Ilfracombe Holy Trinity Graveyard Community

09/11/2025

Ilfracombe's Herbert Karslake's Sanitary Heroes in Baghdad during WW1.

Herbert is front and centre, buried at Score Cemetery.

Many of them returned and are buried at Holy Trinity.

Holding the "O" is Pte Edwin Percival Stephens born in 1887. He was a popular School Boy at the Ilfracombe Council School in 1901, and passed the examination for a Junior Certificate at Oxford. A Draper like his father, he died of cholera in Iraq on October 21st 1917 and is remembered at Baghdad North Gate War Cemetery and on the Ilfracombe War Memorial.

lfracombe men of the RAMC.

I- C. Tuckwell.
L- H. Taylor.
F- T. Jones.
R- M. Luxmoore.
AC- L. Laramy.
O- E.P. Stephens.
M- Reg Rogers.
B- T. Gordon Scribbens.
E- G. Pennell.

Front Row:

Lance Corporal S.J. Smith.
Staff Sergeant Herbert Karslake.
Lance Corporal Dalling

© Graham Wills

12/09/2025

Rev Robert Dickinson Vicar of Ilfracombe

Rev Robert Dickinson preceded JM Chanter as the Vicar of Ilfracombe from 1804 to 1836.

His early history is vague although his obituary in 1836 describes him as “Formerly of Londong Staffordshire and Castlemorton Worcestershire."

Robert Dickinson was born about 1756, parents and location unknown. In 1779 he was ordained a Deacon and in 1780 a Priest by Bishop Beilby of Chester. (The Clergy Database) Beilby Porteus was the Bishop of London from 1787 to 1809.

Prior to coming to Holy Trinity Dickinson served at the Church of St Mary’s in Newington Butts. Newington Butts was a hamlet in rural Surrey and is now part of the London Borough of Southwark.

He was licensed as a Lecturer in 1797 on the approbation of Charles de Guiffardiere, Rector of St Mary’s. The following year he was being referred to in the newspapers as a Curate. The Clergy Database states “He was appointed Curate of St Mary’s in 1808, to be paid £75 per year plus £15 per year in lieu of a house.”

For almost forty years he was the Sunday Afternoon Lecturer at St Mary’s. “The mother and sister of the late Bishop were constant attendants at Newington Church during the whole time the Rev R Dickinson was able to attend to the duties of Curate and Lecturer. The Rev R Dickinson nominally held the lectureship until his death.” (NDJ March 3 1836) Beilby died in 1809.

It appears that Rev Dickinson became Vicar of Ilfracombe in 1804, however it’s possible that the Vicarage was vacant part of the time after the death of Emanuel May, Vicar from 1771 to 1804. Nesbitt writes: “Robert Dickinson Vicar, May 7th 1804. Patron Charles Guiffardiere, Canon of Salisbury.” Guiffardiere, the former Vicar of St Mary’s died in 1810. Dickinson was an absentee Vicar.

He married Cecilia Adams at St Mary’s in 1799. She died in 1816 age 46 at Parsonage Row, Newington Butts. His eldest son Robert William Dickinson, born at Newington Butts in 1800 became Ilfracombe’s Port Reeve and is remembered in the graveyard as the Vicar’s son.

His son Thomas died at Newington Butts in 1819 in his eighteenth year. His daughter Cecilia died at home in Parsonage Row also in her eighteenth year in 1821.

From 1819 Reverend Dickinson was described as the Vicar of Ilfracombe and Curate and Lecturer of St Mary’s Newington. His residence remained Parsonage Row Newington Butts.

In 1827 Rev Dickinson and his family moved to the Vicarage in Ilfracombe upon the death of his Curate, Richard Frazer Frizell AM. (Nesbitt) Rev Frizell had been the “Minister of the Parish of Ilfracombe” for twelve years. There is a memorial to Rev Frizell in the south-east corner of the church. (Wade)

This suggests that Dickinson was appointed to the living and employed a curate to do the parochial work. The rare duties which Rev Dickinson performed at Holy Trinity were the baptisms of his grand children who later installed the stained glass window pictured in his memory. “During his time the registers were signed by John Fosse, Francis I’ans, J Dovell, D Griffiths, R Frizell, ST May and Jay St Vincent Bowen.” (Nesbitt)

In his book Robert Nesbitt writes “In the early part of the nineteenth century the interior of the Church was in a shocking condition. At a Vestry Meeting held in May 1827 it was resolved that “the venerable building should undergo complete repair, and be improved and beautified. The Churchwardens were empowered to add new galleries to the present ones, alter and repair the several aisles, altarpiece, font, east window, west door &c. The former and even present state of this old structure has been a topic upon which visitors have animadverted.” [to speak out against]

“Very little, however, seems to have been done at that time, for when the Rev J M Chanter was instituted in 1836, the Church was still in a shocking condition.”

Nesbitt continues “The vestry was formerly in the north east corner of the Church, and the gallery over it was erected in 1826 at a cost of £52 6s 4d. In old drawings of the church the vestry chimney may be clearly seen.” This and the building of the Lee Chapel occurred during Rev Dickinson’s tenure.

Rev Dickinson reinstalled the organ after a lapse of a century and a half. “All existing church organs were doomed to destruction by a puritanical decree of the House of Lords, dated May 9, 1644 – there was again an organ in the Parish Church. It was set up in the central gallery at the west end, and was opened on Sunday morning, January 20, 1828 by Mr Edwards, the organist of St James Church, Bristol.” (Nesbitt)

Reverend Dickinson died in 1836 and was buried beneath the chancel at Holy Trinity. (Wade) He has likely been reinterred, location unknown. He was both Vicar of Ilfracombe and Sunday Afternoon Lecturer at St Mary’s until his death at the age of 80 years. JM Chanter became Vicar and served Holy Trinity for 51 years.

A four light stained glass window was erected in his memory by his grandchildren in 1880. (NDH June 3 1880) It depicts St John baptizing his followers in the Jordan River as Jesus approaches. St John declares “Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)

The twelve banners or scrolls in the upper section contain a passage from Revelations 14:13 “Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth that they may rest from their labours. Their works do follow them.”

It is located in the south aisle, second from the east end, the work of Messrs Camm Brothers of Smethwick. (Ilfracombe Chronicle June 5 1880)

Pictured are the upper panels of the Dickinson window with Revelations 14:13 transcribed from the twelve banners.

These are the transcriptions of the lower panels of the Dickinson window.

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD WHICH TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD

TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND ALSO TO THE MEMORY OF ROBERT DICKINSON OF THIS PARISH VICAR WHO DIED FEBRUARY 1836 AGED 80 YEARS.

Many thanks to Fr John for the photos. Blessings to Reverend Dickinson’s grandchildren for their beautiful addition to our church. Do take a closer look next time you’re in HT!

Mark Parr
Coast and Combe September 2025

15/08/2025

A Decade of Dedication: Thank You Erica

Regrettably, Erica Castle, who led the Graveyard Group for over a decade, has stepped down from her role to care for her elderly mother. Her dedication, energy and community spirit was the driving force behind the transformation of the Holy Trinity graveyard—work that began in earnest in 2014, when Erica first learned of the need to make the War Graves accessible ahead of the WW1 centenary commemorations.

Thanks to Erica’s tireless efforts to recruit volunteers and engage local groups—including generous helpings of doughnuts and appreciation for the Community Payback team—the severely overgrown and unmanaged two-acre site was gradually restored and beautifully maintained. The graveyard went on to receive prestigious awards from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (Devon’s Best Churchyard Competition) and Britain in Bloom.

Under Erica’s stewardship, the graveyard became not just a place of remembrance, but a peaceful public space visited by locals and tourists alike. It has welcomed visitors from Ireland and Belgium who came to honour their nationals buried there, and descendants from across the UK and all over the world who came to pay their respects. Many others who couldn’t visit in person contacted Erica who went above and beyond to send them photographs and research about their ancestors’ lives.

Modest donations from the community and descendants helped cover basic costs of fuel and wire for strimmers and equipment maintenance but more often than not, volunteers reached into their own pockets.

Beyond maintaining access to the 2,500 graves, the group also:
• Cleared and maintained walkways for church services
• Prepared and decorated the War Graves for Remembrance Sunday
• Pruned trees overhanging nearby roads
• Took part in church events with stalls and crafts
• Planted wildflowers, vegetables and decorative beds
• Installed bird feeders, nesting boxes and wildlife habitats to encourage
biodiversity in “God’s Acre”.

Vandalism has been a recurring challenge with graves desecrated, the notice board and benches damaged and even the security camera stolen. Fly-tipping has added to the burden.

One long-standing issue has been the misuse of the graveyard as a dog park. While many dog owners act responsibly, some feel entitled to allow dogs to run off-lead, damage flower beds and leave behind waste. Aside from being unpleasant, this becomes a health hazard as dogs’ mess is trodden in, it gets knelt in and on hands when weeding, and strimmers throw it onto volunteers’ faces and clothing.

There is a legal responsibility for all UK graveyards to ensure gravestones are secure and not hazardous to the public. With limited funds, the only realistic way to manage this is through regular safety checks—laying flat any unstable stones to prevent accidents. This too fell to the volunteers.

When Erica stepped back, no one felt able to take on the leadership of the group. Many of the volunteers have since joined Ilfracombe in Bloom, led by Steve Trebble.

It was because of Erica’s passion and encouragement that I began researching the stories behind the gravestones and sharing them on the Graveyard Group’s page—also run by Erica. These stories often began with the inscriptions on the stones and with further research grew into something much bigger. Some became the inspiration for “Dead Famous” -- theatre performances held in the graveyard by Studio Theatre Ilfracombe -- which Erica helped to coordinate.

With her support, I began writing monthly graveyard articles for Coast and Combe in 2020, and last September I became its editor.

On behalf of all who’ve had the privilege of working alongside her, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to Erica and the many volunteers who have given their years of service to keep our graveyard open, welcoming, and cared for. You’ve inspired us all and your leadership will be greatly missed.

Mark Parr
Coast and Combe
August 2025

24/03/2025

What? The Dickinsons?

Once enclosed by a wrought iron fence and surrounded by white stones are the handsome gravestones of Sir John Hesketh Lethbridge and his daughter Grace Catherine, pictured in the late 1800’s. Located next to the path between the church and the graveyard they hold a prominent position at the beginning of the first row of the New Graveyard.

Today the plot is missing its fencing, the remains visible in the kerbstones surrounding the burial plot. A footstone has broken and the gravestones have lost their former lustre. Parts of the inscriptions are hidden by time.

Curiously, there are now two more gravestones: one belonging to Robert William Dickinson and his children Cecilia Susan and Lansdowne Macroft. Robert was the son of Rev Dickinson, Vicar of Ilfracombe from 1804 - 1836.

The second stone is a poem by William Cowper inscribed without any familial reference. The two stones appear to have been tossed in as an afterthought.

I looked for a connection between the two families that could explain the juxtaposition of their graves. There isn’t one! Robert William died in 1848 while Sir John didn’t arrive in Ilfracombe until 1867.

Given that the Dickinsons died in the 1840’s one might assume that they were interred there first. The earlier photo tells a different story! Not to mention that the New Graveyard wasn’t opened until 1868. These are misplaced stones, interlopers if you will.

Robert William and his two children were indeed interred at Holy Trinity, but not where their gravestone is located. The gravestone pictured is more likely a memorial removed from inside Holy Trinity during renovations or relocated from elsewhere in the graveyard. In someone’s mind, the space surrounding the two Lethbridge memorials was a convenient resting place for these two stones. As actual graves, they would be too close for comfort!

Another curious feature of the Dickinson memorial is that the inscription covers the top half of the stone, leaving room for future additions below. Two of Robert’s children and three grandchildren are buried elsewhere in the graveyard; we may never know why their names were not appended.

Mark Parr
Holy Trinity Graveyard Group
Coast & Combe March 2024

06/03/2025

Nuns on the Run

Two refugees of religious persecution are buried in the graveyard of Holy Trinity Church in Ilfracombe Devon. Sister Marie de Saint Bernard and Sister Saint Anaclet were members of a Roman Catholic order from Brittany known as the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception of Saint-Méen-le-Grand.

They were part of a “peaceful invasion of our shores by exiled monks and nuns” leaving France in the early 1900’s after being banned from teaching.

Sister Marie de Saint Bernard was born Marie Jeanne Segalen in Plabennec, Brittany in 1864 to a very pious family. She entered the Noviciate in 1881 at the age of 16 and made her final vows in 1888. Sister Marie was the second Mother Superior of the Convent in Torrs Park. For almost 70 years it was the home of the Ilfracombe Convent of the Immaculate Conception serving as a school and boarding house.

Sister Saint Anaclet was born Ernestine Garnier in 1879 in the commune of Fleurigne, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany. She became a nun in 1900 at the age of 21 and was among the first of her order to arrive in Ilfracombe.

Their arrival was part of a larger “friendly invasion” by other orders of Catholic monks and nuns from France. While generally welcomed, albeit with some curiosity and suspicion, even hostility, the refugees were turned away from Roman Catholic countries such as Spain, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Italy.

Four sisters came to Ilfracombe in 1903 and rented The Beacon, a 28 room Boarding House where they planted a vegetable garden and set up a hen house. They were followed by six more sisters including the first Mother Superior, Sister Eustelle Marie, and Sister Anaclet. They taught Catechism and French and took in lady boarders.

In 1905 the sisters moved their Convent to the 19 room Garth House, the uppermost of six gothic homes designed by W.C. Oliver and built by Shapland and Petter of Barnstaple in the 1880s.

The sisters began a Convent School for girls in 1905 and established a Mission School funded by the profit from the guest house in 1907.

In 1912 the sisters acquired the block of two houses adjacent to the Convent: Glen Tor (Boarding House) and Torrs Vale (School). This allowed for an increase in boarders and day scholars with preparatory classes for boys aged between four and ten. (North Devon Herald Aug 8, 1912)

A high school operated between 1912 and 1972. The sisters stopped taking boys over the age of 13 in 1953. Many students passed their Oxford Local Examinations indicating the quality of their education.

A new Chapel was added to the south and an extension was added at the north end of the Convent. The extension was a gymnasium which joined Torrs Vale to Garth House and had a stage for performances of theatre, music and dance by the students and for lectures by visiting speakers. The Chapel and gymnasium have since been demolished.

Sister Marie de Saint Bernard, the Convent’s Mother Superior, died at the Royal Devon Exeter hospital on Friday March 27 1914 at the age of 49 following an operation. She entered the religious life at the age of sixteen and had been the Superior of a Convent in France prior to succeeding Sister Eustelle in 1912. She was “greatly beloved by all with whom she came in contact.” At her funeral Father Hurley spoke of “her saintly life, and the religious spirit in which she bore her sufferings and prepared for death.” It had been her wish to die on a Friday. (Ilfracombe Gazette April 3 1914)

She was buried at Holy Trinity, at that time the only consecrated ground for burials. She asked to be buried in the corner nearest the Convent so that the sisters could see her grave from their windows, a tenth of a mile distant.

Sister Saint Anaclet died of pulmonary congestion in February 1924 at the age of 45 and was buried with Sister Marie de St Bernard at Holy Trinity.

In 1937 the sisters purchased Southcliffe, next door to Glen Tor. Southcliffe was sold in 1951, the sisters keeping the lower part of the garden as a right of way from Osborne Street to their adjacent properties.

The nuns taught boarders and local students for almost seventy years. The Convent closed in 1972 when the school was no longer fit for purpose in the modern world and the demand for places decreased as Ilfracombe also changed.

The Ilfracombe Convent became a nursing home and is now The Regency, a Grade II listed building. A display of photographs in a former classroom acknowledges its history as a Convent. Its restoration is a testament to Ilfracombe’s Victorian past.

The grave of the two sisters at Holy Trinity memorialise the religious exiles from France who devoted their lives to teaching and to their Congregation. While the presence of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in Ilfracombe has faded over time, the work of the Congregation continues in other countries and the memories of former teachers and students linger to this day.

A COMPLETE VERSION OF THE ABOVE TOGETHER WITH 15 RARE PHOTOGRAPHS, ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPS AND NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENTS IS AVAILABLE AS A 16 PAGE BOOKLET AT HOLY TRINITY AND ST PETER'S. THE COST IS £1.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception of St Méen-le-Grand, the Ilfracombe Museum, the Ilfracombe History Forum and The Regency for their kind assistance.

Mark Parr
Holy Trinity Graveyard Group

10/12/2024

Come and see us at the Holy Trinity Christmas Fayre this Saturday and paint a hanging decoration for your tree🎄🎅🏻

09/11/2024

One of our volunteer gardeners has found this photo which originally belonged to her Nan.
The wall doesn’t look high enough to be Holy Trinity but is it? Does anyone know where it could be?

06/11/2024

01/11/2024

Sign is up at the Lytch gate. Hoping for more to cover all access points 🎉🎉🎉

27/09/2024

STARTING SOON!

21/09/2024

Thomas Chiswell Esq.

In 1840 Thomas Chiswell (brother of John Phillips Chiswell) owned six freehold properties bounded by High Street to the north, Springfield Road to the west, the Oxford Grove car park to the south and Meridian Place to the east. His property included Adelaide Terrace and The Lawn in front. (Tithe Map of 1840)

Adelaide Terrace is one of the few surviving examples of Georgian architecture in Ilfracombe. The Terrace comprises eight attached homes which have seen a variety of owners and tenants in the past 183 years.

The original four homes were built in 1835 and jointly owned by Thomas and William Gard, a builder and mason. An advertisement in 1844 for one of those homes by William Gard described the Terrace:

“This Terrace, comprising only Four Houses, is substantially and elegantly built, having the appearance of one noble mansion.
“There is a spacious flagged terrace in front, with a beautiful sloping lawn and shrubbery [The Lawn], and although the situation is quite private, it is not above 300 yards from the centre of town.” (NDJ October 10, 1844)

Adelaide Terrace comprised four tithe plots. In addition to the four homes on the plot jointly owned by Chiswell and Gard, Thomas owned two plots where three additional homes would be built in a matching Georgian style during the 1860’s. A fourth home was built at the west end of the Terrace on a plot owned by Samuel Clarke. Thomas died in 1850 and left most of his freehold properties to his nephew Thomas Chiswell who was perhaps responsible for their construction.

Thomas Esq.’s other tithe plots included five houses and offices [127-131 High Street], a timber yard [124-126 High Street] and a garden. The Lawn was jointly owned by Thomas and Edward Wren. (Tithe Map of 1840)

Of Thomas’ former properties, Adelaide Terrace, 132 and 133 High Street have a Grade II designation. (Historic England)

The illustrated map shows the original layout of Adelaide Terrace with its circular driveway leading from “The Bank” on the High Street. The Bank was an embankment on the south side of the road where hackney carriages would await their fares. It extended from the Queen’s Hotel to Meridian Place and was removed in 1934. (Nick Mollart, Ilfracombe Museum)

The entrances to Adelaide Terrace and Springfield Road were rerouted as shown on the Goggle map.

This photo from the 1800’s shows “The Bank” leading up to Springfield Road at the top of the bank on the right and to the narrow lane to Adelaide Terrace just beyond. (Nick Mollart, Ilfracombe Museum)

Thomas was christened at Ilfracombe in 1778, the younger brother of master mariner John Phillips Chiswell, sons of John Chiswell and Elizabeth Phillips.

At the age of sixteen Thomas was a carpenter’s apprentice to Master William Tucker of Ilfracombe. (Britain Country Apprentices 1710-1808)

While owning properties in Ilfracombe, Thomas located to Woolwich (London) in the early 1830’s.

In 1834 Thomas was elected a member of the Woolwich Board of Commissioners and a member of the Court of Requests, positions he held until 1848 and 1846 respectively.

Boards of Commissioners performed a similar role to Ilfracombe’s Board of Health with responsibilities for streets, sanitation, water, drainage, nuisances and gas until they were replaced by urban district councils.

A Court of Requests was similar to a Small Claims Court for the speedy recovery of small debts. They were established in 1835 and were replaced in 1847 by the County Courts.

Thomas was absent from Woolwich between 1835 and 1841, residing in Ilfracombe in the Census of 1841 as “Independent” living on High Street next door to his nephew Thomas on the High Street. Perhaps he returned to construct the first four houses at Adelaide Terrace with William Gard and his nephew Thomas. He resumed his positions in Woolwich later in 1841.

At the age of 70 Thomas married Mary Ann Pellatt, aged 40, in London on June 30 1849. Her father Francis Pellatt was the Storekeeper of the military ordnance depot at Weedon Bec, Northants. Thomas may have met Mary Ann through her brother Francis who served as the Superintendent of the Royal Carriage Department until his promotion to Storekeeper of the Woolwich Royal Arsenal in 1855. Francis and Thomas were both members of the Woolwich Board of Commissioners during the 1840’s. It was Thomas who proposed Francis as a member.

Returning to Ilfracombe after his marriage Thomas died ten months later at the age of 71 on April 26 1850.

Thomas left bequests of £500 to his wife Mary Ann, £100 to his brother John Phillips, £50 each to his nephew Thomas, his nieces Mary and Hannah, his faithful servant Sarah and several others. Fifty pounds in 1850 had a purchasing power of about £8,400 today.

His freehold properties in Ilfracombe were left to his nephew Thomas with the exception of the dwelling houses of his wife Mary Ann and his brother John Phillips who received them for life. He left his nephew Thomas his tools and his books on architecture and carpentry.

Thomas is buried at Holy Trinity (T14) with his nephew Samuel (1801-1908) and Samuel’s wife Charlotte (1827-1916).

His wife Mary Ann appears to be missing from the 1851 Census. However in 1861 she was a 52 year old Fund Holder living with her nine year old nephew Frank Suthery in Chesham Buckinghamshire not far from where her mother and father had farmed 220 acres at Thorn Farm in Ashley Green.

Her husband’s “valuable leasehold properties” in East Wickham (London) were auctioned in 1878 by the trustees of his estate. They included four houses, a building plot and four cottages. The solicitor was Frank Suthery. (London Evening Standard July 11, 1878)

Mary Ann lived in Islington from 1871 until her death in 1890. She is buried at Highgate Cemetery in London. She left an estate of £3,549; worth over half a million pounds today. Her executor was her nephew, solicitor Frank Pellatt Suthery.

Not only did his wife benefit from his estate, but Thomas Chiswell Esq. ensured that his brother, sister-in-law, nieces and nephews were well looked after. For Ilfracombe, his lasting legacy is Adelaide Terrace.

Mark Parr
Holy Trinity Graveyard Group
Coast & Combe September 2024

[Many thanks to Fr John Roles, Erica Castle, Nick Mollart and the Ilfracombe Museum for their kind assistance.]