The ‘chewing gum’ grave in a Chester cemetery serves as a stark warning of the consequences of neglect and disrespect in historical burial sites, writes RACHAEL ELIZABETH
The UK is host to many beautiful graveyards, and within these graveyards, hundreds of beautiful tombstones mark the place of someone who has passed from the living world to the spirit world.
Many tombstones have interesting decals etched in the stone, some are simple marble creations, and others pose foreboding designs that can be seen from miles away. In one particular graveyard located in Chester, England, there is a specific grave that became that of myth and legend…
The Overleigh cemetery in Chester has within it the grave of Mabel Francis-Ireland Blackburn. Mabel was a three-year-old girl who died in 1869. Her grave has become an attraction to many people; not an attraction in a social way, but people seem to have built a connection with this particular grave, and when people do visit, the grave is always filled with gifts and trinkets left by those who come to see her.
The tombstone of Mabel is a beautifully crafted memorial that depicts a young girl resting on a bed, covered with a blanket, and her legacy became a harsh warning adults told their children. Mabel became the poster girl for the dangers of swallowing chewing gum, as her legend states that choking on chewing gum is how she died. It is not known exactly when, or why this tale came out, because Mabel actually died at such a young age due to whooping cough.
The tale of the young girl who choked to death on chewing gum became so prevalent, that her grave, even to this day, is still known as the “Chewing Gum Girl”.
The stone effigy, as mentioned earlier, is decorated by unknown visitors who leave offerings at the grave – could this be due to the story?
Are there people out there who still believe her fate was due to the hazard of chewing gum? Or is it due to our human nature and our reaction to the deaths of children, no matter how they perished?
The “Chewing Gum Girl” became such an infamous tale, that children of the time even had a song they sang about the fate of the girl, and the harsh reality of chewing gum:
“Chewing gum, chewing gum, made of wax, brought me to my grave at last.
When I die, God will say “Throw that dirty stuff away!”
It seems apparent that no one will ever be able to pinpoint the exact reasoning (or time) why Mabel became the poster girl for the hazard of chewing gum. It is said that a “notice” was erected near her grave to discourage children from chewing gum.
So it could be that the sign became apart of her story by accident or it may have been easier for adults to explain the death of a child to children through chewing gum.
The dangers and fatalities of diseases in the 1800s, especially for children, were extremely high. Whooping cough, in particular, posed a significant threat. When explaining a child’s death from such a contagious illness, it is understandable that they might attribute Mabel’s death to something seemingly innocuous, like chewing gum, rather than confronting the grim reality of the disease.
The grave of Mabel has become a macabre piece of history and has also become so ingrained in those who have heard the story, that her grave, even over a hundred years later, still attracts visitors who leave gifts, to commemorate the tragic death of a three-year-old girl.
You can find out more about the Chewing Gum grave at Visit Chester and Cheshire.
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