Shooting in a cemetery leads to uncovering a local tragedy (and then another). Dangerous currents.

In 2022 I visited the churchyard at St Mary the Virgin at Horton near Blyth to shoot one of my favourite subjects – memorial stones. There has been a church on this site since the 12th century, rebuilt in 1827 and restored in 1903. The oldest legible memorials are from the mid 1800s. This site is on a ridge with views down to the sea at Blyth and has many attractive mature trees providing shadows and atmosphere.

I had loaded the Olympus OM10 with Rollei RPX400 and the lens was the excellent Zuiko 50mm f1.8. The light was sunshine with some high clouds, though it was a little late in the day for shooting memorial inscriptions. In church yards like this the headstones normally face East and the light is perfect about 1100am for giving shadows and contrast in the engraved inscriptions. On this trip I was hoping for some atmospheric contre-jour shots among the trees and stones, but reading some of the memorials was quite fascinating. Most graveyards in South East Northumberland and Tyneside have reminders of the dangers experienced in coal mines and St Mary the Virgin has many inscriptions to unfortunate men who lost their lives in accidents underground. I was quite moved to read the details and to note the young age of some of these unfortunates, but I was quite unprepared for the tragedy to be revealed by two stones in particular. The first one I came to was that of John Robert Sim

The name details aren’t so easy to read, but the circumstances of the death caught my attention. I took a shot so that I could research it further. Almost immediately next to this was another stone and I saw the date and location mentioned was the same as that of John Sim.

I also took a photo of this stone, now determined to discover the circumstances of two men losing their lives at the same location on the same date, sure that there would be some sort of coverage of this double tragedy. I was quite unprepared for what I was about to uncover.

The 1914 Blyth Bathing Tragedy

On the 21st of August 1914 a group of miners entered the sea in Blyth Bay for a swim. Soon after entering the water a number got into difficulties being caught out by a current. Two swimmers managed to reach the shore but six others were drawn under and drowned, including the two on the above headstones. I believe the men all worked at New Delaval Colliery and the victims included two brothers and a cousin from one family. It is sad that these men worked in such a dangerous job yet died when relaxing in their down time.

It was during this research that I discovered another tragedy at the same location, almost exactly three years later.

The 1917 Blyth Bathing Tragedy

On Friday 24th August 1917, around 600 soldiers of the Warwickshire Regiment were on a route march from their camp to Blyth and on arriving at the beach the commanding officer called a halt to allow the men to cool off as it was a hot day. Some of the soldiers stripped off and entered the sea. Within minutes it became obvious that some were in difficulties and attempts were made to assist them. In all, nine drowned including two who re-entered the water in an attempt to rescue more of the soldiers. At the subsequent inquest, it was reported that a large number of the soldiers couldn’t swim and some had never seen the sea before. A number of the men had seen service in France (some wounded in action) and it is again a sad tale of men surviving danger and then dying during relaxation.

I photograph cemeteries whenever I can yet it is impossible not to be intrigued and moved by some of the stories behind the stones. When shooting these memorials I avoid recent stones and always pick up any litter that has accumulated. By taking shots I feel I am helping to perpetuate the memory of those who have gone before and appreciate the symbols of love represented by the memorials, though I have been accused of being morbid.

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