THE ST PETER'S CHURCHYARD SITUATED AT THE REAR OF THE CHURCH, GRATTAN STREET, CITY OF CORK: Changes throughout the years.

St Peter's Graveyard as seen from Grattan Street. St Peter's Lane goes down between the church in the center of the photo and the tennaments on the right side of the photo. These tennaments have now been replaced with modern apartments. The date of the photo is unknown. Click to enlarge the photograph.

Grattan Street used to be known as Duncan Street, as shown in this 1866 map from Guy's Directory while St Peter's Lane was also known as Peter's Street.

A Drawing of St Peter's Church and Churchyard dated sometime between 1811 and 1877.
From Architectural Drawings by James Pain, Reference 138, Representative Church Body Library, Dublin. Used with permission.

Photograph copyright Representative Church Body Library, Dublin. The church and churchyard of St Peters showing that the nineteenth century church was built right up to the edge of St Peter's Church lane as it is today. The schoolhouse building shown in this plan still stands today between the church and the churchyard. In the photo below, the schoolhouse is labelled 'City Clothing Factory'. Click to enlarge the photograph.

St Peter's Graveyard as seen in 1956. It is believed that the tombstone on which the two ladies are standing is that of the Stevelly family. (See below for more information on this tombstone.) Click to enlarge the photograph.

The same place in St Peter's Graveyard in 2008. Notice the yellow mark on the wall which marks roughly the same place on each photo. The Stevelly tomb is further away from the building than the last remaining tombstone base that has survived. It is thought that the tombstone behind the Stevelly tomb in the 1956 photo in the one that has survived. It has a considerably smaller base than the Stevelly tomb. Click to enlarge the photograph.

The last surviving tomb did have a top on it in 1991. Notice that the top part of the "table" tomb is divided into three parts on the side, as seen in the 1956 photo, behind the lady on the Stevelly tomb. You can still see the remains of this three part division on this 1991 photo. Click to enlarge the photograph.

THE STEVELLY TOMB IN ST PETER'S CHURCHYARD.

The 1789-1795 tomb of Robert and Sarah Stevelly showing Sarah's inscription. Robert's inscription is presumably on the other end of the tomb. The date of this photo is unknown. Note the carved marble pedestal on side of the tomb in the center which matches the one in the 1956 photo, in front of the lady on the tomb. Also the large carved base of the tomb matches the 1956 photo as well. However this old photo of the Stevelly tomb seems to have a stone wall behind it, running parallel and quite close. The wall has windows in it and the stone work does not resemble anything there today. This building close behind the Stevelly tomb must have been within the present graveyard and has since been demolished, along with the tomb itself. Click to enlarge the photograph.

The inscription was recorded in a Stevelly Family History written by various descendants and passed down through the family: "Robert (Stevelly) erected a large tomb in St Peter's Churchyard, Cork on which is inscribed: Sacred to the Memory of SARAH STEVELLY, Wife to ROBERT STEVELLY Who Departed this Life the 11TH Jan. 1789, Aged 66 Years. Here Lieth the Body Of ROBERT STEVELLY, Who Departed this Life 12TH of March 1795, aged 79." It seems likely that the location of the Stevelly grave today is under the central path, just before and to the right of the sole surviving tomb base as you walk towards it. Thus as you walk up the path in St Peter's Park, tread lightly for you tread on the graves of my ancestors.

St Peter's rear churchyard as it was in 1980. The rear of the church showed more clearly then. In 1980, the rear building was the City Clothing Factory while the church itself was locked and abandoned. Click to enlarge the photograph.

St Peter's rear churchyard as it was in 2006. The rear of the church shows through the trees in the center of the photo. St Peter's Lane is on the right behind the iron railing and the remains of the tombstones are leaning on the wall to the left. Click to enlarge the photograph.

Old Gravestones In the rear churchyard of St Peter's there are a row of old gravestones leaning on the wall. Most of them are so worn, that they are no longer readable. However there are a few that can be deciphered:

Mathew, son of John Roger Click to enlarge the photograph.

HERE LYETH THE BODY of Matthew Son to John Roger Who Died July ye 3D 1704 Aged 5 yeers

Michael and Mary Crofts Click to enlarge the photograph.

The Burial place of MICHEAL CROFTS and Family. Here also lies the body of MARY his wife (Rest of the stone is unreadable)

Jane Hutchins Click to enlarge the photograph.

Sacred to the Memory of of MRSJANE HUTCHINS who Died June 1ST 1829 Aged 80

An example of an unreadble gravestone. The name THOMPSON can be just made out. Click to enlarge the photograph.

From The Cork Remembrancer by Anthony Edwards 1792:

April 19 1753: Francis Taylor was buried in Peter's churchyard, and the next morning was found sitting up in the grave, his cap and shroud tore to pieces, the coffin broke, one of his shoulders much mangled, one of his hands full of clay, and blood running from his eyes. A melancholy instance of the fatal consequences of a too preciptate internment.

Strangely enough the name of Francis Taylor appears in the St Peters Parish Register burial book as having been buried on 19 April 1753. The vicar has made no comment about his resurrection in the register.

On the 19 September 1776, another Francis Taylor was buried at St Peters so it is possible the man lived for a further 23 years.



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