The Williams sarcophagus repair is now complete
Abney Park Trust is pleased to announce that the works to restore the lid of the slate sarcophagus near the Church St entrance have now been completed by Orbis Conservation.
The sarcophagus is known to have been damaged for around 20 years. There is a possibility it has been so for much longer. Past displacement of the panels had also resulted in a missing top section.
The original lid was fabricated using iron brackets that were concealed beneath the sloping sides to which the slate was bonded. The brackets had failed over time, leading to the collapse of the structure. Rain water was then able to fill the structure almost completely, bringing further detriment to the slate. (Not to mention attracting mosquitos during the warmer months.)
The first stage of the works took place in late December 2020 when, after taking measurements, Orbis carefully removed the existing lid sections, wrapped them and transported them to their conservation studio. At this time the water and sludge were drained. Encroaching soil and plant growth was also removed from the sides of the monument. A wooden panel and protective cover were instated to allow the monument to dry out and also halt any further water ingress.
Relics from inside the monument
To resist corrosion, a new bracket was fabricated in stainless steel at the Orbis studios. The three existing panels were then installed onto the mount and measurements were taken for the replacement back section.
Welsh slate was sourced for the new panel – this was cut and shaped to fit the existing opening and the bevelled edge was hand-carved.
All the components were delivered back to site. The mounting bracket was fixed into place on the frame of the tomb. All panels were then re-instated, with care being taken to ensure the pieces amalgamated evenly. The fixing used was a specialist waterproof adhesive. The final stage was to seal all joints with lime mortar. Some deterioration of the panels is still evident but the carved lettering remains in good condition.
Once staff are on site, the body of the tomb will be cleaned to remove earth and organic growth from the surface of the stone.
The front lower panel of the sarcophagus bears the words ‘The Family Grave of William Williams’. Buried in this grave are William Williams, who died in 1887 aged 46 and his wife Mary Ann who died in 1917, aged 78.
Williams was born in Glyndyfrdwy, South Wales in 1841 and grew to become a slate merchant in Islington, Middlesex.
The 1881 census has William as the head of the household, living with his wife Mary Ann, son Sidney aged 14, also daughters Margaret Ellen and Edith Eliza, aged 9 and 7 years old. Williams occupation is noted as ‘slate merchant’. Also present in the house at this time was their 15 year-old servant named Jane. In 1881 there were 55 ‘slate dealers’ listed in Middlesex, curiously Williams’ name is absent.
William Williams is not obviously visible on the census records from 1851 – 1871. His son Sidney is noted as being born in Kensington in 1867 so it may be that he and his wife lived there before moving to Islington.
In 1881 the family was living at Phelps Cottage, Upper Street, Islington. Phelps Cottage is now a grade II listed two storey white building that was restored to its original style in 2005. The cottage survived demolition during the 1980s when many buildings were cleared to make way for office blocks. The building was built in 1838 and named in recognition of Samuel Phelps, a famed Tragedian who lived in the house from 1845 - 1867. Phelps was known for being an extremely successful actor – manager of Sadler’s Wells theatre from 1844 -1862, producing more than 1600 Shakespeare plays at the venue.
William Williams died on 26 July 1887 at the Great Northern Central Hospital on Caledonian Rd. He was 46 years old. The probate notes that he was ‘of Phelps Cottage and a Slate Merchant.’ His wife Mary Ann was the executor of the will, noted as being ‘of Phelps Cottage the Slate Works’. Williams left a personal estate of £3,911 - valued at just over £500,000 today. The epitaph on his headstone reads ‘Deeply Regretted’.
Abney Park Trust will be continuing to raise funds to allow further repair and restorative work to selected monuments over the coming years. The community will have the opportunity to vote for the monuments they would like to see conserved and restored.