The churchyard surrounds the church of St Mary's, is lined
by yew trees, a typical tree planted in church grounds, often believed to have
had special powers of protection against evil.
The churchyard is full of graves with inscriptions which
tell us about the people buried here.
The oldest graves are those of the family of the Vicar
of Glyncorrwg, Leyson Jones (family members dying from1826 to1850). These
graves are located at the church door entrance, and tell us that the Vicar
came from Abergwrelych farm in near-by Pontwalby.
Some graves tell us how people died, like this one of
John Lewis, a 12 year old boy killed in a coal mine accident in 1855:
Another child, Gwyneth Mary Williams, who in 1917 died
aged 5 years old has a much more elaborate memorial. A large free-standing
angel white marble angel rests on a plinth supported by four Greek pillars.
She was the only child of a family living at Abermellte House (latterly the
'Tara' country club at Pontneathvaughan). They were clearly a wealthy family
who also donated the font in her memory
Several record accidental deaths owing to buses,
railways, drowning and collieries.
Several of the graves inform us that men were killed on
active service during a war, such as Flt Sgt John Howells
in 1942 Pte Tanner at Ypres, France in 1917
Graves give us information about the jobs of people:
Post office workers, Chemists, colliery boy, weigher in colliery, newsagent,
works officer, Vicar
30% of the graves have writing in Welsh and 70% in
English.
