Elkesley
St Giles

Churchyard

The churchyard is approximately square in shape with the church heavily offset into the north-west corner. The size is approximately 0.25 ha. There are burials on all sides except the west where the tower is closely adjacent to the boundary wall and there is only a path.

Lychgate
from 1953		 The southern part
of the churchyard

The boundaries on the north and west sides are low, red brick walls, that on the north bounding the main street of the village, and on the west a range of buildings. Another low stone wall on the east boundary separates the churchyard from a private driveway. To the south are buildings and more brick walls. On the northern boundary are two gates, the principal entrance at the north-west is a lychgate of very simple construction, timber with four corner posts and a tile roof; according to an inscription it was built to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. A second entrance is formed by a simple wooden gate, 20th century, giving access to a path at the east end of the church. There are several mature trees in the southern part of the churchyard. The principal entrance is shown on the 1885 OS map but the second is not shown until 1899.

The earliest grave markers are located on the south side and date from 18th century.

Grave marker
to John Baragh

There is a particularly interesting grave marker in the churchyard which commemorates John Baragh, gentleman, ‘who was murdered by Midford Hendry, officer of the Guards, on the 24th day of June 1721, aged 29 years’. Hendry, was travelling south on the Great North Road and had stopped for refreshment with his company at nearby establishment the Jockey House. He quickly became involved in a ‘colitical discussion’ with Baragh who was sitting in the inn, ‘a complete stranger to him’. Violence escalated and Hendry ‘drew his sword and stabbled Baragh in the heart’.

Another grave marker of interest is the one to James Shirtliff who died in 1847. He was the village blacksmith and the epitaph reflects his occupation:

HERE LIES AN HONEST MAN BENEATH THY FEET
WHO NOTHING HATED MORE THAN MEAN DECEIT,
KIND TO HIS KINDRED, CORDIAL TO HIS FRIENDS
IN PEACE HE LIVED AND FOUND A PEACEFUL END.
MY HAMMER AND MY STIDDY LIE DEAD,
MY BELLOWS TOO, HAVE LOST THEIR WIND,
MY FIRE’S EXTINGUISHED, MY FORGE DECAYED
AND IN THE DUST MY VICE IS LAID,
MY COAL IS SPENT MY IRON’S GONE,
THE LAST NAIL’S DRIVEN MY WORK IS DONE.