Public memorials Home

Memorial statues and buildings Objects are a way of keeping alive people's memories of the dead and can also be a reminder that one day we will join them. Memorials can range from personal mementos and gravestones, to statues, buildings, customs and rituals. Triumphal arch, Shugborough Palmer's almshouse, Stafford Alleyne's Grammar School, Uttoxeter

Statues rarely mark the site of a burial. They are often set up in public places to commemorate the famous. You can see Captain Smith of the Titanic and Dr Johnson in Lichfield, Sir Robert Peel in Tamworth and Sir Stanley Matthews in Hanley. War memorial, Stone Sidney fountain, Stafford War memorial, Marchington   Hatchments and effigy Until the 18th century, poor people were buried in unmarked graves. Medieval funeral effigies and memorial brasses were only made for eminent people and were placed in churches, abbeys and cathedrals. Wolseley family hatchment Wolseley family hatchment Hoar cross effigy Cemeteries and cremation Until the 19th century most people were buried in churchyards. The growth in population meant church cemeteries became overcrowded and a health hazard. From the1850s municipal cemeteries were built on the outskirts of towns, Stafford's was opened in 1858. Others followed in Uttoxeter, Hanley, Tunstall and Newcastle-under-Lyme during the 1860s.

Epitaphs   Cemeteries and cremation

Customs There are many traditions and rituals associated with commemorating the dead. The best known is Armistice Day, when we remember those who died during the World Wars. A more personal custom is the placing of 'in memoriam' notices in local newspaper one year after a person's death. Wartime remembrance

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