21/07/2025
I found this gravestone in Arlington churchyard and was intrigued by the spelling of the first name - Christion, so decided to dig deeper. It seems that records actually gave the name as Christian, as is more usual.
Christian Norman was born in Goodleigh in 1824 to Nicholas (a farm labourer) and his wife Joan. The family lived at Westersnap. In April 1856 she married Henry Heal, a labourer from Roborough and the couple began their married life living with her parents at New Buildings. They had two daughters, Mary Jane and Elizabeth. By 1871, Christian had been widowed (Henry passed away in 1869 and is buried in Goodleigh, according to her gravestone) but she continued to live in the village with her daughter, Mary Jane. They were still in Goodleigh in 1881, but the census lists Christian as Kitty. Mary married William Latham in 1885 and the 1891 census shows Christian (still spelt this way) living at the Cottage, Sunnyside, Loxhore with Mary and her family. They moved to Arlington Beccott between 1894 and 1897.
As the gravestone shows, Christion (now spelt this way) passed away on 19th July 1900 aged 76 and was buried in Arlington churchyard. How sad that she and her husband were not buried together. It seems that the gravestone is the only record showing the use of the name Christion, so perhaps the stonemason simply made an error in his spelling or was given erroneous information! (Literacy levels still varied at this time).
