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Key Hill Cemetery

fantastic picture Wendy - it shows just how beautiful the cemetery would have looked when it first opened:) and as you say, just how many graves may have been covered over :(.
 
I don't know John the original is two photo's with domed tops not very big about 4" across 3" high estimate. I will organise to bring it to the next meet when you are there and maybe we can look at it through a proper viewer.
 
I have seen that one before John but not sure if it's been posted on the forum. It's a lovely drawing thanks for posting it.
 
A couple of photos and a drawing of Key Hill that I don't think have been seen on this thread. One could have been taken at anytime and is just a general photo of part of the cemetery. Another shows The Chamberlain Plot, and another is a drawing from 1836.

Phil

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Cheers Phil Good pics.
The Chamberlain one was taken from a window in Hylton St.
The general one is taken from the top of the catacombs facing the railway - you can just see the tip of one the public graves that are are at th end of the catacombs.
 
Hi Wendy,
I have accumulated a few burial records for Key Hill & Warstone Lane from find my past. Most give a "Register Number". Is that information likely to lead me to any extra data on the deceased?

Regards
Clarkie
 
The extra information on the burial register will sometimes but not always give cause of death the exact burial date age of the person and last address.
 
While we were in the cemetery an Australian couple approached us and said they were looking for the grave of William Tranter - the Gunmaker. Brian took them to the grave and we got chatting - I said I knew the name Tranter as I had read about him on the Birmingham History Forum - the man nodded - Brian asked him if he had heard of the forum - he said I am a member - my user name is FTM and I am the secretary/archivist of the Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum in Australia. They are in the UK for a few weeks and had come to Key Hill to visit and photograph William Tranters grave.
We had a lovely forum mini-meet in the cemetery!:)
 
The hard work of volunteers is definitely paying off judging by your photos! Has all this hard work been written up somewhere. I'm sure there would be many people interested in what you've uncovered, especially in relation to those people buried there who made a major contribution to B'ham's industrial heritage. On the other hand, you're probably too busy to do anything else except clear the area at the moment! Viv.
 
Hi Viv,

Key Hill and Warstone Lane are both listed grade 2 Parks & gardens. there is a natuional database of parks & gardens, overseen by York University.
having answerwed a plea to help update the database, the Birmingham Fine & Decorative Arts Society have been researching the wondeerful 'scrap books' of Key Hill, on public view in the (free) Pen Room museum in Frederick St. they have been cataloguing all the people we hve 'discovered' and made notes of, and are putting it into a local database for access evetually via the internet. many of the more 'notable' characters will be written about in depth and will appear on the national database.
Thank heavans for other volunteers to sort out what our volunteers are doing! - and it is with the help and support of the Pen Room volunteers - who needs the Big Society - people are helping people with the help of people - it's already here!
 
That's excellent Brian. So glad all this interesting info is being captured. Yes you do wonder about the Big Society. If you have a belief and a passion for something you'll do it whatever it takes. Looks like you had a lovely bit of sunshine up there today. And many happy returns to you! Best wishes Viv.
 
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