Cemetery volunteers uncover the story of Hannah
GROUP BRING HISTORY TO LIGHT AS THEY TIDY OVERGROWN GRAVES
FOR decades it lay forgotten, cloaked by brambles, the final resting place of a young woman who died well over a century ago.
Today it is visible again, uncovered by a team of volunteers. It is the grave of Hannah Smales-Cresswell, who died aged only 31, leaving behind a grieving husband and two small children.
Hannah’s story is one of many now being brought to light again by members of Belper and Duffield Rotary Club whose aim is to recover hitherto untended and inaccessible mid-19th-Century grave sites at Belper Cemetery, where years of neglect have hidden some exquisite examples of Victorian memorial stonework.
After an approach from the Rotary club to the owners of the cemetery, Amber Valley Borough Council, the project to clear the oldest part of the cemetery has been ongoing through late summer and early autumn.
The cemetery, opened in 1859 with two burial chapels and a lodge house, was beautifully landscaped in the form of an arboretum with trees from across the globe. Its 15 acres lie on the northern side of Belper, within the Derwent Valley Unesco World Heritage Site.
Many people use public footpaths through the woodland to appreciate the historic buildings and stunning landscape overlooking the River Derwent.
Dave Ashley organised the project along with other Rotarians and volunteers recruited from the local community through social media. He said: “We knew the cemetery is much loved by local people but recognised that the oldest parts needed some tender love and care.
“Over several weeks, and with much hard work by a dedicated bunch of volunteers, we’ve cleared about an acre, filling around 180 builders’ bags with bramble brash that had been disposed of by the council.
“We revealed many Victorian graves, including Hannah’s, which was carefully uncovered by volunteers Vicki, Linda, Penny and Charlotte. It was a grave we felt we wanted to know more about – so there began ‘Hannah’s Story.’”
Using internet access to census and burial data, genealogist Vicki Colabella, one of the volunteers, discovered that Hannah was born in Belper in 1859, the daughter of Walter and Selina Spencer of Hunger Hill in the town.
The handwritten census records are indistinct, so the address may be incorrect. A “Hunger quarry” is recorded elsewhere.
Hannah’s father was a horse nail maker, supporting three other children – Julia, Reuben and Emma. Nail making was, of course, a significant industry in Belper during the 18th and 19th Centuries. The local football club, Belper Town, is known The Nailers.
In 1880, Hannah married a coal miner, George Smales-Cresswell, at Duffield. They originally lived on Bullsmoor, Belper, with Hannah’s parents, and they had two children, Julia and Lily.
Hannah died in 1890. Without her death certificate the team do not yet know the cause of her passing at such a young age, but it was an era when diseases such as typhoid and tuberculosis ran rife through communities, and when complications during childbirth were also common.
Now there are other stories to be told. Dave Ashley said: “We’re noticing recurring surnames that are still in use locally, such as Spencer, Cresswell, Hall, Cooper, Jennison, Taylor and Walker, and anyone who is interested in those should contact Vicki Colabella.
This Saturday, the leader of Amber Valley Borough Council, Councillor Trevor Ainsworth, together with local historian Adrian Farmer, will visit the cemetery project between 10am and noon. Dave Ashley and Vicki Colabella will also be on site.