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Key Hill Cemetery Memorial Inscriptions

I'm sure you will find him one day gunmaker. I have been doing my family history for about 15 years now and only just found a gt gt grandmother and gt gt grandparents at Handsworth:)

regards
Suzanne
 
Gunmaker, what a sad life your grandfather had after serving in WW1, I guess he was only one of thousands who escaped death but carried the scars of that war forever.
 
Wow Eric that looks fantastic I wish we could get more graves looking like that. I am sure Brian will be thrilled. I would keep your heads down as Brian will be recruiting you to help in the cemetery....ha ha!

Joking aside that is such a nice thing to do for your Gt Grandparents. I wish my gt grandparents grave had side rails so I could do something like that. Well done both of you its lovely.
 
Stars (Eric) - The grave looks lovely - well done. I shall keep a look out for it the next time I go to the cemetery.
I agree with Wendy - you have made such a good job of it, Brian will be recruiting you!
Polly
 
Hi Polly & Wendy
Thank you for the compliments. We did the grave that way so hopefuly low maintenance but also having the 2 circles each end for bulbs in spring and plant other plants later in the year. This is one of 4 graves, 2 at Witton, 1 at Key Hill and 1 at Yardley. We feel that finding my great Grandparents graves, it is only right we try to keep them tidy. I know my Late Mother is looking down and thanking me.
Take Care Stars (Eric)
 
Eric, I know exactly how you feel - I found my Gt Grandparents and Grandparents and two of their children (my Uncle and Aunt) buried in two family graves in Key Hill - unfortunately they all passed away before I was born so I never knew them. Unfortunately both headstones were broken, I had one restored last year and hope to have the other one done soon. I like to think they know what I have done and I always enjoy visiting the cemetery to tidy them up.
The work that Wendy and Brian do finding graves for relatives is wonderful :) I don't think I would have found mine with out them.
 
Looks lovely Eric. I haven't found ANY of my ancestors graves yet (mostly public graves) but will keep on trying...and I'm spurred on by looking at what you've achieved.
 
Thanks Charlie
I know it sometimes seems like you are getting nowhere, then you get a break, and find someone, and it is so rewarding. As i said before it is so strange standing at the grave of your Grt Grandparents remembering little things your Nan or your mother mensioned all those years ago, and after months of researching them here you are now stood at their grave paying your respects. It is also good to be part of this forum, knowing there are good people here only to willing to help. So i wish you all the luck Charlie and keep trying, because you will get that lucky break and feel it was worth all the searching.

All the best Stars (Eric)
 
sylviasayers said:
Gunmaker, what a sad life your grandfather had after serving in WW1, I guess he was only one of thousands who escaped death but carried the scars of that war forever.
Click to expand...

He certainly did Sylvia. He must have been a bit of a lad though. He enlisted in the Coldstream Guards in Birmingham on 22 Jan 1900. He served for 2 years in South Africa then was on reserve until August 1914. Whilst in South Africa he was jailed for 56 days for "Disobeying Lawful Commands". I'd love to know what he disobeyed. I was wrong saying he was discharged in 1918. He was discharged on 19 September 1917. That gave him enough time to father my mother & her youngest brother. as I said earlier he was admitted to Lodge Road Asylum in 1922 and spent the last 27 years of his life in institutions. Nowadays he would have received treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and hopefully have lead a normal life.
 
Can you confirm if this is Alfred Birds grave, it seems to be in needs of some TLC, Please?. Len.
 
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Hi Gunmaker, I have looked at the burials on FMP and cannot find any that fit for your Grandfather. I was going to suggest trying Salisbury's London Road cemetery as they have Military folk there. I came across a W Parsons buried 1949, London Road, but unfortunately he appears to have been 10 years older than your William.
What was your grandmothers name please, just so that I can recheck the entries with wives listed.

Eric, you and your wife have done a wonderful job, it looks great.
 
lencops said:
Can you confirm if this is Alfred Birds grave, it seems to be in needs of some TLC, Please?. Len.
Click to expand...

Yes Len this is the Bird family memorial which has been cleaned a couple of times. The problem is the trees soon after it's cleaned after the winter it's green again. I spoke to a gentleman in the cemetery last week doing a survey of the cemetery for English Heritage. I asked him about the trees and he said the problem is when they were planted they didn't envisage how big they would get over many, many years and the damage they would cause. The roots and the fact they fall are a big problem not to mention the leaves. Hopefully if we can get some more volunteers to help more memorials will be cleaned.
 
Key_Hill_8_Jan_05_012_edited_1.jpg
Here is an example from high winds in 2005 the trees damaged a lot of headstones by large broken branches and trees falling themselves.:(
 
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I always think the trees in Key Hill are a mixed blessing - they make the cemetery look so beautiful :) but they also seem to do their best to destroy it :(. Thankfully we have Brian who seems at times to be having a one man war against the trees, leaves and weeds that do their best to cover the graves up. I think the next clean up day is in September - everyone welcome :)
 
lindyloo said:
Hi Gunmaker, I have looked at the burials on FMP and cannot find any that fit for your Grandfather. I was going to suggest trying Salisbury's London Road cemetery as they have Military folk there. I came across a W Parsons buried 1949, London Road, but unfortunately he appears to have been 10 years older than your William.
What was your grandmothers name please, just so that I can recheck the entries with wives listed.

Eric, you and your wife have done a wonderful job, it looks great.
Click to expand...

Hi Lindyloo

Thanks for you looking for my grandfather. I called in at Salisbury, London Road, cemetery a few years ago on my way back from the south coast. They couldn't find him in their records there or other local cemeteries. His wife, my grandmother, was buried at Handsworth cemetery in 1951. I plan to visit all three grandparents at Handsworth shortly.

Thanks again for taking the trouble.

Mike
 
Wendy , You seem to be very busy doing lookups for people. I have a family of DISNEY's who lived in Aston and Harbourne areas. Have found a few buried at Witton but not all. In your searches have you come across the surname DISNEY at all? Any information much appreciated. Helen Coan
 
Hi Helen, The Burial Records on Find My Past aren't showing any records for Disney's buried in the area, apart from a William Dizney in 1769 at St Peter and St Paul, Aston, however Wendy or Brian may have some additional information for Key Hill and Warstone Cemeteries.
 
lindyloo said:
Hi Helen, The Burial Records on Find My Past aren't showing any records for Disney's buried in the area, apart from a William Dizney in 1769 at St Peter and St Paul, Aston, however Wendy or Brian may have some additional information for Key Hill and Warstone Cemeteries.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that information. I don't think this William is one of mine as they only moved to Aston c 1860. I'm hoping they will turn up in one of Birmingham cemeteries. Helen
 
I expect you have already checked the Death Records on Free BMD, but just in case you haven't you would expect to find a possible 5 that were registered in Aston, there were also 6 registered in Birmingham and 7 registered in Kings Norton..I hope Wendy or Brian can help you :)
 
Thanks , Yes I have all the deaths and in many cases the death cetificates . I'm trying to track where they were buried and if there are any memorials to record. Helen
 
Hi Wendy
I wonder when you get a moment, could you check if Bertie Harvey born 1910 and died in 1947 is at Key Hill. I believe he was killed in a motorbike accident in witton. Also perhaps someone reading this might recall it or have a newspaper cutting of it.
Thank you for your time Stars ( Eric)
 
Could you please look to see if there is a inscription for Alice Amy Burford who died in 1912
Many thanks
Lindy
 
Hi Wendy

When you have time would you please look for an Eleanor Chamberlain buried 1902 KH register number 44207.

Many thanks
Suzanne
 
Lost & Found

I am pleased to tell you that I have located the burial place of my grandfather William Joseph Parsons. However, I am not so pleased to tell you I had the information that led us to the answer about 17 years ago. My uncle, his youngest child, had given me some notes he'd written about his father. This was a few years before I started researching my family history. I had typed up the notes on an old PC and presumably saved them on a 5.25" floppy disc, which was thrown out long ago. The notes were put at the bottom of a drawer and forgotten about. I had printed a copy and given it to my cousin.

My cousin read the earlier posts I had written asking if anyone could find him and it rekindled her interest.

She had also forgotten about this piece of paper but located it last week. When she read it to me I thought that sounds familiar. I knew I had the old notes somewhere and when I eventually found them, there at the top it stated he was buried at the mental hospital. The Old Manor Mental Hospital in Salisbury where he died closed down some time ago. The site it's on is being developed. I contacted the Wiltshire Archives to see if there were any records of burials there, and if there was what would have happened to the people buried there. They replied today that there were no burials at the hospital but they had traced my grandfather's burial to the nearby Devizes Road cemetery. They also told me the section he is in and the plot number. Even though my uncle's notes were slightly incorrect they led us to the answer eventually.

I then spoke to the council department who looks after the cemeteries and they asked for the details and will check out the plot for us and if it isn't marked they will mark it for us. They will let me know when it's marked.

So, all being well we will have a family day out to Salisbury shortly. It may probably be the first visitors he's had since 1949.

I am certain that if I hadn't asked the question about my other grandparents earlier I would probably never have found him.

Thanks to all who showed interest and encouragement.

Mike
 
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