On 6th April 2015, I got the chance to visit Rosamond Acworth’s hometown Chobham. This date was particularly important as 116 years prior would have been the last day of Rosamond’s life.
My first visit was to St Lawrence’s church where she attended weekly services that her father gave as the Vicar of Chobham. Before entering the church I was aware of all the dedications made to Rosamond through my research. The three windows her brothers William, Cecil and Bernard dedicated to her were heart-warming. They were positioned in a prominent place where by day it was lit perfectly by the bright sunshine. Three bible passages were named under each widow scene, my favourite being Jairus’ Daughter. The window represented obvious care and love for a beloved sister.
The chandelier Rosamond’s father had named for was also present after 116 years. To my surprise and pleasure I found an engraved dedication on the chandelier for Rosamond followed by, ‘her liveth long, who liveth well’.
The commendations to Rosamond I expected, but what I didn’t expect was how prominent they would be in the church. She had two tributes when thousands of people have passed through the church and have not received the same recognition. This proves yet again that she must have been an exceptional young lady.
Furthermore, not only were there memories of Rosamond, but to my surprise her family as well. A plaque was dedicated to her father after a side alter he created. Also the front bench for praying and preaching was dedicated to Rosamond’s brother William, after his death.
Determined to find more, I followed the road to the graveyard dating as far back as the 1800’s. This walk, as I filmed it, reminded me of An Exeter Mis-Guide performance by the company Wrights and Cite. As commented by Mike Pearson, Mike and Cite ‘walks offer specific routes’ (Pearson, 25) whereby your journeys could be simply led by a dog. The experience ‘suggest a series of walks and points of observation and contemplation within the city of Exeter’ (Mis-guide.com). Similar to my own performance, Rosamond was taking me on a journey, not only of her life, but the journey her family would have had to of taken after she passed.
The lane leading up to the graveyard, being supposedly short, seemed endless. My determination to find her made me impatient to arrive at the graveyard, making the journey feel longer. However, that then led me to think of her family, and how on her funeral day, they would of probably hoped that the lane would never end. Never wanting to say goodbye as the village stood in silence in respect.
However, although the situation was quite morbid, I could not deny the 150 year old graveyard of its tranquil beauty. The trees, old and vicarious, towered over the graves, acting as a guard for the cemetery, leaving soft spots of light about the space. Families laid to rest side by side, young children before their time and soldiers dominated a lot of the attention. The graveyard really embodies the meaning of rest in peace. I was not able to find Rosamond’s grave, but it did not matter. To believe that she was laid to rest somewhere in that location was enough for me. It’s beauty, location and view created this surreal feeling, creating a sense of seclusion, which for a place to rest for eternity, seemed perfect.
The visit overall was very beneficial. I was able to walk in the footsteps of not only Rosamond when she was 17, but Rosamond throughout her whole life, growing up in Chobham. I was also able to walk in the footsteps of her family on the day of the funeral, what they would have seen, heard and felt. It made my view of her grow stronger in my journey to finding her and more certain that I’m going down the right path.