• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

St Giles Church Sheldon

From top left, clockwise -
No.1 No idea, maybe local Lord of the Manor or someone connected with the church.
No.2 There would be a Bishop or Archbishop connection with this I am sure. Crozier and lamb
No.3 The ten points are associated with the Anglican Bishops of Worcester, in which Sheldon is part I believe.
No.4 Is a Royal Herald design as far as I can see.
 
From top left, clockwise -
No.1 No idea, maybe local Lord of the Manor or someone connected with the church.
No.2 There would be a Bishop or Archbishop connection with this I am sure. Crozier and lamb
No.3 The ten points are associated with the Anglican Bishops of Worcester, in which Sheldon is part I believe.
No.4 Is a Royal Herald design as far as I can see.
Your No. 1 contains elements related to the Digby family. No. 2 is an ouch! The lamb is a deer and the emblem represents St. Giles himself. Certainly in the 1960s it was used on the cover of the parish magazine.
 
Your No. 1 contains elements related to the Digby family. No. 2 is an ouch! The lamb is a deer and the emblem represents St. Giles himself. Certainly in the 1960s it was used on the cover of the parish magazine.
Wasn't No.2 also incorporated into the badge of Sheldon Heath Comprehensive school?
 
Yes, St. Giles, accepted as of Athenian birth, became Abbot of the monastery (Benedictine) in France which he founded (hence the crozier and hind). Patron of disabled, where many European towns had what was called a cripplegate and church of St. Giles.
 
The reopening of St Giles 1867...

Some familiar names in the guest list -would Spooner be the family associated with Elmdon Hall and Elmdon Church?
Dugdale would be the Warwickshire landowners and ancestors of Sir William Dugdale former Chairman of Severn Trent Water based at Sheldon HQ Coventry Road, 1974/83. Chairman Aston Villa 1975/78 and uncle, by second marriage, to David Cameron.
 
Last edited:
No.3 is the British Coat of Arms, similar to the shield design in the centre of the Royal Coat of Arms, a quartered shield with two quarters containing the three lions passant guardant of England, one quarter for the lion rampant of Scotland, and the fourth is the harp of Ireland. With recent political developments this could change!

Apart from No.1 being reminiscent of the Sheldon Heath Comp badge I have no idea about the others. Never realised just how complex heraldry is! I looked up family heralds for Dugdale and Spooner and for Elmdon and Sheldon but nothing looks familiar

 
Earlier I questioned Margaret Green's claim that the location of the bier cart was unknown. Looking at the church's own website to see if there was anything relating to the heraldic carvings discussed above (there isn't) I see that they confirm my understanding that it is still stored in the purpose-built bier house. Good!
 
My grandmother burial in St Giles Church yard was the last one I believe before the graveyard was closed to burial, my nans name was pekins and she was buried in the same plot as her husband Bert perking and her daughter Dorothy who was the first person to be buried in the plot when she was run over and killed on the Coventry road aged just 7 in a automobile accident
 
Hello Andrew, on many many visits to St Giles I have often passed your family's grave, its quite close to the path.
 
The grave is indeed neat the path, my mom still tends it at least twice a week even though she herself is in her late 70s the grave is always covered in flowers, the family consisted of my grandad and nan plus 7 kids, sadly only 2 are still with us, my mom and one of her sisters
 
View attachment 137313
Stewardship of Time and Labour - Churchwarden, PCC Secretary, Chairman, Parson and Master Builder at work on the "Bier House" - Legend obviously not in order as 'Parson', Rev. Strickland is holding the bucket. Anyone know the other names? Rugby football posts and swings in the background now replaced by car park in Sheldon Country Park.
The person holding the bucket is Henry Greaves, the master builder, my Grandfather Sidney Bragg, my father Benjamin Bragg is the person in the background. The building used the bricks from the original bier house which the choir men and boys helped to demolish, transporting the bricks on the bier to the paddock. I spent many hours using a scutch to remove the mortar from those bricks so that they could all be reused. As is tradition a topping out was done with a small plaque set on top of a buttress of the church boundary wall, unfortunately the Rev Strickland removed all trace of it.
 
The person holding the bucket is Henry Greaves, the master builder, my Grandfather Sidney Bragg, my father Benjamin Bragg is the person in the background. The building used the bricks from the original bier house which the choir men and boys helped to demolish, transporting the bricks on the bier to the paddock. I spent many hours using a scutch to remove the mortar from those bricks so that they could all be reused. As is tradition a topping out was done with a small plaque set on top of a buttress of the church boundary wall, unfortunately the Rev Strickland removed all trace of it.
Reference has been made to the chimney on the bier house as being for the blacksmiths furnace. As the building was built to a new design and was not a carbon copy of the original it's a complete nonsense. The blacksmiths building is on Church road well away from the Bier House which just contained the bier. The chimney referred to on the Church website was there for heating as the building was used not only for storage but had a serving hatch for refreshments at Church fetes etc
 
As Jelico says, the St Giles website implies that the Bier House was a replica. (The pedantic might get upset too over the expression 'Bier Cart', almost like saying 'Cart Cart').

Henry Greaves was quite a character, particulary when he and Rev. John March got together!

Look for a building built on the churchyard wall. We call it a Bier House (not to be confused with Beer!). It was originally sited on the other side of Church Road and was a stable. If you look carefully you will see the remains of a Chimney for a furnace. This would have been used to make horseshoes. Inside the Bier House is a Victorian Bier Cart used for carrying coffins.
 
This is a view of the interior taken from the Bell tower during my own wedding ceremony View attachment 137290

This shows the Rev. John Waterstreet who conducted the service. He joined us at the reception later (Held at the Excelsior Hotel, Birmigham Airport) for a couple of beers. View attachment 137299

My sister was also married there a couple of years later.
John Waterstreet was my Father, he died in 2022 aged 87.
 
I think he was! We married at St Mary's, Selly Oak in 1982, he was vicar there from 1977 -1989. He also officiated at his youngest granddaughter's wedding at St Giles, Nether Whitacre in 2017, where he had been Vicar between 1989 - 2007, where I am proud to say I am now the Vicar
 
Back
Top