Hogg Family Grave

Hogg family grave, Brookwood Cemetery

THIS is almost certainly the first permanent memorial to be erected in the Nonconformist section at Brookwood. The design is a massive headstone with well cut letters. The same design may be seen elsewhere in the cemetery grounds. The Hogg memorial occupies half of a large double family plot. The other part contains a similar memorial which also survives. Kerbing adds to the definition of the plot.

Charles Milligan Hogg was the infant son of Robert Hogg. Robert was a botanist. Charles died at 13 Gilson Road, Brompton, in December 1854, aged just 2 years and 4 months. In the burial register, Charles appears as entry No. 76, and his funeral took place on Tuesday 12 December (the only private burial, although nine pauper funerals took place on the same day) and was conducted by Rev. ThomasAlexander MA. The burial entry notes that the grave was allocated Grant No. 3. As this was a larger plot, in a prime position (facing directly onto Chapel Avenue and near the Nonconformist Chapel) the plot would have been priced more than the standard price of £2-10-0 for a 9 ft by 4 ft plot, ie more than £5-0-0 for a nominal 9 ft by 8 ft grave. There would have been extra charges for digging the grave to an extra depth to allow for the (presumed) eight spaces in this double family grave.

The memorial design might have been a standard design supplied by the LNC’s statuary agents, except that evidence on the memorial tells us otherwise. If you examine the top left-hand edge of the memorial you can see carved: “ARCH. RITCHIE. / EDINBURGH.” showing that the memorial was made in Edinburgh and transported south - presumably by railway - for erection over the grave. The cost of this style of memorial is not known.

The lettering is in standard plain capitals. No lower case lettering is used at all. The size of the lettering is largest for the names, otherwise it seems to be of a similar size. The epitaph reads in full:

TO THE MEMORY OF

CHARLES MILLIGAN HOGG,

WHO DIED DEC. 6. 1854.

AGED 2 YEARS & 4 MONTHS.

ALSO TO THE MEMORY OF

ROBERT HOGG, L.L.D. F.L.S.

WHO WAS BORN AT DUNSE, BERWICKSHIRE

AND DIED IN LONDON MARCH 14. 1897.

AGED 78 YEARS.

CAROLINE AMELIA HOGG,

WIFE OF ROBERT HOGG,

& DAUGHTER OF CHARLES MILLIGAN,

BORN JULY 9. 1821, DIED FEB. 26. 1905.

ROBERT ALEXANDER MILLIGAN HOGG,

OF THE INNER TEMPLE, BARRISTER-AT-LAW.

B.A. OF ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.

SON OF ROBERT HOGG.

BORN SEPT. 20. 1850, DIED AUG. 14. 1913

O PERFECT LOVE

The age of Charles Milligan is recorded as 2 years 3 months in the burial registers, yet the memorial states 2 years 4 months. Presumably the family - who paid for the lettering - knew his correct age.

The adjacent area is occupied by Mrs Hogg’s family. The design of the memorial is precisely identical. The epitaph reads:

TO THE MEMORY OF

CHARLES MILLIGAN ESQ.

OF CRAWLEY DOWN, SUSSEX,

WHO DIED APRIL 19. 1865.

AGED 76 YEARS.

AND OF MATILDA, HIS WIFE,

WHO DIED FEBRUARY 24. 1863.

AGED 81 YEARS.

AND ALSO OF MATILDA ROBERTSON MILLIGAN,

ELDEST DAUGHTER OF CHARLES & MATILDA MILLIGAN,

WHO DIED JULY 13. 1906, AGED 87 YEARS.

ROBERT HOWES,

UPWARDS OF 40 YEARS THEIR FAITHFUL SERVANT.

DIED MARCH 4. 1866. AGED 66 YEARS.

AND IS INTERRED IN THE SAME GRAVE.

There is plenty of interest in these two memorials. Notice the re-use of names between the families. Note also the inclusion of the family servant in the Milligan grave - doubtless a reward for selfless service over 40 years.

[From Necropolis News, April 1997]