File Size:
439 KB
Jonathan Harmer was a versatile craftsman whose unique terracotta bas-reliefs still decorate churchyards across Sussex today.
– An American Interlude: In the 1790s, Jonathan moved his family to New York to work as a stonemason. While initially successful, he became disenchanted by the oppressive humidity, “rancid” butter, and the tragic loss of two infant children to yellow fever, eventually returning to England in 1800.
– The Art of the Monument: Back in Heathfield, he developed a unique craft: creating decorative terracotta inserts for gravestones. Ranging from baskets of fruit to cherubs with crowns, these pieces were molded from local clay and fired in the same wood-fired oven his family used for baking bread.
– A Surviving Legacy: While some have fallen victim to time, many of Jonathan’s “Harmers” remain in excellent condition, particularly those sheltered in church porches.
His work represents a rare fusion of fine art and local craft that continues to intrigue historians and genealogists alike.
