Gordon Stewart was a true, local man of Sussex. Bell ringer, Chicken farmer, Grave Digger and the loving carer of the Holy Trinity Church’s, churchyard for over 35 years. Below are video clips which allow us to glimpse into parts of his life.

    Gordon – The Grave Digger

    Gordon – A Man of Sussex

    Gordon – The Chicken Farmer

    Gordon – The Bell Ringer

 

Sussex Life – March 1981:

” …. Outside in the beautifully kept churchyard I met the Sexton, Cuckfield born Gordon Stewart, who takes a keen interest in the memorials and headstones” (Note: A church Sexton is a caretaker of the church building and grounds, Their duties often include cleaning, maintenance, ringing the church bell, and, historically, digging graves.)

Gordon was a man with feet firmly on the ground, always kind, approachable and helpful. But not a man who was tolerant of the pretentious and self important. Some anecdotes attributed to Gordon: 

·       At a vicarage Christmas party, early 80s, there were a few “big wigs” from the church who all had responsible jobs in London. They were trying to outdo each other with tales of how important they were and many staff they had working for them. One bragged about having over a hundred people under him but his problem was having to listen to their never-ending complaints. Gordon, the gravedigger, was quietly listening to all this and suddenly piped up “Where I work I’ve over 2,000 under me and I don’t get a word out of any of them!”. 

 

·       Gordon used to attend Evensong without fail every Sunday. On one occasion when Boxing Day was on a Sunday, the vicar decided to cancel Evensong, saying “I think God will understand, but I doubt if Gordon will”. 

 

·       Gordon once explained the difference between Morning Prayer (Matins) and Evensong. The lords and ladies of big houses went to Matins, leaving the servants to prepare Sunday lunch. Later in the day, when the servants had cleared everything away, they went to Evensong. That, said Gordon, was why he was a regular at Evensong – he regarded himself as part of the lower/working classes! 

 

·       It has been said that whenever the local vicar was under pressure or troubled about something, he would go and seek out Gordon in the churchyard and listen to his “wisdom” and all his troubles just seemed to melt away. 

 

·       Gordon claimed that everyone buried in the churchyard lies in the same orientation i.e. all the heads are at the same end of the graves. “Apart from”, said Gordon, “priests, who are buried the other way round, so that on the day of resurrection, when all arise from the grave, the priests will be facing the congregation”. He may have been telling porkies to wind people up. 

 

·       Christmas/New Year is the busiest time of the year for gravediggers. Gordon once recounted a story about an old guy (who may have lived near-by) who was on his last legs. Being Christmas time, Gordon decided to start digging his grave in advance. “But” said Gordon, “the old bugger started to get better”. Gordon had visions of him walking through the churchyard (as the old boy often did), stopping to chat with him and asking “who’s that one for?” 

 

·       A recently titled lady was very conscious of her new social status and made sure everybody knew it too. On one occasion when she phoned Gordon, who occasionally delivered newspapers, replied in an affectatious voice “Your ladyship’s newspaper boy here!”. Typical Gordon.