Monument Analysis

The first question we looked at was: does the position of the mausoleum within the Ross Bay Cemetery landscape provide information regarding the individual?  The position of the mausoleums in Ross Bay provides information on a person’s religion as well as a person’s wealth.  The cemetery is divided into sections based on Christian orientation but there are also sections where poor people were buried (called Potter’s Field).  Mausoleums were originally built to bury the wealthy families outside of the church but still maintain that religious connection (Pearson, 2002).  In the Ross Bay Cemetery, the clearly Catholic Rosso family mausoleum is the only family mausoleum in the Catholic section (clearly evident because it has a crucifix above the door).  Another example is that the Helmcken and Mackenzie mausoleums are buried in the Anglican section (Old Cemetery Society of British Columbia).

            The second question we looked at was: was mausoleum use limited to or favoured by, a certain social class or social group in the Ross Bay Cemetery?  The mausoleums in Ross Bay Cemetery were evident of wealthy social classes.  Helmcken’s mausoleum was elaborate and inspired by Egyptian style.  Since most of the mausoleums in Ross Bay were around the late nineteenth century, they fit perfectly into the idea that elaborate burial monuments/family mausoleums glorified individual achievement and success (Lee Decker, 2009).  These large, elaborate family mausoleums became the norm during the late nineteenth century and clearly exemplified high status (Lee Decker, 2009).  The most elaborate mausoleum that clearly displays wealth and high status in the Ross Bay Cemetery is the Rithet family mausoleum.  The Rithets owned sugar plantations and Victoria’s deep sea docks.  Their high status and wealth is represented after death in their large, beautiful mausoleum.

Sources

Lee Decker, Charles H., 2009. Preparing for an afterlife on earth: the transformation of mortuary behaviour in nineteenth-century North America, International Handbook of Historical Archaeology Part 1, [online] Available at:< http://www.springerlink.com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/content/l55833l682p65863/fulltext.pdf > [Accessed 07 February 2012].

Old Cemetery Society of British Columbia. Ross Bay Cemetery [pdf] Available at: <http://www.oldcem.bc.ca/brochurerbc.pdf> [Accessed 07 February 2012].

Pearson, Lynn F., 2002. Mausoleums. Buckinghamshire: Shire Publications.