07/12/2025
This unassuming gravestone sits quietly in Brendon churchyard on Exmoor. As we can see, when Dan Gregory died in March 1933, barely two weeks after his wife Lucy, he was living at Coombe Farm, Brendon.
Whilst reading the first volume of ‘Unforgotten Exmoor’ by David Ramsey, I came across the following interesting recollection of the funeral of ‘Farmer Dan’ (as he was known locally) by his granddaughter:
‘His was one of the last funerals in Brendon where he was buried from his own house and it took eight sets of six men in relays i.e. 48 men to carry the coffin all the way up to the church!’
I could not quite believe this and so decided to investigate further. I found the attached newspaper articles, the first announcing his death and arrangements for the funeral and then the subsequent one giving details of the funeral itself. Sure enough, Dan had been carried the 1.5 miles to the church by friends and neighbours, but it had actually taken nine sets of six men, so 54 in total to get him there!
