Israel Finch (1885-1891)

Israel is an interesting Biblical name and this son of Richard Finch is in fact named after a maternal grandfather (Israel Howarth) who at that time was an ‘in-mate’ of a psychiatric hospital at Whittingham before Israel Howarth's own death in 1894.

The idea of naming a son after a grandfather is understandable. However, Israel Finch was named after a person who was both a detained patient and a person given to violent outbursts as part of his psychiatric condition. Additionally, Israel was a child named after a grandfather who had been part of a criminal trial in 1875 of people involved in a violent assault. Although, Israel Howarth was not convicted he was associated with those who were violent.

Despite such issues, Nancy Jane and Richard still thought positively enough of Israel Howarth to name their first son after his grandfather.

However, this particular Israel died in 1891 and we can only contemplate the grief of the parents even at a time when children died early with greater frequency. Israel was buried in a shared grave (Grave No. L 580) at the Lower Ince Cemetery. A birth and death certificate would be interesting for Israel although this is a job for another day as they say as this form of intensive family history can become expensive.

The question could be: why was Israel buried into a public grave when Richard was clearly doing so well for himself? Was it the case that Richard was an unemotional man as indicated by my relative in 1982 or was it something else?

Israel is not just a simple and abstract record in the family history. Israel has individuality as a child and as a distant cousin and despite this individuality as a person, Richard and Nancy were going bury Israel and other children anonymously in a public grave. Is this some sort of commentary on how Victorians viewed death, bereavement and children or is it some peculiar feature of the relationship of Richard and Nancy Jane? Were the couple just financially conservative or was it that they were at the start of becoming financially secure and resented paying the money to purchase a private grave for such a young child?

Although their first born son is buried in Wigan in a public grave; Richard and Nancy Jane are later re-united into a private grave in Burnley to be still later joined by a daughter,Mary Finch, and there is something uncomfortable in this arrangement. Did Richard remember his son Israel when he died in far away Gloucestershire so may years later?

I’m trying not to become mawkish about the separation of Israel from his parents in death and burial but we may consider Richard and Nancy Jane's actions as being quite unemotional although this lack of emotion fits in with family comments about Richard in particular.

Israel is interesting both in his death and the circumstances of his burial. Symbolically, Israel stands for and represents Victorian attitudes to death and burial and Israel also tells us something about Richard and Nancy Jane.

See this link for a comment on English burials
Public Versus Private graves