthberts\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"St Cuthbert’s Church"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/","name":"Cumbrian Characters","description":"Family history is so much more than names and dates","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ca7d1ea06be5c263e8aaedf7f4af34c7"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ca7d1ea06be5c263e8aaedf7f4af34c7","name":"HarrietP","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Harriet-CoA-avatar-1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Harriet-CoA-avatar-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Harriet-CoA-avatar-1.jpg","width":1200,"height":800,"caption":"HarrietP"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Harriet-CoA-avatar-1.jpg"},"description":"Journalist and amateur genealogist","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.pinterest.co.uk\/harrietpears\/","https:\/\/x.com\/GnaOxdown"],"url":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/author\/harriet\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2467"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2473,"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2467\/revisions\/2473"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}