Day 7: Graveyards and crypts

Rabbi Nietos' grave would be one of the raised gravestones around
centre of picture. Only Rabbis had raised graves in the Sephardi
community.

Geoff also has a London ancestor in whose steps he wished to tread. Today we caught the bus to Mile End in London's east, in search of the grave of Rabbi David Nieto, Geoffy's great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather - a distinguished physician, philosopher, astronomer and mathematician as well as a man of the cloth.  Finding the Old Velho Sephardi cemetery in the East End was quite a feat but we did it, only to find that the cemetery, which closed in the 1750s, is fenced off and inaccessible without a key. The fence was about two metres high but as luck would have it - there was a construction site next door and the worksite foreman let us climb up on a platform so we could peer into the cemetery and take this pic.  Sephardi gravestones are always placed horizontally but Sephardi rabbi graves are all slightly raised to distinguish them from the riff-raff. 

After paying due deference to Rabbi Nieto (who has his own Wikipedia entry, if anyone is interested!) we headed back towards the city and the Bevis Marks synagogue (above)  which was built in 1701.  Rabbi Nieto was the Chief Rabbi there from 1702 until his death some 20 years later.

Geoff was magnanimous and tried hard not to rub in that his London ancestor was distinguished and highly respected, whereas mine (Mary Ann Chandler, yesterday) was a common prostitute.  But poor Mary Ann was an impoverished woman in a very unequal world who had few choices in life.  Eventually she lived and died in what is now Berry NSW and had about six children.  In 1870s photographs she looks like an obese Granny Clampett. 

After Bevis Marks, we were still in a holy frame of mind so headed to 'All Hallows by the Tower', purported to be London's oldest church.  We wanted to go into the crypt area underneath to see a Saxon altar made from Roman era tiles, but we were sent away with a flea in our ears because the church was hosting some sort of play.  We were told to come back at 2pm so with 2 hours to kill, we first loitered  by the Roman Wall ( the remnant bit that impressed me last Sunday).     Here's Geoff loitering by Roman wall....








Then we headed to a pub for lunch (which was ordinary) but look at this view from our table of the Tower of London:

It was very wet by the way.  Before we went back to All Hallows we waddled up to St Olaves Church(where Samuel Pepys was a parishioner) and listened to some splendid harp music that had a small but very appreciative lunch time audience. The acoustics were very good and it was quite enchanting.  Eventually it was time to return to All Hallows and we made a beeline for the crypt. Fascinating!  The ancient warden then suggested we get a bus to St Brides church in Fleet St, where there was also an impressive crypt with Roman and Saxon elements.  It was great too. 

 

So all in all, a spiritual day that was very good for the soul.  Mazeltov!