Memorials

The petitioner applied for permission to install in the churchyard a memorial to her paternal grandparents. The design of the proposed memorial was an open book and the proposed type of stone was polished black granite. The design also included a poppy. Three members of the family objected on the grounds that the inscription was to include the names of certain members of the family, but not others. The Chancellor was concerned about the proposed inscription being “crowded with engraved sentiments” and also the inappropriateness of some of the wording, but decided to leave it to the incumbent and the family to agree any amendments. The Chancellor granted a faculty subject to conditions that (a) the names of all the deceased’s children and grandchildren should be mentioned in the inscription or none and (b) the poppy design to be engraved into the memorial should be limited to an outline in the same colour as the rest of the engravings.

The petitioners’ baby boy had died less than an hour after being born and his remains had been buried in the churchyard. The Petitioners wished to introduce a memorial of black granite (which complied with the diocesan churchyard rules) and kerbs, with a number of sentiments inscribed on the memorial. The Chancellor approved the words and she also approved the kerbs, as kerbs were quite prevalent in the churchyard. The Chancellor also permitted two etched images, one of a baby giraffe toy and the other of a knitted heart presented to the petitioners by the hospital. The petitioners wished the etchings and wording on the memorial to be coloured blue. Without wishing to set a precedent, the Chancellor decided, exceptionally, to allow the colour blue, given that in this case the memorial was for a baby boy.

The petitioners wished to install in the churchyard of St Mary Catcliffe a memorial to the late Davina Knight, who died in January 2021, aged forty-three.  The petitioners were the deceased’s surviving relatives. The proposed memorial was to be of black granite, incorporating corner kerbs and a book-shaped plinth, none of which is consonant with the Diocese of Sheffield Churchyard Rules.  In accompanying letter, the petitioners expressed the distress they had felt at initially being refused permission for the memorial.  The Deputy Chancellor pointed out that incumbents lack the authority to permit memorials which do not comply with the Rules. In framing a judgment, she stressed that the introduction of new memorials should not fundamentally change the character or appearance of a churchyard. She conceded, however, that the proposed memorial was not over-sized; its inscription was neither inappropriate nor inconsistent with the Christian faith. Moreover, it would not impact on the appearance of this particular churchyard, nor be out of keeping with other black granite memorials already present there. Nor would it impede churchyard maintenance.  A faculty therefore issued permitting the installation of the memorial as proposed. 

A private petition proposed the installation of a memorial to the late Declan and the late Peter Knight in the churchyard. Declan died in 1999, aged four and Peter died in 2019 aged sixty-seven. The petitioners were their surviving relatives. The proposed memorial was in black granite and incorporated kerbstones and coloured images (of a blue teddy and a yellow train), none of which is consonant with the Diocese of Sheffield Churchyard Rules. The Rules do, however, permit the exceptional authorisation of both black granite and kerbstones, where these are already common and would not impede churchyard maintenance. Their presence in this case was conceded by the Deputy Chancellor. The presence of coloured images on the headstone was, however, judged to be inappropriate in a space of quiet reflection. A faculty was therefore issued, permitting their inclusion, provided that they were in the same (gold) colour as the inscription.

The petitioner sought permission to erect a memorial to her late father. The design comprised a tapered four-sided stone surmounted by a Celtic cross. (Her father was a Catholic of Irish descent.) The overall height of the memorial would be 43 inches. The PCC felt that the proposed stone was too tall (though the maximum height specified in the churchyards regulations was 48 inches), and that the design would be out of keeping with the rest of the memorials in the churchyard. The Chancellor considered that the design was within the regulations, and that uniformity was not to be sought in itself. Applying the test of 'suitability', he granted a faculty.

The petitioner wished to purchase and install at his own expense a new Second World War Memorial of the same design as, and to replace, the existing memorial plaque fixed to the wooden side of the lychgate at the churchyard. The plaque was made of moulded metal and it gave the name of the Petitioner's cousin as "Pat Collins". The petitioner stated, and produced evidence to show, that his cousin's proper name was Kenneth Lawrence Collins (though his nickname was "Pat") and that Kenneth had been the resident from Wychbold who had died in the Second World War. The Deputy Chancellor determined that, as the memorial was a public record, it ought to show the correct name. He therefore granted a faculty permitting an amendment to the existing memorial, if possible, failing which the memorial could be replaced with a replica showing the petitioner's cousin's name as "Kenneth L. Collins".

There was an application for a faculty to authorise a polished green granite memorial, including an etching of a rose picked out in blue. The Chancellor refused to grant a faculty on the grounds that some features of the proposed memorial were outside the churchyards regulations and no good reason had been advanced for allowing an exception.

The Chancellor had previously refused permission for a polished green granite memorial stone. The petitioner had responded with a letter expressing disappointment at the Chancellor's decision. This judgment contains the Chancellor's reasons for his decision to refuse permission for the type of stone requested.

The Petitioner wished to install a memorial in the churchyard in memory of his late wife. The proposed memorial was a headstone and kerbs, the proposed stone being polished paradiso granite, described as “a swirling mixture of pink, grey, red and black colours in a strongly-defined tortoiseshell-type pattern.” The Parochial Church Council objected to the proposed type of memorial and the Diocesan Advisory Committee did not recommend the grant of a faculty. The concerns were as to the colour, the polished finish and the inclusion of kerbstones. The petitioner produced a “petition” signed by several people purporting to support the application for a faculty. The Chancellor determined that such petition was inadmissible. The Chancellor granted a faculty to allow a headstone of paradiso granite, provided that the stone had a matt finish, but he refused to permit the installation of kerbs.

The petitioner wished to install a replacement memorial on his parents' grave. The design included images of a dove, a stairway to heaven and two swans. The inscription included a verse of poetry written by the petitioner's daughter and it ended with an x, the symbol of a kiss. There was an objection that the design would not be in keeping with the part of the churchyard where the memorial would be located. The Chancellor granted a faculty, subject to a condition that the x should be omitted from the inscription.