In St Peter’s Churchyard in Heysham stands the strangest gravestone I have ever seen. As a poet myself, I was naturally intrigued by the inscription ‘Poet, philosopher & Failure’. I’m not sure I believe a person can simultaneously be a poet, a philosopher, and be a failure in absolute terms. But perhaps it was a wry in-joke.
The mystery only deepens as one reads further down the tombstone. On the lowest block, a quotation from Hamlet appears: ‘Alas, poor Yorick’. The poet, philosopher & failure inscription is thought to be about James Jones, who regularly contributed poems to the Sunday Chronicle and over the course of his incredible 92-year life no doubt experienced his fair share of failure. The Hamlet quotation is etched across the grave stone for his third wife, Sadie. It is unclear whether she requested this quotation or whether James Jones decided upon it (he survived her by a year and thus would have made the funeral arrangements).
Two of Jones’ wives (both from different parts of Yorkshire) were laid to rest in this spot overlooking the Irish Sea. There are conflicting records about whether James Jones is buried with them or in Torrisholme Cemetery. Either way, if their grave stones are anything to go by, they were, all of them, colourful characters indeed. And how wonderful to leave behind a mystery that may never quite be solved. Immortality unlocked.
For the full Lancaster Guardian article on James Jones, click here.