• 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

Key Hill Cemetery

Dear all

thank you for your most helpful replies. I don't know much about Susanna really and this has encouraged me to delve into her life a little further. I have managed to track her down in 1841 when she was living in Rowley Regis with her husband Joseph. There don't appear to be any children that the family know of - Joseph remarried after her death and had 2 sons.
 
Thanks Sue I just wish I had more time do do research into the residents in Key Hill, not living that close to Birmingham it's sometimes difficult to find the extra information. We are very lucky that the people in the Pen Room help us and hold a lot of information that we can use. I place everything I do in the Pen Room for the public to see. The only documents I have were given to me to use specifically to help people on here. I also have the indexes with full permission of the BMSGH to do searches. I have a copy of the memorial inscriptions given to me personally by the person who did them, which I have taken to meets to let people search. As Brian said some things have disappeared over the years which is a shame. I think the main problem was we didn't have anywhere to store things but thankfully now we do. Lets hope one day all the lost items will be located and placed in the Key Hill and Warstone Lane cemetery archives.
 
KH_Walton_Grave_2.JPG


Hi Netti,

Just popped into Key Hill after staking out O742 in Warstone lane for another thread, and than realised I had emptied the car of tools whilst away for the weekend - so had not got my little prodder with me to check for buried memorials! As it is not mentioned by the BMSGH, it myust have been buried by the Cemetrery Company before the Council got their sledgehammers, sorry, Hands on the place. If so, there is a chance it was actually laid down with some care and sympathy like the E C Osborne one we recently discovered and restored, with the help of E C Osborne Stationers.
Here is pic of the @white lady' as she is known with a bare patch to the side where once there was a lovely memorial..........
 
KH_Walton_Grave_1.JPG


And the view on the other side her with a memorial that is now so weathered, it is unreadable.

PS - I have copied your invoice and will print it out for the Friends Archives & Display boards.
It seems your 2004 contribution was made to A Friend for a book that is being produced, not to THE Friends for benefit of all.
Sorted now, though.

many thanks,

Will load the prodder back into the car, so next time I'm passing, I can give your rellies a prod!
 
KH_I469_showing_width_of_stone.JPG


Popped into KH briefly whilst dinner was being prepared at home - and dug these exploratory holes - both edges visible Possibly KH I469?
 
,.Oh that looks exciting Brian I do hope it is Susanna's grave and intact fingers crossed.
 
can't believe it! are you allowed to be taking a spade to it then??? Thanks so much for your efforts :)
 
What an exciting find - well done Brian!
netti, Brian has found many graves that have been covered over just like this one - I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is the grave you are looking for.
 
Not lost your touch then Brian :pride:
Seriously, what a great piece of detective work in the last few days....
 
I hope I am in the right spot - I recently put my folder of grave section plans and old photo's and architects drawings down on a grave, while took pics in WL against the mint wall 'in the jungle area' and walked off without it - needless to say it disappeared!
I haven't yet made up a replacement, so was working to Wendy's statement that it is next to the resurrected woman!
We have permission to 'probe', I usually do a test dig - just a spadeful to confirm I've hit a memorial, than cover it over again, until the necessary permit form can be completed and taken to handsworth, and approved.
Than it's a question of time and manpower to dig the site ansd confirm, and photograph the memorial, staking and roping it off until it can be seen by relatives and backfilled, or raised by Stonemasons.

I have a supply of forms, and can complete one in the next day or so. Unsure about visiting handsworth or getting round to digging, unless Richard or Cilin can assist from the Friends....
Fingers crossed, though!

Brian
 
No Irene they are two different cemeteries. Warstone lane runs from Icknield Street alongside Pitsford Street up to Vyse Street. Key Hill is the other side of the Metro Line access through gates on Ickneild Street and across to Key Hill.
 
Well done Brian,really nice to see this.
Have to bring some more wine lol,you'll be thirsty after all this work.
 
Hi Wendy.Thank's For That We Have Been Down Warstone Lane Cemetery The Last Couple Of Day's And The Wonderful People On This Site Have Led Us To Our Sister's Grave.Key Hill Brian Went Yesterday To Make Sure We Had Located The Right Grave And Thankfully We Had Thank's For All Your Help.
 
oh well done bri..please keep us informed of your findings...i really must think of another name for you with all this dectective work you are so good at lol


lyn
 
Hi Wendy,
Please can you tell me if you have heard of any Macdonald's buried in Key Hill? Some of the names are Joseph, Carey, Roger and Hannah.

Thanks
Shirley
 
Shirley

Just to assist Wendy in her search BMSGH has the following:_

Don't know if any fit with your names?

Carey Macdonald buried 1852 KH register number 9103 monumental inscription
Joseph Macdonald buried 1845 KH register number 4067 - 5 in grave

There is a Roger Macdonald buried 26 May 1833 aged 71 in St Peter & Paul, Aston
and a Hannah Macdonald buried 14 June 1809 in St Mary, Whittall Street (Age not known)

Suzanne
 
smtr said:
Shirley

Just to assist Wendy in her search BMSGH has the following:_

Don't know if any fit with your names?

Carey Macdonald buried 1852 KH register number 9103 monumental inscription
Joseph Macdonald buried 1845 KH register number 4067 - 5 in grave

There is a Roger Macdonald buried 26 May 1833 aged 71 in St Peter & Paul, Aston
and a Hannah Macdonald buried 14 June 1809 in St Mary, Whittall Street (Age not known)

Suzanne
Click to expand...

Thank you very much Suzanne - the first two I think are correct and the last two are a strong possibility.

Shirley
 
I have had a look at the indexes and found

Carey MacDonald 1852
Charlotte MacDonald 1892
Eleanor Mary MacDonald 1865
Emily MacDonald 1879
9 in grave section N 618

Although it states in Suzanne's post there is a memorial inscription there is no record of one in the book I have, but that is not to say there isn't one. The other names buried with the MacDonald's may help if we can find them.

Joseph MacDonald buried 1854 L14 catacomb.
 
Thank you very much wendy. Do you know why someone would be buried in a catacomb? Were they for people who were well-off?

Shirley
 
Hi Shirley I think initally they were for the more well off, but were not popular so anyone could be buried in a catacomb.
 
Hi Shirley, the following are also shown as N618
James Davis 1882 This is shown as N618-624 - May indicate a double sized grave, or an admin error.
Cary Harrison 1877
Adelaide F McDonald 1857
Cary Worwood 1864
William Thomas Worwood 1864
The last 2 (the Worwoods, being buried at the same time in separate coffins)

Catacomb No. 14 labelled Vault 11L (Right Hand side) is shown as a MacDonald Catacomb. This is the 18th catacomb entrance from the left (Ignoring the larger entrance between the 5th & 6th. The entranceway is 'V' shaped giving access to a left & a right catacomb.
Descriptions are often poor in this area, but I have a note of 8 names listed in the papers at Handsworth.
Looking at the Burial index, I think some of them are
Charles Henry 1863
Edward William 1864
Elizabeth 1856
Joseph 1845
Victoria Elizabeth 1846
William 1852
The other 2 are presumably not MacDonalds, maybe Woman under their married names.

The Catacombs were designed to be family vaults, but were not as popular as they thought, many wre later used for public burials, just to use them up.

Hope this helps.

Brian
 
Thanks very much Brian. The names that I have got, some from census', some from family.org.

Joseph - Born 1886/87 - Died between 1841 & 1851 (GG Grandfather)
Carey Macdonald (nee Hodgetts) - Born 1789 (GG Grandmother)

CHILDREN

Sarah Hannah Leaver (nee Macdonald) - Born 1810 - Died 1894
William Macdonald - Born 1813 - Burial 1814 - Age 1
Roger Macdonald - Born 1815/16
Joseph Macdonald - Born 1819
Carey Macdonald - Born 1820
Elizabeth Macdonald - Born 1822 - Burial 1835 - Age 12
Edward Macdonald - Born 1825
Mary Macdonald - Born 1828
John Macdonald - Born 1831
Hannah Macdonald - Born 1833
Maria Macdonald - Born 1835 - Burial 1835 - Age 0

Regards
Shirley
 
No sign of mary Hannah leaver in KH - Sorry.

Send me an email, and I can send you all MacDonalds, McDonalds & Leavers if you wish?
Post@fkwc still gets to me at the moment.

Brian
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top