This is such a mix of good news and sad news. Robert and Ann had unusually long lives for the times, and yet they didn't seem to be able to shepherd their children beyond the early years. Let's hope that other children survived and thrived but now rest under other graves.
Simpsons department store was across the street from Eaton's at Queen and Bay/Yonge. Simpsons is now The Bay. When going downtown shopping, it meant going to these stores and it was always "EatonsandSimpsons" all one word.
I always feel a twinge of sadness when I see such short-lived children. But I guess it was very common back then for the very young to die. Sometimes we forget how lucky we are today to have such good medical care.
There were a lot of Simpsons buried there. I agree with EG, but 100 years ago many kids didn't make it to maturity. And y'all in Canada are indeed lucky to have good medical care. In the U.S. it seems more important to take care of insurance companies than people!
I notice it also says "sons of Robert and Isabel" which leads me to wonder where isabel is buried. That must have been a very sad life to lose so many children.
Cemeteries are such interesting places. They reveal so much history, type of headstones, periods of time when death impacted so many lives due to plagues and disease.
@Jim - I think in the old days they thought it was best for the mothers not to name the children, then they could be "forgotten" more easily. Nowadays I think it's more acceptable for parents to grieve over even the youngest of babies. Who knows which way of thinking is really better?
Cemeteries are such quiet and dignified places. And often a few feet away there is the traffic and noise of the world. It pays to go there and feel the difference every once in awhile.
So many young children. So many unnamed children. A practice which I have not seen to date here in Australia. I think that Robert was the son of the Robert & Ann, judging from the dates of birth of his deceased infants.
Once again, another gravestone with well carved writing. Writing to last an eternity or damned close.
I see from VioletSky's comment this is not the Simpson rival to Eaton. ;-) I wonder if all those family members were actually buried together under that stone.
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23 comments:
I often wonder about these old headstones - if anyone still have these folks in family memory?
l'histoire de toute une famille, sur une tombe
Il y a plusieurs niveaux de lecture avec ce nom !
Looks like those headstone that we see in movies!
Léia
This is such a mix of good news and sad news. Robert and Ann had unusually long lives for the times, and yet they didn't seem to be able to shepherd their children beyond the early years. Let's hope that other children survived and thrived but now rest under other graves.
Baby Simpson, Baby Wright and four year old Margaret, how sad.
Great picture.
Herding Cats
http://seathreepeeo.blogspot.co.uk
This is interesting that you should post a Simpson when I post an Eaton... but this seems to be a different Robert Simpson than Timothy Eaton's rival.
I've noticed when baby's died many were not given names on headstones. Now days, we have them named almost as soon as you can find out what sex it is.
Simple but beautiful.
Death becomes us.
Such a lot of family history right there on that headstone halcyon. Hard times back then.
Simpsons department store was across the street from Eaton's at Queen and Bay/Yonge. Simpsons is now The Bay. When going downtown shopping, it meant going to these stores and it was always "EatonsandSimpsons" all one word.
I always feel a twinge of sadness when I see such short-lived children. But I guess it was very common back then for the very young to die. Sometimes we forget how lucky we are today to have such good medical care.
There were a lot of Simpsons buried there. I agree with EG, but 100 years ago many kids didn't make it to maturity. And y'all in Canada are indeed lucky to have good medical care. In the U.S. it seems more important to take care of insurance companies than people!
Simple and substantial...
I notice it also says "sons of Robert and Isabel" which leads me to wonder where isabel is buried.
That must have been a very sad life to lose so many children.
Not sure I have seen a grave in the UK without a first name, even for a newborn, interesting custom.
Cemeteries are such interesting places. They reveal so much history, type of headstones, periods of time when death impacted so many lives due to plagues and disease.
So many of the childen died so young.
@Jim - I think in the old days they thought it was best for the mothers not to name the children, then they could be "forgotten" more easily. Nowadays I think it's more acceptable for parents to grieve over even the youngest of babies. Who knows which way of thinking is really better?
Cemeteries are such quiet and dignified places. And often a few feet away there is the traffic and noise of the world. It pays to go there and feel the difference every once in awhile.
Yes, other commenters cover it well.
So many young children. So many unnamed children. A practice which I have not seen to date here in Australia. I think that Robert was the son of the Robert & Ann, judging from the dates of birth of his deceased infants.
Once again, another gravestone with well carved writing. Writing to last an eternity or damned close.
I see from VioletSky's comment this is not the Simpson rival to Eaton. ;-) I wonder if all those family members were actually buried together under that stone.
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I hate the new word verification. Since I have trouble reading those "words", I am assuming others do too.