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The Legend of Fig Tree Tomb Guide to The Fig Tree Tomb was a popular tourist attraction in Victorian times. Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Legend claims that the person buried there was an atheist, who had Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting difference for heritage, St Mary’s asked that something be buried in the tomb that could germinate if people and communities across the UK and help build a resilient there was life after death. heritage economy. Tombs The existence of God was proved by a fig tree that grew up from the From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural tomb, dislodging the lid. This strange sight drew visitors to the environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our graveyard, to hear the story and take a twig as a souvenir. The fig diverse heritage. Across the East of we have awarded over tree has long since gone, but the tomb and the legend remains. £370 million to more than 3,300 projects since 1994. Website: www.hlf.org.uk

St Mary’s Church is a vibrant Anglican community in the heart of . The Church organises a wide range of services, concerts and other events. Website: www.stmaryswatford.org

Additional funding and support for this project was provided by and . For further information on the history of the memorial structures and the restoration project, please visit the Museum’s website. If you are interested in getting involved in future events relating to the green space in St Mary’s, please contact the Museum. Telephone: 01923 232297 Email: [email protected] Website: www.watfordmuseum.org.uk “A wooded vista” - St Mary's Churchyard in 1951 St Mary’s - History Our Restoration Work

• t Mary’s Church is Grade I listed and is the oldest building in he primary methods of decay the Borough of Watford, making it the primary focus of the responsible for undermining town’s ecclesiastical history. There is evidence that there was a churchyard monuments are church here in the 12th century. vegetation, subsidence and decaying iron fixings widely used as structural ties in Situated prominently within the graveyard are churchyard monuments. thirteen memorials. Nine of these are nationally listed chest tombs and one is locally Ivy and other types of creepers can overtake entire monuments. As growth occurs, listed. Of the rest, two tombs have been sections may be pushed apart and cause damage to footings and foundations. The typical reconstructed from piles of stones, and one is characteristics of a graveyard, incorporating large underground caverns, leave the a nationally listed headstone. Of these tombs grounds very susceptible to movement and subsidence. This can cause side panels to it has been possible to identify from their twist and warp and joints to weaken. The iron fixings used decay over time as they are inscriptions the names of most of the families. exposed to changes in weather and temperature. As they rust and corrode they The social history associated with the expand, which lacing pressure on joints. In some cases this causes areas of stone to memorials is important because they relate to crack and separate. a number of significant residents of the Parish Any conservation or restoration treatment includes a thorough examination of the of Watford who were influential in the object(s) and a condition report is produced highlighting the main problems and development of the town as an industrial centre. concerns and making recommendations for treatment. These include the Dyson family, founders of the brewery that evolved into the Benskins The conservation and restoration treatments included a thorough examination of the brewery; the Clutterbuck family, one of whom wrote the objects and a condition report was produced that highlighted the main challenges and “History of ”, and the Finch family who solutions. IN MEMORY OF were associated with Frogmore House. GEORGE E.D DONEY A team from Sally Strachey Historic Conservation undertook the A Native of Virginia restoration work and used the (who died 44 Years discharged following processes: George Edward Doney the duties of a faithful honest servant to • Removal of damaging vegetation; The headstone dated 1809 is that of the Earls of ) • Dismantling of unsafe structures; George Edward Doney - a loyal servant to he died 3rd September, 1809 • Removal of all iron fixings; the who • Rebuilding on firm footings; lived at Poor Edward blest the pirate • Installing new core material; House in Watford. Bark which bore His captive Infancy from • Rebuilding monuments with stainless He was born in Gambia Gambia’s shore steel fixings; and sold into slavery. To where in willing servitude • Careful cleaning of surfaces; He later earned his he won • Repairing surface detail with lime freedom and came to Those blest rewards for mortars to improve legibility; Watford as a free man. every duty done Kindness and praise the • Re-pointing with lime mortars, in some This headstone is of wages of the Heart. cases adding a final protective lime national significance and None else to HIM could joy shelter-coat. represents a notable or pride impart And gave him, born a Pagan Great care and attention to detail was aspect of the social and a slave, used throughout, particularly where history of the town. A Freeman’s , and monuments were being dismantled and a Christain’s grave. rebuilt. Top photo: Before restoration work began. Main photo: After restoration work finished. THE TOMBS ᕩ ᕨ µ ¹ ¸ ᕦ Ƹ ᕧ ᕥ ᕡ ᕤ ᕢ ᕣ H T w T e W o e n w e l q w a e r w u t p t n f i f . h o r

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a o . 2 2 . o r o 9 v D r d r 7 g e g T . . u u k k ᕡ Shipton/Finch Tomb ᕥ Dundas Tomb µ Holliday Tomb The Shiptons and Finches The Dundas tomb contains the late James Dundas and his While preparing for the start of the restoration project, the buried here represent the wife Christian who lived locally in . James conservation team removed the overgrown shrubbery in the earliest burials found in any was the commander of the ship ‘Earl Fitzwilliam’ in the Churchyard and discovered a significant pile of stone. This has of the chest tombs, with service of the East India Company, one of several people since been identified as the tomb of members of the Holliday, Isaac Finch Junior dying in from Watford who served in India. Also present is their Sparrow and Baily families. 1725, six years before eldest daughter Heriott Dundas who died aged just nine in The complete inscriptions can be found in Cussans “History of his father. 1786. Hertfordshire”. They are all described as being of , and The Finches can be died between 1779 and 1851, but it is not known why traced in the Watford area from ᕦ Deacon/Stracy Tomb they were buried here. The tomb has now been entirely as early as the 17th century, rebuilt. and in particular in the 18th and The name Deacon may be familiar to the people of 19th centuries when they are connected Watford as the road name ‘Deacons Hill’, which with Frogmore House in the Lower High runs between Wiggenhall Road and Eastbury Road, ¸ Dalton/Guest Tomb Street (itself the subject of a restoration is named after the Deacon family who for many A directory for 1832 suggests that Christopher Dalton, project). generations lived in Watford. who is buried here, was the miller at the town’s mill in The Deacons intermarried with many local families the Lower High Street. ᕢ The “Fig Tree” Tomb including the Stracys, some of whose descendants are also buried here. However, by 1850 he was listed as “Christopher A tomb of Portland stone, though sadly the Dalton Esquire” which suggests that he may have gone inscription was carved on slate which was no ᕧ Firth Tomb up in the world socially. Certainly he married the longer legible, even in the time of the local daughter of John Guest from the . John 19th century historians. Although the original inscription for this tomb has is buried here also, with his wife and daughter. The family not been traced, the name ‘William Firth’ is visible may have given their name to Dalton House in the High on the ledger stone when wet. Street. ᕣ Fawcett Tomb The Fawcett Tomb contains the body of John Fawcett ᕨ Morrison Tomb ¹ Clutterbuck Tomb and his wife Mary. John is described as “late of this The first Clutterbuck we know of was Thomas the town” but little is known about him. From its inscription, we have identified that the bodies buried in the Morrison Tomb are that of Elizabeth, who Elder who came to Watford from to There was an “apothecary” (a dispensing chemist) died in 1772, and Ralph Morrison, who died in 1780. work as a land agent for the Earl of Essex. He and named John Fawcett listed in the 1792 trade directory his wife are buried here, as well as his son, also who might be the one buried here. Unlike other tombs in the Churchyard, this has part of named Thomas, who built this memorial to his its inscription in Latin. There is, no known connection wife Sarah. They had twelve children, with the Morrisons at . described on the tomb as “Twelve pledges of ᕤ Harty Tomb their mutual affection”. Dyson Tomb The Harty tomb contains the remains of William Harty, ᕩ As one of these children had eleven children there were a lot a resident of the town, who died in 1794 aged 70. of Clutterbucks in the area. One of them, Robert the Elder who John Dyson, brewer, who is buried here, saw the Also buried here is his son, William, who is lived at Watford House, wrote a “”. potential of a site in the Lower High Street, now 194 described as “late of Kingston, Jamaica”. High Street. He bought the house that was already Other members of the family are also buried here. there and built a new brewery on the land behind it. Ƹ George Edward Doney’s grave Prior to the restoration project, the front His son John continued the business but when he inscription on the tomb was barely visible and the died the house and the business was sold to Joseph In a separate part of the Churchyard is the grave of George tomb itself had been completely covered by Benskin whose children continued to run and expand Edward Doney, a freed slave who originally came from Gambia plants and bushes. the brewery. and who worked for 44 years as a servant in the home of the 5th Earl of Essex. The house is now Watford Museum. The other members of the Dyson family buried here are from another branch of the family and farmed at Tolpits in West Watford.