Resting place rediscovered
A Bath burial ground that suffered decades of neglect has been lovingly restored by volunteers, who will be opening its doors to the public this weekend, Imogen mcguckin finds
people can now explore a secret graveyard in Bath that has been lovingly restored and spruced up. The Jewish Burial Ground in Combe Down was in use from 1812 until 1942, after which time it became “an impenetrable jungle”.
The cemetery has been brought back to its former glory, and last year work began on a nearby cottage, receiving its first visitors on July 18, 2021.
The graveyard, which filled up by 1942, is open to the public just a few times a year. Nowadays, it is overseen completely by volunteers.
David Taylor, a Friend of the Jewish Burial Ground, said: “Jews living in Bath in the 1800s tended not to be very grand people. They were often clockmakers and haberdashers. Their stones tend to be much simpler than some Christian ones, because Jews believe in equality in death, and there are no grand sarcophagi.”
The 71-year-old joined the committee just last year after finding out about the cemetery through the Combe Down historical society. He added: “one of the key differences is that Jewish graveyards are never built beside synagogues, due to a ritual need to separate the dead from the living.
“The graveyards were often the first thing built, even before the synagogue. For example, the Bath one was built before the synagogue, which is in the centre of town, and it is out at Combe Down.”
Although many people buried on the small plot were ordinary crafters, some made a name for themselves. Joseph Sigmond was one of the first dentists to suggest brushing as a way to maintain healthy teeth and went on to invent an early form of toothpaste.
He and his wife were buried in a pair of table tombs that had to be “wholly reconstructed” by expert masons when the cemetery was restored. George Braham, who died in 1865, was an optical instrument maker and his brother John became famous for his microscopes, while knives made by Abraham leon are still bought and sold online today.
David explained how the graveyard was rediscovered after years of neglect. He said: “I think that the number of Jews living in Bath diminished severely during the war.
“The community had almost died out, which is why the cemetery got into such a state in the 1950s and 1960s. The trustees died out without appointing new trustees and it was legally not owned by anyone.
“In 2000, the Friends got together and got it sorted out and the Board of Deputies took on legal ownership. In the 1970s, it was an impenetrable jungle, but two people from the historical society managed to barge their way in and cut down the weeds.”
over the years the Friends pulled together small amounts of money to repair and restore the graveyard. “The really important thing was the repair of the inscriptions on the headstones because if they are lost they will never be regained,” said David. “We got some conservation masons to straighten the leaning headstones, we restored the un-laminating inscriptions and the table tombs had to be wholly reconstructed.”
He explained that the cottage beside the cemetery was originally thought to be a prayer room, however, it was actually a home for farm labourers and quarrymen. It was given a huge facelift just in time for last summer, David added.
■ Bath Jewish Burial Ground is hosting an open day this Sunday, April 24, from 11am to 4pm, where visitors can find out more about the site and who is buried there. Find it at 1 Greendown Place, BA2 5DD. All are welcome and entry is free.