What's Inside a Head?

As I walk around Roman Catholic cemeteries and RC plots in other cemeteries, I see many, what I describe as ceramic, portraits of Jesus and Mary affixed to headstones. On many occasions, I see what remains after they have crumbled away. I always thought they were empty but a recent visit to St Joseph's RC Cemetery in Moston, Manchester provided examples of the interiors of these heads. First a few images of more complete examples, Then some examples of the contents . . .

A Very Ornate Headstone

Some of the headstones in Weaste Cemetery, Salford are very ornate. This example impressed me a lot, especially the flanking angels at the top.

Grave Art

Wandering around Philips Park Cemetery in Manchester, recently, I came across some very fine examples of Grave Art and Symbolism on many of the headstones. They provide a lasting tribute to the skill of the stonemasons who worked on them, and whose names are often inscribed on the base of the reverse side of the stone. Here are several examples of Clasped Hands. This symbol has several meanings, including Farewell and Hope that those separated by the death will meet again in eternity.

Two Fingers

A visit to Manchester's Philips Park Cemetery produced some interesting graves, not least of which was the Lusitania Disaster victims gravestone. I photographed a number of variants of hands on headstones and found something I had not seen before. Two fingers on a hand pointing down. Looking closer at the stone, I found that a husband and wife had died two months apart in 1911. I wonder if the family requested that two fingers were carved to notify that there were two of them? Sadly their Soldier son was to die of wounds received in France, four years later. Interestingly, I am having trouble in finding out details of his death . . .

Alfred Jones died 16 Jan 1911aged 54 years, while his wife Eliza died on 17 March 1911 aged 50.