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[ Biography ] [ Life in Hurstbourne Priors ] [ The Singer ] [ The Fly-Fisherman ] [ The Writer ] [ St Andrew's Church ] [ Churchyard ] [ Celebrations 2006 ]
Hurstbourne Priors' Churchyard
The churchyard around St Andrew’s Church
is approximately 3 acres, including the new extension, which received its first
burial in 1930. This yard has been the burial place for inhabitants of
Hurstbourne Priors for the last 1200 years. It is a beautiful ground, with yew
and other mature trees, and in February has extensive areas of snowdrops. The
new burial ground will be open for burials for parishioners and those who have
lived in the parish, for very many years to come.
Harry Plunket Greene’s burial in 1936 was among the
first in the new area and is situated at its extreme southern edge. On the
plinth of the simple stone cross visitors sometimes place dry-flies, such as he
would have used, in homage to his celebrated passion. However, the only word of
description inscribed on the stone is ‘Singer’, showing how he is to be
remembered. His two sons, Richard and David, are buried
nearby.
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| Snowdrops
in February |
The
Three Plunket Greene memorials |
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Memorial
to Harry Plunket Greene |
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The unpublished diaries of Arthur Ponsonby describe visits
to his dying brother-in-law and the funeral in St Andrew's:
Aug 9, 1936:
Had to go up to London to see poor Harry
Greene in Hospital. Very terrible, he is dying. Another instance of that
intolerable lingering at the gate of death. How inhuman we are. Was glad to help
Gwen a little by talking things over. She is at a loss, remorse at the past and
confusion of the present. Olivia no help at all, most strange, almost uncanny.
Aug 14:
Poor Harry Greene still sinking.
Aug 19:
Harry Greene died. Asked to write a note for the
Times about him. But his shining virtue of loyalty and of concealing his
suffering, his resolution to work in spite of a natural phlegmatic tendency, his
refusal to complain of his domestic life having been spoilt were all too
intimate and revealing of his home trouble to be made the subject of public
comment.
Aug 22:
Funeral at Hurstbourne. We drove over in the
blazing sunshine, a lovely spot. Harry was buried between the cricket field and
the stream. The service as usual jarred on me and I noticed Richard and
Elizabeth Greene reverently and quietly ignoring it while Gwen and Olivia,
although RCs, were mumbling and praying and singing.
Anthony Boden describes the tribute to Plunket Greene
in that year's Three Choirs Festival (Three Choirs - A History of the Festival,
p184)
1936 Three Choirs Festival at Hereford: "At the
Thursday morning concert an additional item was inserted into the programme: Roy
Henderson sang ‘Farewell’ from Stanford’s ‘Songs of the Fleet’ in
tribute to Harry Plunket Greene who had died three weeks previously."
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