THE SOUTH BANK/BREWERY/ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS ~ LION

I first saw this lion in Bowie’s “Absolute Beginners” video.

And when I came to London for the very first time and we arrived at Westminster Bridge everyone hopped off the bus going “Oh!! Big Ben!!!”. Not me. I was like “ah!!! The ‘Absolute Beginners’ lion!!!” (yeah, priorities, eh 😉 )

THE SOYER/SIMONAU MONUMENT, PART 2

Now unto the actual monument itself. According to Ruth Cowen's book "Relish" about Alexis Soyer, he had bought a plot at Kensal Green for £ 73. And Alexis started to sketch his ideas for a monument. In the book Memoirs of Soyer the authors describe it (somewhat empurpled) like this:

 

Here is another contemporary report about the tomb:

 

This monument is a puzzling one and it has sent me deep into the internet to find clues and answers but this research has brought up more questions and confusion. I struggle with:

• a sculptor with a surname in 2 different variations
• a statue which may be Faith or Hope
• an alleged father-in-law who is actually a stepfather but the father-in-law of another character in this story
• a distant relative buried there as well but with missing information on the monument
• a link which doesn't lead to the promised (and much coveted!!!) details (at least it didn't link to a dubious website either. It was "just" a wrong link but how very frustrating, really!!!)

And the most baffling one!!!!

• the information given on the monument about the person for whom it was erected in the first place

I spent hour upon hour to sift through many websites and blogs to collect information. Sadly most bloggers don't lay their cards open where they found their info. This is a problem for me. Why? Because anyone can write anything and present it as fact. Without naming a source or reference, it simply can be the case of one blogger just copying content from another. I am sceptical about this. Finally I did find an original source. Now, I am not saying this is gospel nor that this source is entirely reliable and the ultimate truth. What I am saying though ~ at least it is an original source. It is fun to collect all the bits and pieces but it can also be frustrating. Cause the internet does have its limits. I was looking for a specific edition of the London Illustrated News and I failed. Several numbers of that old newspaper I did find but not the one I needed :( To access certain online resources, you either need to be a member of a specific library (which I am not) or you need to register somewhere and get a paid membership (which I won't, not for blog research). When my last weekend came to a close, I had downloaded pdf files, saved pictures, wrote down URLs, pieced together screenshots. Figuratively speaking I had just opened the box of the jigsaw puzzle, had scattered about the pieces and tried to find the 4 corner pieces to make a start. I guess these 4 corner pieces could be the 4 people buried there, how is that for a start?

1. Elizabeth Emma Soyer, née Jones (1813–1842)
2. Alexis Bénoit Soyer (4 February 1810 – 5 August 1858)
3. Francois Simonau (26 May 1783 - 26 November, 1859)
4. Lady Elise Isabelle Watts, née Simonau (10 August 1863 - ??? , maybe 1930)

To Her

Sadly I am in a hurry at the moment and cannot write a full blog entry. But I have seen on Twitter and Facebook that today marks the day on which, in 1858, Alexis Benoit Soyer has died. He was a celebrity chef and became the most celebrated cook in Victorian England. More about him later when I have more time.
He married Elizabeth Emma Jones in 1837 (more about her later as well). Sadly she died at only 29 bearing their first child. This monument was erected for her by her grieving husband.

Two Gibsons and the Molyneuxs

This wonderful monument stands on the grave of Mary Eleanor Gibson (1854-72).

Not much is known about Mary Eleanor Gibson. She passed away at the tender age of 18 years at the Great Western Hotel (now Hilton London Paddington Hotel) . It is assumed that she might have had come to London for medical consultation. 

Great Western Hotel 

The majestic Ducrow Mausoleum

Once we had stepped down the stairs of the Anglican Chapel we found ourselves surrounded by impressive tombs and mausolea. Now we were in the most prestigious area, the Centre Avenue, the spot to be buried. (if you could afford it, that is). And suddenly I remembered that I had seen a very remarkable mausoleum online, in videos, on photos. I said to my friend "there is this truly amazing mausoleum and I feel it must be here! It is here!" It was a bit odd that I suddenly remembered it and that I felt so strongly that we must be really close to it. I know the sceptics will say that it is not that odd after all because where to erect such a grandiose monument if not at the Centre Avenue. Nonetheless it was a strange moment. I am not saying I felt the presence of it but still it felt a little bit as if something did decidedly draw me to it. ("It is here! I know it!" ~ my friend can vouch for this occurrence) And lo and behold ~ there it was.

   

Can you see the orb? A glass eye! A Victorian HAL 9000! A crystal ball! We were wondering if it was this thing sending out vibes which I had received. (Before someone starts to doubt our sanity ~ we were not entirely serious about this) But why not allowing the imagination to run free when one sees such a delicate, lovely object like this?

(not my photo)

So we stood there admiring the Mausoleum of Andrew Ducrow. Something "The Builder", a journal of architecture published in the UK in the 19th and 20th centuries, called a

"ponderous coxcombry."

London, day 1, July 12th, 2017, Kensal Green Cemetery, part 1

The night had been short but true to the motto "I can sleep when I am dead" I was up super early. Breakfast and then off to the ~ dead. I am still on my mission to visit all seven of the so-called "Magnificent Seven" in London. So far I had been to:

1. Abney Park Cemetery
2. Highgate Cemetery
3. West Norwood Cemetery
4. Brompton Cemetery

For this stay in London, I had planned to visit two more: Kensal Green Cemetery and Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, incidentally the first and the last of the seven to open. And the best part about it? I would visit both cemeteries with my friend! I think I have mentioned this before but it is still valid: I've always loved to visit London but now that I have a very dear friend there, I enjoy coming back even more. Meeting point was Kensal Green tube station. As I was staying in the same hotel as last time, very close to Baker Street Station, I only had to hop on the Bakerloo Line and I was there in no time.