Issue 92 July 2023

Ramsey Mortuary Chapels Heritage and Archive Centre

By Jane Yardley – Chair, Friends of Ramsey Mortuary Chapels

Great news! As any of you who go down to the cemetery may have noticed, the perimeter wall, which has been broken for some time, is, at the time of writing being repaired by Ramsey Town Council.

Not only that, but they have offered to put in new toilet facilities that will be suitable for visitors with mobility problems and also remove an old stove pipe that has an asbestos ring attached that has been of concern. They are also going to sort out the water leak in the cemetery, not an easy thing to do I know.

Work has already started, and I would like to thank them on behalf of all of our members.

Unfortunately, it now means that we are unable to open the chapels until the proposed work is completed. Then we can continue with the restoration of the Non-conformist chapel, starting with the wooden ceiling.

Our thanks to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for putting a notice on the chapel gateway, informing visitors that the cemetery contains war graves. These are looked after by the Commission who do such a good job.

Some of you may remember that in the May edition of the Ramsey and Warboys Informer that I included a photograph of a prehistoric boat that had been dug up in Warboys Fen at Puddock Drove. I have been contacted by Roger Mould of the Warboys Archaeological Group, who kindly sent me an old plan of the boat with its dimensions.

Unfortunately, it can’t be reproduced here with any clarity, but we are having it framed with the photograph and it will be hung in the chapels for everyone to see.

We were kindly invited to have a stall at St. Thomas a Becket Church Fete and raised nearly £200 towards the restoration.

Bugsy Ison, one of our cemetery wardens, wore a Benedictine monk’s outfit that his wife, Mary had made, and it proved a great hit, especially with the children. He was thrilled to be asked to judge the dog with the waggiest tail and the best biscuit catcher at the dog show. It was such a great day all round and we all enjoyed ourselves and I’m sure that everyone who came did too. It was just like old times!

Ramsey WI invited me to give a talk about the chapels and I was made very welcome. What a nice group of ladies. I can bore for England when it comes to the chapels, but they seemed to enjoy it and gave me £50, which will go towards the restoration of the ceiling.

I thought that you might like to see this old postcard which has been donated. It was posted in Ramsey on 1st April 1909 at 9am. The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed that it purports to be of the Jubilee Clock, Ramsey, when in fact it’s of the clock in Warboys!

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