Hello Most of of these villages churches were Norman (or part of) years - This particular village was on a hill.. infact I have read somewhere - the church was the highest above sea level in the county... Tte church had a side entrance with an entry porch.. was quite an effort to get up the path when the wind blew.. I was married there in December .. Don't Ask the Year. <grn> Churches of later years were built differently and didn't have churchyards... or pews or bells or pipe organs..>differnet hyms,, .. Memories betty ----- Original Message ----- From: "John" <john.mail@ozemail.com.au> To: <aus-nsw@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 11:50 AM Subject: Re: [AUS-NSW] In ins-and-outs of burial and religion > > > Hello, > > > I think there might be some rule/tradition in this possible for old > churches that were constructed up on top of hills out in relatively rural > areas .. and were thereby free to orientate as they wished. > > In the suburbs, however, churches will be fronting some road or another > and > the altar will usually face the road, due to how people must walk in the > front door, and hence the directions could vary a lot in the suburbs. > > Cheers, > > > > John > > > > > > At 11:31 AM 2/02/2010 +1000, you wrote: > >>Trish >>I believe that was the practice/rule in Church Yards . .C of E >>I know in the English village where i was born and lived, . >>. The Altar was at the East End the Font at the West.. Belfry End. >>To enter the church for Bapism the Font end was the beginning'' >> >> The "grave stones" face east......the sun rises in the east >>The inscriptions at the head could be read at the feet.. >> >>re: suicides. my understanding the coffin was not brought into church >> altho' the service could be held. inside... >> Cemeteries could be different.. >> >>**Time has changed many things,, >> >>betty >> >>----- Original Message ----- >>From: "Trev Symonds" <psym8950@bigpond.net.au> >>To: <aus-nsw@rootsweb.com> >>Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 10:43 AM >>Subject: Re: [AUS-NSW] In ins-and-outs of burial and religion >> >> >>> Hi John, >>> I thought headstones faced east, ready to greet the dawn on the Day of >>> Resurrection.to face the final judgment - although I've noticed not all >>> cemeteries follow the practice, but most older ones do. I've never >>> heard >>> your theory on suicides being buried in a different direction, I'd be >>> interested to know if it is true. >>> And I thought that incriptions on the back of headstones was to respect >>> those buried there, so you didn't walk over their grave to read the >>> inscription. >>> I always learn something from this List, so look forward to reading >>> other >>> answers you receive. >>> Cheers >>> Trish >>> Nowra NSW >>> >>>> But I have another question for people .. why do some (such as Wesleyan >>>> Methodists) put their inscriptions on the 'back sides' of headstones >>>> (the >>>> western face)? >>>> Another possible question is why do some few headstones trend not N-S >>>> but >>>> E-W (but I already gather that this may be to signify the person >>>> committed >>>> suicide .. is that correct?). >>>> John >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------- >>> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >>> AUS-NSW-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >>> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> >>--------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ----- >> >> >> >>No virus found in this incoming message. >>Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >>Version: 9.0.733 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2662 - Release Date: 02/01/10 >>22:37:00 >> >> >>------------------------------- >>To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > AUS-NSW-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes > in the subject and the body of the message >> >> > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > AUS-NSW-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.733 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2662 - Release Date: 02/01/10 22:37:00