Memorial Monument Analysis

A Survey of Children's Graves


View Naked and Beheaded: A Survey of Roman Catholic Childrens' Graves in a larger map

1. This data set of this survey includes 11 children's graves in Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria BC (see map). Although there are 12 burials associated with the 11 monuments, one headstone stands for twins, only one of which died as a child, and we therefore did not include the older burial in our study. To eliminate broad conflicts  of style and distribution, and to effectively shrink our sample to a manageable size, we selected only the graves of children under 10 years old in the south easternmost corner of the cemetery. However, we recognize that in analyzing only one specific section, there is an inherent limitation in interpretation and comparison within the cemetery. The small sample size and analysis using a single cemetery is also problematic, reducing a much larger mode of cultural expression to a very modest representation. Given the scope of this assignment, however, we feel that we made the best choices available to perform a comprehensive study.

2. Our research focused on two main questions: What is the variation (distribution, style, alignment, and weathering) among the graves?, when were the children buried?, and can this information tell us anything about life in Victoria over the time represented in our sample?

3.  The analysis of our data set, consisting of 11 child burials in the Ross Bay Cemetery, was effective in answering our research questions. According to the Old Cemetery Society of Victoria's website, this south eastern corner of the cemetery hold Roman Catholic, Anglican, and general burials. Given the time period of burials and the broader cultural influence of the time, as well as the conformity of the section, it is reasonable to assume that even most general graves were of a Christian denomination. Despite a lack of outside sources of information, we found some consistencies in burial type over time, suggesting a continuity of Christian religious thinking. We also found some variation in the number and distribution of graves that appear to be related to certain time frames and broader social circumstances.

Consistencies in burial practice were most pronounced in the analysis of grave alignments - all graves surveyed were aligned East-West, although there was no apparent preference for which direction the individual was facing. As discussed in class, this directional orientation is typical of Christian internments. The decision of east or west facing appears to have been based on the layout of the cemetery, and respect for the pre-determined organizational rows. In agreement with Deirdre Crombie's analysis of nineteenth century Catholic child graves in the Barony of Dunmore, however, despite great variation in the size, weathering and location of the graves, many had a clear burial demarcation of stone (rectangular), filled with earth and containing the grave-marker (Crombie, D. 1988). In our analysis, 6 graves had a stone boundary (others had boundaries of other materials, see map), 10 had an earthen surface, and all had a grave-marker (see map). This comparison shows remarkable Christian religious burial practice continuity over continent and century. With this in mind, I interpret much of the variation (weathering or upkeep/replacement of the headstone, type of headstone and grave, etc.) to be the result of individual choice, while keeping within the acceptable practices.

In a more socially-based approach, it is interesting to note that 7 of the children were buried between 1917 and 1937, 2 were buried in the 1990s, and the remaining 2 graves were not dated, although they appear quite old, being very weathered (see map; example, Mary Planche). The large portion of graves from the early twentieth century could be due to a number of factors; World War I; the depression; general poor population health; and the age of the cemetery. According to Guyard et al.'s article on changing population health (which is closely related to social factors such as war and depression), in the early 1900s, the child (from 1-20 years) mortality rate  was nearly 3%, which is extraordinary high in comparison to modern rates in developed nations (Guyard, B. et al. 2000). Given these influences, I hardly find it surprising that the majority of the child burials fall in this time period. This is a factor that would affect all groups, not just Christians, and we would expect to see similar effects aspects of the archaeological record for populations of any culture. For example, it may be the case that the variation in gravestones is due to differences in wealth which would be more pronounced in times of hardship. Another interesting point, is that the grave of Robert David Player is separated from the rest of the children's graves by a section of war burials. This, I believe, is further indication of an outside social influence at the time of death.

In conclusion, our survey effectively answered our research questions. We found continuity in the East-West alignment of the graves, and to a certain degree in distribution (even spread except for the war burials). However, both style and weathering were highly variable, showing a level of personal choice in the burials. As the large majority of the children surveyed died and were buried between 1917 and 1927, it is reasonable to imply the hardships of war and poor health standards as a factor in this large percentage of childhood deaths, while taking the age of the cemetery itself into account. While these social aspects of life, and subsequent improvements, are visible in these monuments, I believe that a broader survey would show similar effects for all groups at the time.

Work Cited
Bernard, G., 2000. Annual Summary of Vital Statistics: Trends in the Health of Americans During the 20th Century. In: Pediatrics, 106(6), p.1307-1317.

Crombie, D., 1988. Children's Burial Grounds in the Barony of Dunmore: A Preliminary Note. In: Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society, 41, p.149-151.

Old Cemetery Society of Victoria, no date. Ross Bay Cemetery: Sections [Online] (no date) Available at: http://www.oldcem.bc.ca/cem_rb_sec.htm [Accessed 10 February 2011].