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~ Ruiton Grave Scrubbing ~

The old custom of grave washing and scrubbing at Ruiton often made the newspapers, whether this custom is unique or not to Ruiton is open, but certainly was looked upon as something curious by outsiders.

This Ruiton tradition was carried out in the Spring before the 'Anniversaries', a major event in the Gornal calendar, celebrating the anniversary of founding of their church or chapel, in this case, Ruiton Congregational Church.
There was always great friendly rivalry surrounding the local church anniversaries

1928: Birmingham Daily Gazette, 30 April.

TOMBSTONE SCRUBBING

Women's Curious Observance

While the cleanliness of the British housewife is almost proverbial it is rarely carried to the extent to which it was last week in Ruiton Graveyard, Gornal. There the womenfolk of the neighbourhood were to be seen busily engaged with water and soap scrubbing their family tombstones in preparation for the 146th anniversary (observed on Sunday) of Ruiton Congregational Sunday School, which ranks as the second oldest Sunday school in England.
Some few weeks ago mention was made in the "Birmingham Gazette" of the rivalry of local congregations in the Black Country as to the amount collected on "The Charity." by which name the aniversaries are known, but at Ruiton it would appear that a more personal competition exists between neighbours who go to considerable trouble and no little expense in beautifying their relatives' graves by giving them a spring cleaning and placing on them quantities of flowers.

GARDEN OF FLOWERS.

Yesterday morning the graveyard was filled with housewives who had forsaken the cooking of the mid-day meal to transform the burial ground into a veritable garden of flowers. Mr. Levi Hale, the caretaker, whose family has held the office for years, told a Gazette man that the womenfolk had been busy from last Monday until after dusk on Saturday evening tending the graves. Some families in straitened circumstances had, be declared, denied themselves in order that the graves might appear spick and span, and that as much as a pound or thirty shillings had been expended on flowers by some families.
Asked why the unusual care was taken Mr. Hale suggested that it was a yearly recognition of the dead. It is evident, he said. that the Gornal people take more than an ordinary amount of pride in this matter, since after the graveyard has been "decorated" snapshots are taken and sent overseas to relatives. so that they might see for themselves that their relatives in the Old Country are not neglecting to uphold the family tradition to keep the grave bright on the occasion of the observance of "The Charity" day.

1939: Daily Mirror, 22 April.

VILLAGERS SPRING-CLEAN CEMETERY

In the village of Ruiton, near Sedgley Staffs., spring cleaning is not confined to the houses. The sound of the scrubbing brush is heard in the cemetery too. Ruiton's cemetery is the villagers' pride. On every day in the week before April 23 —which is " Sermons Day " —relatives of persons buried there scrub tombstones and grave kerbs with hot water and soap, put fresh soil and turves on graves, clean paths. trim shrubs and trees and cut grass. People come from miles around to see the mass of flowers about the gleaming tombstones.

Ruiton Congregational Church

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