Information on Trinity's graveyard now available

Trinity's website now has detailed information on those commemorated in the graveyard.

The graveyard was established in 1842 and is still in use for interment of ashes. Over that time, 634 people have been commemorated.

Seventeen deaths were recorded in the 1840s, rising to 91 in the 1880s. Thereafter, use of the graveyard declined, with fewer than 10 in recent decades.

Eighty two names appear on the gravestones still standing, but some names will have been added to existing gravestones without a further interment.

When the churchyard was partially cleared in 1959, some gravestones were used to make a path, which is now partly covered. These gravestones show a further 17 names which can be viewed on request.

In the early years, eight people were interred in tombs, which are all still in existence, or in vaults under the church. A further eight were buried in steined graves, none of which can now be seen.

There are war graves for Corporals Nelson Luther Bryant (d 1916) and Leigh Smith (d 1917). Both were in the 3rd battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment.

Forty five sets of ashes have been scattered or interred since 1965.

Fifty eight of those commemorated were infants under one year. In the 1840s, infant mortality accounted for 24% of deaths. This fell to 11% by the 1870s, though these were 21% of the total in the 1880s. Thereafter, infant deaths fell steadily, though nine were recorded in the 1940s.

The average and median ages of those commemorated has shown a great increase over the years. In the 1860s the median age was only 25, i.e. of the 53 people commemorate, half were less 25 years old. By the 2010s, the median age was 91. Overall, the median age of those commemorated has been 66, and the average age 59.