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Key Hill Cemetery

Would it be a good idea to put these vandals to a good use and ask them if they are that bored to come and help out at the cemetery then perhaps that way they would have more respect for the graves and graveyard and for the people who work so hard to maintain it because lets face it they to will end up in one of these places one day.

Just a thought...............
 
The attached excerpt looks to me like its probably a reference to the building of Key Hill Cemetery, but please correct me if you know otherwise.
Key Hill building of.JPG
 
It may be, though as the date in the text refers to 1845, the reference to "new cemetery" makes me wonder if it is Warstone Lane (which opened in 1847, as opposed to 1836 for Key Hill). I'm sure that Wendy or Brian will correct me if I am wrong :tranquillity:
 
Hi BordesleyExile - Great piece - not seen it before.
I am certain it is Key Hill - Although open for 9 years - it would still be the "New Cemetery - ONLY Cemetery until Warstone was opened in 1848.
It tie in with Key Hill being Quarried in the mornings at the back, and used for Burials in the afternoons at the front.
The Cemetery rear used to be where the catacombs are - Everything from there back, up[ & down was quarried out - 40ft is the depth of the Public graves in the rear of the cemetery!
Interesting to note he studied the sandstone for fossils - very Victorian! - sadly nothing special! - As far as we know it all went to the @Black Country' as Moulding sand.

Many thanks

Brian
 
There you are - knew that Brian would know for certain! :)
It certainly is an interesting piece.
 
Another great piece of detective work Brian and thanks also to Bordesley Exile for posting the piece.
 
Les, I think the word 'NEW' was used because at that time, cemeteries were new, as a place to be buried, as well as this one being fairly newly opened.

There were several tiny ones ealier than the nineteenth century but they were very small ones. Chorlton Row, Rusholme, Mancester is credited as the first, again a dissenters burial ground, in 1820. One in Norwich was laid out in 1819 but not oepened until 1821. The Liverpool Necropolis was opened in 1825, followed by St James' 1825-29. (As recorded in Prof James Stevens Curl's book The Victorian Celebration of Death). I think there may be one more opened before Key Hill, but Birmingham was pretty quick off the mark with the establishment of a cemetery, so 'New' as an adjective has more than one meaning, I feel.
 
For members of The Friends of Key Hill and Warstone Lane cemeteries. This months newsletter is brilliant with a fantastic sad if gruesome article on Emma Knowles of New John Street. The article is compiled by Glynis Jones secretary. The research done by Colin Giles such a hard working volunteer on anything to do with the city's history.
 
I am not sure if I have posted this before. This is the grave of George Shaw which may be of interest to some.

Norton_Graves_at_Key_Hill_014~0.JPG
 
hi i'm new on here
i saw that you do look ups for the cemetery and was wondering if you still do them
i am visiting key hill wednesday but am not sure were to look for my family can you help please
ada mary crowther died october 1903 register no 44781
frederick william crowther march 1900 42740
ivy lily crowther august 1906 46226

william dawson sept 1893 38077
elizabeth dawson april 1869 20603
douglas h dawson oct 1921 52134

not sure if this one is buried there
avis arabella dawson june 1863
thank you for any help you can give me
zena
p.s. i come from tamworth too
 
Hello Zena

Here is what I have found.

Ivy Lilly Crowther section C grave no 311
Ada Mary Crowther section C grave no 300
Fredrick William Crowther section L grave no 45.

William Dawson section L grave no 37
Elizabeth Dawson section L grave no 27
Douglas H Dawson section L grave no 231


Key_Hill_map_edit~0.jpgAll these graves seem to be public graves so there may not be any headstones. Good Luck,
 
wendy
could you help trying to find twins who are buried in warstone cemetery have you any chance have a map of where about they were buried
thank you josieimg867.jpgimg868.jpgimg872.jpgimg874.jpg
 
a great big thanks wendy
i dont really care about head stones they are interesting but i like to go to pay my respects to the person when i find were they are
the three crowther babies are very dear. as my mom had no idea they existed (her aunts and uncle) i have made it a very big goal to find them after they were recorded on the 1911 census as having died. trawling through births and deaths and sending for certificates. the end of a three year search
so thank you again this means a lot to me
zena x
 
All I can add is there doesn't seem to be a memorial, it may be buried, many were to make maintenance easier in the 1960's an awful process. It states in the burial index there are 4 in the grave although the purchase was for three. There are sadly many mistakes in the original registers for Warstone Lane Cemetery. I have checked and there are no other Blair's in S 1074. So may be another family member or even 2. I can only search names not grave numbers.
 
josietrue, If you look at showmystreet.com and put Iknield Street, then navigate to the corner of Pitsford Street, this is section S. S1074 is on the second row in, parallel to Icknield St. and 21 graves in from Pitsford St. The area is only grass and a few graves now though, but at least you can see the Cemetery.
I hope this makes sense!!
rosie.
 
wendy
thank you i must admit i am shocked that there maybe another member of family in the grave as i only thought the twins where buried in the grave would you know where to go to find out if there is and the names of who thank you for your help
josie
 
If you could give me any other family names I could have a look. I only have name indexes.
 
wendy
i will ask my sister inlaw tomorrow if she would know of names she might know of who would be buried in the grave as i am trying to find out information on her husbands side ( the twins brother ) i was hoping it might of been their father who the family have been trying to find out where he is buried as they havent seen him since just after the twins died all they know is that he died sometime in 1974/5
josie
 
wendy
i have asked my sister inlaw if she would know of any family that would be buried with the twins and like me she only knows about the twins their mother is buried in witton her maiden name is mernage would they be able to tell me who is buried in the grave at the cemetery office at handworth
josie
 
Yes Josie, Handsworth should be able to help as they have the burial register's. There may be a charge though. Give them all the info you have on the grave as this will make it easier for them to locate the record.
 
hi wendy
went to key hill yesterday what a lovely peaceful place so green even in this weather
you were right no markers for any of mine how did they bury so many in such small places?
just one question
you said elizabeth dawson was in L 27 this seemed to be in the catacombs with a surgeon and an alderman whould she have been buried with rich people?
story in the family is that her husband was the man who invented the window cleaners triangular ladder (i havnt been able to verify that) he was a ladder maker
very best wishes zena
 
I am so pleased you enjoyed your visit Zena. I love going but can't get there as often as I would like to. I think the catacombs were initially for wealthy people but they became unpopular so many "ordinary" folk were buried in them. In Warstone Lane many infants and still born babies were buried in the catacombs.

You may be able to find out more about Elizabeth's husband on the forum it's surprising what turns up on here.
 
I wanted to post a link to this thread for Jayell and Astonian, from the Key Hill Open Day thread, I'm not sure how!!
The Vaults are on post 711 for Jayell.
rosie.
 
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