After seeing a headstone of one of his Brothers lying on the ground, damaged by vandals, Brother Al McLaren of the Lincoln Lodge set into motion to have it replaced as a project for the lodge's centenary. He researched Bro Spickett's life history and raised funds for a new stone to be placed at his gravesite. Thomas George Spickett, who was initiated into Acacia Lodge as a Mason in 1871, died in 1880 of heart disease at the young age of 31. He married and had two sons, both of whom would die of scarlet fever within three days of each other. Eight months before he died, a daughter was born. The daughter would eventually move to Connecticut with her new family and Thomas' widow would follow her there.
Standing by the grave is Robin McKee who holds regular cemetery tours on various themes, including this Masonic Tour, which alerted Mr McLaren of the travesty of the vandalized stone.
Bro. T.G. Spickett's Masonic dignity was restored with the unveiling of his new
headstone. Brethren present on October 22, 2011, paid tribute by placing
sprigs of evergreen on the headstone in the usual Masonic manner
for a Taphophile Tragics at the Hamilton Cemetery
6 comments:
Very interesting. And it's nice that stone was replaced. It's frustrating to see neglected cemeteries with weeds and broken stones.
Great post and a lovely picture. So nicd that a new monument was placed there.
Beneath Thy Feet
What a great idea having guided tours of the cemetery.
How interesting to have a job like that! Good to hear that the stone was replaced. It's a shame some people have nothing better to do than vandalize a cemetery.
Robin does this voluntarily and loves every minute of it!
Yes, we have voluntary guides at our biggest cemetery in Sydney, Rookwood Necropolis. Their open day is this Sunday.
That is very tragic to lose two little boys within a day of each other. I wonder how his wife and baby daughter coped? Fancy dying of heart disease at the age of 31. More likely to be 'malformation' than 'disease', don't you think?
The sepia treatment you have given it adds to the poignancy of the story.
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