On the west side of the graveyard just below the break of slope that separates the old and new graveyards we find an interesting double burial of Herbert Maundrell and his 2nd wife Alice.
They are buried head to head in different plots. They share the same cross-shaped headstone.
The inscription on the west side of the cross reads:
Herbert MAUNDRELL C.M.S. Archdeacon in Japan who entered into rest November 3rd 1896 aged 57 years.
On the opposite side of the headstone, we find; “In Loving Memory Of Alice wife of Archdeacon Maundrell, died February 20th 1892 aged 29 years.”
Why is it that the man and wife are laid to rest head-to-head? Alice’s feet point east whereas Herbert’s point west. The answer to this probably lies in the fact that Herbert was a high-standing clergyman and missionary. It is traditional for clergy to be buried with feet pointing west whilst ordinary people would have their feet pointing west. This tradition is based on the belief that when Jesus returns, the departed will rise from the grave already facing his direction. Clergy are generally buried facing west. The belief being that when the dead have risen the clergy will rise facing their congregations, ready to lead their people once again. This practice may have Pagan origins as the dead were often buried so that they faced the rising sun.
Herbert Maundrell had an interesting and adventurous life. He was born in Calne Wiltshire in 1840. In the 1841 Census, he is listed as being one year old. His parents Henry and Sarah were farmers.
He was admitted to the Church Missionary College in 1860 and in the 1861 census is listed as a student. He was ordained a deacon in 1863 and a priest in 1864. After graduating from the Church Missionary Society College at Islington, Maundrell served as one of the first two Church Missionary Society (CMS) missionaries to Madagascar in 1863. He served in Madagascar from 1863 until 1871 when he was transferred to Mauritius when the CMS relinquished the Madagascar Mission.
In Mauritius, he met and married Eliza Hobbs, daughter of the CMS missionary, Stephen Hobbs (the local Archdeacon) in 1868. He left Mauritius in 1873.
Following a furlough in England, he returned to missionary service in Japan, stationed at Nagasaki, On June 28, 1875, Herbert and Eliza arrived in Nagasaki to replace Rev. and Mrs. Henderson. Burnside as the CMS representatives in town.
Herbert Maundrell wanted to begin a theological class for Japanese on Dejima, since foreigners were confined to the treaty port boundaries and Dejima was the closest land to the native city. In the summer of 1877, he received permission to begin construction of a college at No. 10 Dejima adjacent to the CMS church; it was finished on St. Andrew’s Day, November 30. In honour of the occasion, the seminary came to be known as St. Andrew’s College. The building, which still stands at its original location, is the oldest Protestant seminary in Japan.
The Maundrell’ s went on leave from March 1884 to May 1886. When Maundrell returned to Nagasaki he was a newly appointed Archdeacon of Nagasaki and southern Japan. The following year, events took a sad personal turn when Eliza Maundrell developed typhoid fever and died on March 11th 1887 after a six-week bout with the disease. She was buried in Oura International Cemetery.
Herbert Maundrell returned to England for a scheduled leave at the end of 1889 or the beginning of 1890.
Married his second wife to Alice Pointer on July 21st 1891 at St Marys church Bury St Edmunds. The father of Alice was the Late Giles Henry Pointer of Highcroft Winchester. Alice died the following year. At the time they were living at 6 Clifton Terrace, Winchester with Herbert’s 5 children and 2 servants (1891 census).
He became ill and never returned to Japan, retiring from the missionary service in 1893. In 1894 he was registered as curator of Winnall and died in 1896 at the age of fifty-seven.
He must have spoken fluent Japanese and was involved in translation work and he translated the First Reading Book into Malagasy and Pinnock’s Analysis of the Old Testament History into Japanese. He also revised the Occasional Services of the Malagasy Prayer Book.
