Collection of monuments to the Joules family in churchyard, including iron railing enclosure, about 8m north east of chancel, of the Church of St Mary., Yatton, North Somerset

Summary

A collection of mid-C19 to early C20 funerary monuments commemorating the Joules family, who were known to be Gypsies local to Somerset.

Description

A collection of mid-C19 to early C20 funerary monuments commemorating the Joules family, who were known to be Gypsies local to Somerset.

MATERIALS: the seven headstones are all made of a variety of stones and are of varying sizes and designs. The funerary vase is made of limestone and is cuboid with a follow for flowers.

DESCRIPTION: the group comprises of eight monuments. Four headstone and three corresponding footstones are located within a wrought iron enclosure. Three headstones, two corresponding footstones and a funerary vase are located to the west of the enclosure in close proximity to it.

The whole group are located 8m to the north-east of the chancel of the Church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin.

The monuments are laid out in two parallel rows. Each is of a different date and unique design.

The mostly westerly row is outside the enclosure and the stones read (North to South):

In loving memory / of our dear father/ Henry Joles / Died March 1929/ Aged 96; IN / Memory of / ISAAC JOULES / Who died / March 10th 1841 / Aged 70 Years; Here lie Merily Joules/ A beauty bright / that left Isaac Joules / Her hearts delight / 1827.

The funerary urn has the inscription – JOHN JOULES / 1874 – 1963 / AT REST

The four headstones and associated footstones in the wrought iron enclosure read (North to South):

Headstone - Illegible. Footstone - W J
Headstone - In Memory of / Richard Joules / Died March 1st March 1867 / Aged 56 / IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR DEAR MOTHER / JANE JOULES / PASSED AWAY ON DEC. 9. 1898 / AGED 92. Further text illegible. Footstone – R J
Headstone – Illegible. Footstone – Illegible.
Headstone only – In Loving memory of / MY DEAR SISTER / DRUSCILLA JOULES / ELDEST DAUGHETER OF R and J JOULES / DIED Oct 25th 1929 / AGED 94 YEARS.

The enclosure is surrounded by a wrought iron railing. The railings are made up of 12 twisted square upright members with square connectors attached to horizontal lengths of square rods with a twist halfway. The uprights have a mixture of arrow heads and fleurs-de-Lys finials.

History

Gypsy (also spelt Gipsie), Roma and Traveller people belong to the minority ethnic group whose distinctive way of life and traditions manifest themselves as nomadism, the centrality of their extended family, unique languages and entrepreneurial economy.

Gypsies have been in Britain since at least the C16 after migrating from continental Europe during the Roma migration from India. The first reference to Gypsies in England occurs in 1514. It was incorrectly believed this group came from Egypt, as such the term Gypsy come from the word ‘Egyptian’. This group have suffered many forms of persecution in England over the centuries but have also formed part of and enriched our society. In 1530 they were expelled from England under the ‘Egyptian’s Act’, Mary Queen of Scots ruled that being a Gypsy was punishable by death and they were only recognised as a distinct ethnic minority group in 1976 under the English Race Relations Act.

Somerset seems to have had a long history of attracting Gypsies, documentary evidence suggests that many known families regularly visited, camped and were married, baptised and buried in churches around the county.

The Joules (also spelt Joles) family were local Gypsies, well known around the Yatton area of Somerset. They are referred to in the 1922 Somerset Yearbook as ‘the celebrated Somersetshire gypsies’.

There are known to be approximately 13 members of the family buried in the churchyard of St Mary’s Church. Eight date from the mid-C19 to the early C20 and four are enclosed within a wrought iron enclosure.

Isaac and Morella (Merily) Joules are well documented in contemporary sources from the Yatton area. Isaac is believed to have been the son of a Wiltshire farmer and a stone mason by trade that married Morella Cooper and took up the Gypsy life. Contemporary sources suggest Isaac was a knife grinder and well known as an identifiable figure known amongst the local community, with prints and pictures sold of him. Births and Census records suggest that the couple had 10 children (Jessie, Louisa, Teanna, Richard, Mary Ann, Henry, Priscilla, Matilda, Caroline and Charlotte).

Isaac and Morella’s son, Richard Joules went on to marry Jane. The 1861 census records Richards occupation as Horse Dealer/Gypsy Tribe. They had 7 children (Henry, Druscilla, Eldarah, William, Caroline, Jentella and Joseph) all of which are recorded under the occupation Gypsy Tribe in the 1861 census return.

Reasons for Listing

The collection of funerary monuments to the Joules family are listed Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Historic interest:

* they represent an unusual collection of monuments to a group of mid-C19 Gypsies; an ethnic minority group who, by virtue of their cultural beliefs, nomadic lifestyle and lack of recognised status have limited physical reminders of their impact on society.

Group value:

* the monuments are located within the churchyard of the Grade I listed Church of St Mary. This expansive churchyard contains several listed funerary monuments of varying ages alongside many unlisted examples, all of which provide a physical record of past communities of Yatton and their association with the Church and Parish.

External Links

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