Congregational Church, Erdington

[florence butler]

In 1892 three members of my ancestral Butler family were buried in a family vault in Erdington Congregational church. A few years ago, I visited the church but could not find their grave. I have also looked in the Birmingham Library monumental inscriptions and their names are not mentioned. I assume that a vault would bear an inscription!

I understand that the Greek Orthodox took over the church, but it now seem to be in a redundant state.

Do any of your goodselves have any idea where I could research next. ..........Thank you........Florence

 

[Wendy]

Here is a link to an index of the monumental inscriptions of the Church. You could also search the site on other indexes for your family names. Have you got confirmation they were buried here?

https://www.hunimex.com/warwick/mi/mi_erdington_c.html

 

[florence butler]

Hi Wendy,

Thank you for the link. I did try it, but it was unavailable. I will try to get it off the web when I've finished on here.

I was lucky enough to find the three Butler obituaries in the Sutton Coldfield and Erdington Times newspaper. They were quite lengthy reports, (being well known members of the community), as they owned the Cross Keys Inn at the time of their deaths.

All the best....Florence

 

[RRJ]

My G G Grandparents and at least two of their children were buried in a family grave at the 'Erdington Congregational
churchyard' . Googling tells me the church is now called the United reformed Church (Holly Lane) but I don't see
evidence of a cemetery or churchyard on google view at that location.

I have a family member visiting Birmingham later this month who would search for the grave if I can provide an
accurate location, if the graveyard and grave still exists of course.

Any help much appreciated.

 

[pjmburns]

What dare were your ancestors buried?

 

[RRJ]

What dare were your ancestors buried?

John Thomas Johnson 16/02/1922
Florence Leonora Johnson 07/03/1915

 

[pjmburns]

Why do you think they are buried at that church?

 

[Alberta]

About 1952-1955 I went to the Sunday school of the Methodist church in Station road every year we went to The Congregational church to join with their Sunday school choir to celebrate a day called Anniversary Sunday we all wore white and sang together in front of the large congregation.
When you entered the church grounds there was no car park in those days, the graves were all in front of the church, either side of the path.
If this ground has been levelled to make a car park it is likely that the gravestones are positioned around the wall of the new church.

 

[RRJ]

Why do you think they are buried at that church?

 

[Pedrocut]

For reference there is a report of an internment at Erdington Congregational Church in 1973.

 

[Pedrocut]

About Us

The United Reformed Church came into being in 1972 with the union of the Congregational Church in England and Wales, and the Presbyterian Church of England. Erdington United Reformed Church in...

www.erdingtonurc.org

 

[pjmburns]

View attachment 179218

Thank you. It is always good to get the background to requests.
What an interesting snippet of sporting info that is.

 

[Astoness]

About 1952-1955 I went to the Sunday school of the Methodist church in Station road every year we went to The Congregational church to join with their Sunday school choir to celebrate a day called Anniversary Sunday we all wore white and sang together in front of the large congregation.
When you entered the church grounds there was no car park in those days, the graves were all in front of the church, either side of the path.
If this ground has been levelled to make a car park it is likely that the gravestones are positioned around the wall of the new church.

thanks alberta...bob are you able to visit the church to see if any gravestones remain

lyn

 

[RRJ]

Thank you. It is always good to get the background to requests.
What an interesting snippet of sporting info that is.

Just a shame that the piece wasn't a little more about her rather than the men in her life, sign of the times I suppose.
I see that St Thomas Association still has a presence on Station Rd. I do know from other newspaper articles the
family were heavily involved with the club. My brother will be popping in there to see if they still have any
references to the family (unlikely I know) although I know from googling that the club has commemorative wall plaques
from WW2, maybe they have something earlier.

 

[RRJ]

thanks alberta...bob are you able to visit the church to see if any gravestones remain

lyn

Not personally Lyn, a crumbling spine has given me mobility issues. My able bodied kid brother will be visiting later this month, I just need to give him a location ( assuming the gravestone exists at all ).

 

[Astoness]

ok bob well we have the location so good luck..please let us know

lyn

 

[pjmburns]

Not sure if this would be of any use

Erdington (Birmingham) Congregational Chapel, (Chapel-yard Only) - Monumental Inscriptions - Download

Now with Clickable Surname Index This is a Zipped set of downloadable pdf files (approx. 6.8MB) There is no date period for our Monumental Inscriptions because they cover the entire burial ground & all of the Gravestones, providing they

midland-ancestors.shop

 

[RRJ]

Not sure if this would be of any use

Erdington (Birmingham) Congregational Chapel, (Chapel-yard Only) - Monumental Inscriptions - Download

Now with Clickable Surname Index This is a Zipped set of downloadable pdf files (approx. 6.8MB) There is no date period for our Monumental Inscriptions because they cover the entire burial ground & all of the Gravestones, providing they

midland-ancestors.shop

Thanks for this Janice, it was worth a download. There were some Johnson's listed unfortunately not mine.

 

[pjmburns]

Sorry about that. Do you think that means your relatives' stone was too damaged to be recorded? I hope you find something.

 

[RRJ]

Sorry about that. Do you think that means your relatives' stone was too damaged to be recorded? I hope you find something.

Thanks Janice, Always good to have as a future reference. As far as being damaged, I suppose a possibility. Or the
family had the stone moved elsewhere?

 

[RRJ]

Just a shame that the piece wasn't a little more about her rather than the men in her life, sign of the times I suppose.
I see that St Thomas Association still has a presence on Station Rd. I do know from other newspaper articles the
family were heavily involved with the club. My brother will be popping in there to see if they still have any
references to the family (unlikely I know) although I know from googling that the club has commemorative wall plaques
from WW2, maybe they have something earlier.

I did end up making the trip to Birmingham with my brother last weekend.
No go on the Gravestone I'm afraid but surprisingly the St Thomas Association club did have some references
to my great grandfather Leon Harry Johnson 1879-1935 on the clubs wall.