SLATES IN THE GRASS

The article by Prof. Swallow in the January issue of the Chronicle, dealing with Swithland slate, referred mainly to use of this material for roofing, but mention was briefly made of the engraved slate headstones in the churchyards of Leicestershire and neighbouring districts.

Churchyard slates, far from being a gloomy subject, provide a rich source of artistic and historical interest. Beautifully engraved lettering, as well as decorative symbols such as angels, elaborate pictorial panels and entertaining verses, show a continuous development from Stuart to Victorian times. Surprising discoveries can be made, such as the unique 'folk art' tradition in and around the Vale of Belvoir.

The signatures of the sculptors often include the name of the village or town where they worked, so we can appreciate the widespread nature of this craft. Some urban churchyards contain up to a thousand slates, and it is in the towns that the trades and professions of the deceased make such interesting reading. The people of the past become very real when we find mention of occupations such as hatter, cooper, courier, edge-tool maker, stage coachman, apothecary, trumpeter, macebearer and molecatcher. A distinguished profession appears at Kibworth where a handsome slate fixed to the church wall tells us that Lewis Powel Williams, a surgeon who died in 1771, was "the first that introduc'd into Practice Inoculation without Preparation in this Kingdom".

A well known historical fact is to be recorded in nearly every churchyard in the area, namely the change in the calendar in 1752. This was to bring England into line with Continental practice, making New Year's Day the 1st January rather than 25 March! Leading up to this change we find Old Style and New Style dates both in use during January and March because this period could be considered as the end of one year or the beginning of the next. So the slate carvers had some problems. There is an example of this 'double dating' at Kibworth. It is between the two main paths leading to the south porch and is clearly legible in a good morning light. It commemorates Mary Gamant and her baby, and is dated 1st March 1746/7.

Also in Kibworth churchyard, against the northern boundary wall there is an interesting slate in memory of Michael Ingo "who was killed by the upsetting of the express coach passing through this village to London about midnight, April 21st 1834".

So, Swithland slate are precious, not only as a beautiful roofing material but as slates in the grass, providing a record of local and national events. They are like historical documents not hidden away in the archives but accessible for us all to read.

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