LOVED AND WERE LOVED:  SEARCH FOR THE DESCENDANTS OF THE ENGLISH BURIED IN THE ALPHONSE KARR CEMETERY IN SAINT RAPHAEL

 

Contrary to popular belief, in France perpetual concessions are everlasting only if they are maintained in good condition.  If the graves present signs of dilapidation that spoil the aesthetic of the cemetery they are considered to be in a state of abandon and may be reclaimed by the town. About fifty graves belonging to English families in the Alphonse Karr Cemetery of Saint Raphael are in this category: some monuments are broken or dirty, the iron railings are rusted or twisted, the tomb stones are broken or worn and the names are barely legible. The town of Saint Raphael, which is responsible for maintaining good order in the cemetery, began the procedure of reclaiming the tombs in November 2008.  An inventory of the tombs is underway.

 

The priority of the commune at present is finding descendants of the person buried, or of the owners of the concession, which generally comes to the same thing.  The tombs that are restored and maintained in a satisfactory condition will not be disturbed. Those that can be considered as in a state of abandon, including the concessions that were originally granted ‘in perpetuity’, will disappear.

 

The difficulties of finding descendants are numerous. Many of those buried in Alphonse Karr were bachelors, spinsters or otherwise childless. Possible relatives would live far from Saint Raphael, most probably in Great Britain, perhaps further away. In addition, for those that were buried between 1892 and 1930, family members would now be of the fourth or fifth generation.  However with the recent interest in genealogy and the facility of finding birth, marriage and death certificates on line, it is hoped that a few descendants may be located through Internet. The purpose of this article is to put the names of the English buried in the Alphonse Karr Cemetery on the World Wide Web and hope that family members will come across the names of their ancestors through a search engine and make enquiries about how they may be able to save the graves. A preliminary list follows this article.

 

The commune has stated its desire to take measures to protect tombs that have an architectural or a historical interest. The tomb of Percy Crohan, marked by a limestone cross decorated with interlacing Celtic motifs, is listed by the cultural affairs ministry (DRAC).  Those of  Henry Parker, Amédée Baillot de Guerville and Sydney Bentall are worth preserving for the contributions these men made to the development of Saint Raphael in the last century.  Others, such as the Admiral Sir E. S. Poe, K.C.B. and G.C.V.O., Commander of the British Fleet in the Mediterranean from 1910 to 1912 and former aide de camp to both Queen Victoria and to King George V, marked the history of their own country. For the complete article about the English men and women buried in the Alphonse Karr cemetery of Saint Raphael in tombs that are in the process of being reclaimed by the town see “We are the Dead: the English Graves in the Alphonse Karr Cemetery of Saint-Raphael” by Lindsay Benoist.  

 

Alphabetical list of people buried in the Alphonse Karr Cemetery of Saint Raphael in tombs that are in the process of being reclaimed by the town.

 

ANDERSON Gerald Townley 1927 (He died in Saint Raphael December 17, 1927)

BACKHOUSE Headley Noah b. June 17, 1841, d. Feb 20, 1920 at Saint Raphael

BAGOT William Rickword (?)1926

BARTLETT Florence Fredrica, dearly beloved wife of T.W., M.I.C.E 19.5.52 – 9.3.23 a devoted mother. BARTLETT Their daughter, Edith May, 1872-1927. BARTLETT Thomas Walter  1847-1929

BARTON John 1927 of The cottage, Bushy Park, Middlesex, died Feb 1, 1927 aged 76

BENTALL, T. Sydney   M.A. CANTAB. 1847 – 1912

BODKIN Cornelieus, Kilcloony, County Galway b.1856 d. 1925

Capt John James BODKIN b. 1856 d. 4 Nov 1929?

BOREL, Ellen 1926 and Fanny Ann MORGAN 1849-1930

BRADBURY James Kinder of Altringham Cheshire, died Feb 1, 1913 in 66th year

and wife Grace died Mar 9, 1924 in 67th year

BROWNE Frances, daughter of John Browne, New Ross, Ireland d. Mar 1, 1932

CALLAWAY John of Crowborough, England b. 1862 d. 1929

CALTHROP Louise, wife of the late Claude CALTHROP, 1855 – 1925

CHANCE Annie E. 1856 – 1925 of l’Oustaou Saint Raphael, DUDGEON Eleanor 1845-1922 

CLARK Charles Henry (aged 71, died Saint Raphael Nov 5, 1938)

CLEVERLY Charles Frederic Moore J.P.  of Dunsborough House, Ripley, Surrey b. at Hong Kong 1852, d. at Saint Raphael 9 March 1921

CRAWLEY, Francis of Stockwood Luton April 30, 1914

“Eleanor Franklin CROHAN, daughter of the late Col Frederick MACBEAN  K.H., grand daughter Gen. BENSON who entered into rest Feb 13, 1909”

Percy CROHAN d.c.d 26 November 1921 at Villa Crohan son domicile.

DE GUERVILLE Amedée BAILLOT, born May 3, 1869, died Valescure May 21, 1913

DUDGEON Eleanor 1845-1922

CHANCE Annie E. 1856 – 1925 of l’Oustaou Saint Raphael

EARLE Charles Marshall d. Saint Raphael June 2, 1893 aged 40

GERRARD George B. d. Saint Raphael, March 1931

HARTER Violet Frances Mary, wife of Charles HARTER  20.1.25

HASTINGS Oswald Jacques died Saint Raphael July 19, 1928

HIME Mary Eleonore, widow of major general F.HIME, R.E. Dec 20, 1925

JANSZEN, J. M. Juill 1814 – aout 1899

JANSZEN, M.C. née DEBY 1847-1913

Charles Martel KNIGHT M.S. b. London July 26 1894 d. March 6 1938

LEDWARD Harold of Bowdon, Cheshire d. at Valescure 30 Dec 1922 in 56th year

LLEWELLYN – SANDYS Mary d. May 31, 1933

MARR Wm Alexander C.I.E. Indian civil Service, born at Essie St Fergus, Aberdeenshire 12 April 1873 d. at Valescure 18 Nov 1928

MARSHALL Alfred, Rector of Hampden Bucks 1896-1917, born May 11, 1863, died January 20, 1925

MC INTOSH, Anthony Thomas b. Aug 23, 1923  d. Feb 4, 1924

MORGAN Fanny Ann 1849-1930 et Ellen BOREL 1926

NEELY, Evelyn née Gibson-Watt, (wife of G. H. J. NEELY) 1928

O’KELLY G. F. 1868-1911

PARKER Henry, late Fellow of Oriel b. 29 August 1827, d. 12 January 1892

POE Admiral Sir E.S., KCB, GCVO d. 4 April 1921

REISSER, Rosa Nov 14, 1926

RENWICK COWAN 1870 – 1929

RHYS-WATKIN Howard 1865 – 1929

ROBERTS Edith (buried  9 February 1931according to church records)

ROBERTSON Hugh William John, son of Field Marshal, Sir William and Lady 1909 – 1928

ROSS Harry Jan 29, 1917 and his wife JANE who died at Bournemouth 18th April 1931 and buried at Aberdeen, Scotland.

SEWELL Anne Mary of Cirencester, England died May 2, 1906 (64ème année)

SMALES Charles Bertram, born Witby, Yorkshire 16.6.1870, died Agay 6.3.1927

STABLE Caroline Jane daughter of the late Rev. Benjamin STABLE born April 25, 1845, died Nov 6, 1908

TREEBY Frederick Theophilus, March 24, 1926

WILLIAMS, Mabel Catherine BUCKNALL veuve Williams St John died April 1, 1938 (church records)

WILLERT Paul Ferdinand born in Manchester May 29, 1844, Fellow of Exeter, died Valescure Mar 4, 1912

WILSON Fanny Emily b. Melton E. Yorks 1857, d. Saint Raphael Dec 22, 1924

WORTHY Edward Athelstan (born 1844 died 1894)

WYRLEY Lina Emmeline Gertrude, widow of Cecil Edward BOURCHIER, daughter of Wyrley Wyrley BIRCH, April 27, 1929

 

Loved and were loved. The memory of these men and women is worth preserving. May they rest in peace.

 

For further information about how the tombs of the above may be preserved, contact “Service Etat Civil, Mairie de Saint Raphael, Place Sadi Carnot, B.P.160, 83701 SAINT RAPHAEL CEDEX, FRANCE”, telephone 04 94 82 15 07 or www.ville-saintraphael.fr or Cimetieres-Deces@ville-saintraphael.fr or, for help in English, lindsaybenoist@yahoo.fr

 

January 2010