Joseph Hunter’s grave is tidied up

Wednesday 2 July 2025 9:32 pm

At least once a year, one or two Hunter members visit St Mary’s churchyard in Ecclesfield to check on the state of Joseph Hunter’s grave. He chose the spot where he wanted to be buried in the far northern corner of the churchyard near the boundary wall – it may have been quite open at the time of his death in 1861, but now it is overshadowed by trees and ivy from the woodland beyond. With tiers of grave slabs down a slight slope, it is an area of the churchyard which cannot be mowed and so gets fairly overgrown.

Joseph’s gravestone is a fine white speckly granite (though now blackened with lichens etc) with an oval bronze plaque embedded in it bearing his crest. The stumps of metal posts show that it once had railings around it.

At least once a year, one or two Hunter members visit St Mary’s churchyard in Ecclesfield to check on the state of Joseph Hunter’s grave. He chose the spot where…

It is a satisfying job seeing the impact of clearing some of the vegetation and cleaning out the bronze plaque, even better on mornings when coffee and cake is available in the church. If anyone would like to help with this job, please get in touch.

You can find out more about the grave in Morgan, R A (2012) ‘Joseph Hunter’s Grave’ Transactions of the Hunter Archaeological Society 26 (1) 149-152

At least once a year, one or two Hunter members visit St Mary’s churchyard in Ecclesfield to check on the state of Joseph Hunter’s grave. He chose the spot where…