Christian Significance

There are memorials of many types around St. Helen’s. In this part of the church, called the North Transept, all the memorials are to members of the Garrard family, who lived at Lamer House, so it is often called the Lamer Chapel.

Take some time to look at the different memorials here, at different heights. Which one are you drawn to?

The very prominent memorial with figures of a man and woman lying down shows Sir John Garrard, who died in 1637, and his first wife Elizabeth who died in 1632. All the figures below them are their 14 children, the boys on the left and the girls on the right.

Why do you think some of the child figures are shown holding skulls? Clue: many more children died in infancy in the past than today.

The last member of the Garrard family was Apsley Cherry Garrard, who was part of Captain Scott’s unsuccessful attempt to reach the South Pole in 1910- 13.  ‘Cherry’, as he was known, was one of those who returned, and he wrote a famous book about the expedition called ‘The Worst Journey in the World’. When he died in 1959, there were no more members of this branch of the Garrard family left. His memorial is the small bronze statue at the far north end of the chapel showing him in his polar gear.

The Garrard family were at times very wealthy, and made some of their money in ways which are considered morally unacceptable today, including an early investment in two slaving expeditions, as well as later trading in commodities such as tobacco. As a response to this, St. Helen’s has a statement outlining our commitment to oppose modern forms of slavery.  See here

If you have investments, are there any activities you would not want them to fund? What could you do about it?

The Garrard family used the services of generations of agricultural labourers but contributed little to Wheathampstead. Other prominent local people with far less ostentatious memorials, left legacies which are still benefitting people today. On your way out of St Helen’s, look for the gravestone of James Marshall, to the left of the main entrance. He left money and property in the village to enable young people who could not afford it to gain qualifications that led to better-paid work. The James Marshall Foundation is still actively helping local families with grants for a wide range of educational needs. See here for information

How would you like to be remembered after your death?

Architectural / historical

The Garrard Memorial This large marble monument on the west wall of the N Transept is in memory of Elizabeth Garrard (d. 1632) wife of Sir John Garrard, at one time Lord Mayor of the City of London.

The Friends of St Helen’s made a video about this rather special memorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWfw5ukVWb0

For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past,
   or like a watch in the night.
You sweep them away; they are like a dream,
   like grass that is renewed in the morning;
in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
   in the evening it fades and withers.

Psalm 90.4–6