A Young Historian’s work in Ryde Cemetery

Sophie Sellars, a pupil at Ryde School, helped Ryde Social Heritage Group transcribe inscriptions from the memorials in Ryde Cemetery. She did this work as the service element of her Duke of Edinburgh Award and we were impressed with the standard of Sophie’s work, by her self-motivation, thoroughness and neatness. After Sophie had successfully completed the task of transcribing the areas of the cemetery we allocated to her we asked her to write an article about the experience and this is what she had to say:

“Transcribing headstones for Ryde Social Heritage Group

For the past 2 years I have been transcribing the headstones of graves in Ryde Cemetery. This has been a really worthwhile way to complete the ‘Service’ section of my Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, as it was both something that personally interested me and was of benefit to the wider community. Further, as I applied for history at University, my interviewers were very interested in my work at the cemetery as they felt it showed a commitment to the subject outside academic work.

I felt that it was hugely important for the records of Ryde’s residents to be preserved for the future, especially as many headstones had already been badly weathered and the inscriptions were, in some cases, very difficult to read. Although many of the figures buried in the cemetery have led very normal lives, it was exciting when I occasionally stumbled upon an unusual inscription. For example, on one of my last visits to the cemetery I transcribed a gravestone belonging apparently to ‘The oldest commissioned officer serving in the Royal Navy at the Battle of Copenhagen under Lord Nelson’*.

During the two years I have spent working at the cemetery, I transcribed headstones from the early 19th Century and from the late 19th Century. In addition to transcribing the headstones, I also noted down the condition of the graves and became aware of how important it is that the RSHG’s work in the cemetery continues. In the course of my work I have encountered instances of apparent vandalism of graves and of neglect that has lead to the headstone simply collapsing or falling over. Therefore whilst it is often claimed that young people lack respect for such communal areas, I hope that in a small way my contribution to the transcribing team has shown that young people really do care about the social history of their communities.”

Sophie, who will be taking her A-levels this summer, has already been accepted by Cambridge University and will be going there in September to read history at Selwyn College, after that she hopes to work abroad.

All of us at Ryde Social Heritage Group wish Sophie every success in the future.

*The grave that Sophie refers to is that of Admiral Philip Westphal see the ‘Featured Story’.