Intriguing tales of the dead

Ever wondered what stories lie behind the short epitaphs engraved into the old headstones in Christchurch’s historic cemeteries?

During Beca Heritage Week some of those stories will be revealed during the Spirited Cemetery Tours conducted by local historian Richard Greenaway.

Mr Greenaway, a former librarian, has spent years hunting through old records and newspaper reports to uncover the colourful, and at times, scandalous truth about some of the people who lie buried in Christchurch’s oldest cemeteries.

During Beca Heritage Week he will be leading tours of the Burwood Anglican Churchyard, the Barbadoes St Cemetery, the Papanui Anglican Cemetery, the Woolston-Heathcote Cemetery, the Bromley Public Cemetery, the Addington Public Cemetery, the Upper Riccarton Anglican Cemetery, the Sydenham Public Cemetery and the Linwood Public Cemetery.

The grave of Sir George Harper.

There are interesting stories attached to each cemetery but one of Mr Greenaway’s personal favourites is the story of Sir George Harper, the son of the first Anglican bishop of Christchurch, who is buried in the Barbadoes St Cemetery.

Sir George, a prominent lawyer, fell in love with a woman named Agnes Loughnan. Their marriage in 1871 caused a stir as Agnes was a Catholic. After the couple had their first child, a son, in 1874 Agnes took the baby to the Catholic Church and had him baptised.

When Sir George found out his son had been baptised a Catholic, he was furious. He got his own family together and marched the baby to St Paul’s in Papanui to have him formally received into the Anglican Church. Agnes was forced to admit that she had had the baby baptised without her husband’s knowledge or consent.

Despite their religious differences the couple had a long marriage, but they were not were not laid to rest together. While Sir George was buried in the Anglican part of the Barbadoes St Cemetery, alongside his parents, his wife Agnes was buried in the Catholic section of the cemetery with several of her sons.

Mr Greenaway said he hoped people who took part in the Spirited Cemeteries would find them both entertaining and enlightening.

“I’ve been doing them for a number of years and people always seems to come away from them having learnt something new about Christchurch, ‘’ Mr Greenaway said.

Find out more about the Spirited Cemetery Tours.