Dracula Grave in Whitby

[koster]

There is a gravestone at St. Mary's Church in Whitby which is said to mark Dracula's grave. There is no writing on it, just a carved skull and crossbones.

Who put it there? When? Does anyone know who, if anyone, is actually buried under that stone?

is there just one gravestone with a skull and crossbones in the graveyard?

[Ethel]

It's the first I've heard of it. Have you seen it?

[Sphinx_Svens]

He didn't die in Whitby ... he just arrived there ...

[SteveD]

Dracula and Whitby:

http://www.draculawhitby.co.uk/

http://www.whitby-uk.com/cgi-bin/site.nav/whit by.pl?page=dracula

Maybe the gravestone is part of the "Dracula Trail".

[koster]

This particular gravestone lies conveniently close to the churchyard entrance, and it could be a modern legend dreamt up by tour guides.

Nevertheless, it would be interesting to know the history of that stone.

Was it common practice to put a skull and crossbones on gravestones?

[stick28]

Count dracula was supposed to have stowed away on the russian ship 'THE DIMITAR' according to legend and this ship ran aground in whitbey bay with the loss of all hands. Wether that's due to being shipwrecked or having a vampire on board is another question. anyhoo, again legend has it that the graveyard is where dracula hid out after coming to shore but as a wolf not as a human form. All in all is dracula the drunken ramblings of an irishman or the age old beliefs of an eastern european and very superstitious country?

[koster]

I forgot to answer Ethel's question. Yes, I have seen a gravestone in the churchyard which has a skull and crossbones and no other markings. Some people say it is Dracula's grave.

For a related question, where is the Whitby Civic Society Bram Stoker Commemorative Plaque in Whitby?

I also read that there's a sign at the top of the church steps which says the number of steps (199), but I didn't see the sign.

[myselfness]

in reply to Koster = the skull and crossbones was generally recognised as the sign for death... perhaps the grave is just that of an unknown travellor, so was just marked with a gravestone

[Pippa68]

There is a gravestone in my childhood village church with a skull & crossbones on it ~ we were always told it was a pirates grave.

[Pippa68]

This is interesting ~ scroll down to see:
http://www.reachouttrust.org/articles/othergrp /freesigns.htm

[JustSia]

Stick, not exactly a legend is it, if it came from a book of fiction.

Somehow I doubt that Vlad Ţepeş has ever been to Whitby.
There is a plaque on one of the house on Baker street saying that Sherlock Holmes lived there perhaps the above is just a similar attempt to popularise the place.

[koster]

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character, Brad Stoker was a writer. Brad Stoker stayed in Whitby, at the house where the plaque is situated.

[Narolines]

So was Brad Stoker any realation to Bram Stoker, who wrote "Dracula"?

[Narolines]

That's "relation" of course - fingers working faster than brain again!

[koster]

It was my mistake - I meant Bram Stoker, of course.

[JustSia]

Koster, perhaps it's the weather but were we even talking about the house in Whitby? I believe the question was about the grave possibly connected to Dracula, who as a vampire character was entirely fictitious.

[koster]

JustSia, I asked about the house in message 6, and I think everybody knows that the Dracula in Bram Stoker's book was fictitious (as opposed to Vlad III Dracula, or Vlad Ţepeş, a Romanian prince, who you mentioned in message 10)!

I found the answers to both questions in a booklet called "Whitby Dracula Trail", by Bernard Davies.

As Sphinx Svens says, Dracula didn't die in Whitby, but he took refuge in the grave of George Cannon, who had commited suicide. According to the booklet there is no trace of George Cannon grave today.

The Commemorative Plaque is at 6 Royal Crescent, on the West Cliff, where Bram Stoker stayed. There are still hotels in Royal Crescent today.

[Narolines]

Koster - sorry if I seemed a bit brusque last night. I'd just finished reading a load of old c**p elsewhere on AB (not yours, I hasten to add!) and was feeling a bit waspish. Looking back on it now I can see that the intended light-hearted humour might not have come across. Apologies!

[koster]

That's OK!

[JustSia]

Koster, if you want to be pedantic, my first post wasn't addressed to you and was regarding the grave stone. If I was commenting on your 6th post re house I would have said so.

[bazmoore]

hi
there are two graves in st marys churchyard whitby quite close together which have a skull and crossbones on them.
these two graves belong to puritansand aparently in the 16th and 17th century it wa common practice to use this symbol on their tombstones. the inscriptions on these tombs have gone because they were on brass plates which were removed to make musket balls for cromwells men.
hope this helps