Black and white

Acc.no: PEZPH : 2016.50.1576

Identification

Item: St Morwenna Church, Morwenstow, Cornwall.

Description: A view of St Morwenna Church, Morwenstow from the path leading to the church. The granite Celtic cross in the foreground is said to have been brought here from the moor by Rev. Hawker in 1851 to commemorate his first wife, Charlotte, and the initials CEH are carved on the shaft. The cross is also shown in the Hawker memorial window in the church and may originally have been a pilgrim cross. Despite the beautiful setting, the graveyard was also the scene of great tragedy. Rev Hawker had a personal mission to ensure that the corpses of shipwrecked seamen were given a proper burial and so over 40 sailors are buried here. The experience gave him 'nervous terrors' about what each tide would bring and increasingly took its toll on Hawker's equanimity. Frequently dismembered limbs were washed ashore rather than intact corpses. After a wreck in 1859, 5 out of 7 corpses buried by Hawker had no heads. Unrecognisable lumps of human flesh known as 'gobbets' were collected in baskets and then buried with decency. (Piers Brendon, Hawker of Morwenstow). "One of the most atmospheric of churches even for Cornwall. Its position is incomparably romantic; the way the tower stands four-square and silent about the coombe, facing the sea beyond is unforgettable." (Beacham, The Buildings of England: Cornwall p361).

Condition: Good

Description

Material: Photographic paper

Production

Method: Printed

Category: Photography

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