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St Mary's Chapel Whittall Street

L

LeanneMc

Guest
Hi All,
I found this entry in a directory for Birmingham (1849)

St. Mary's Church, in St. Martin's parish, is a neat octagon brick structure with a
tower and handsome spire; it was erected in 1774, in pursuance of an Act passed in 1772 for the erection of two additional chapels in Birmingham ; the land was presented by Miss Mary Weaman, in whom the right of presentation was vested. The church was repaired and beautified in 1838, the interior is spacious, and comprises nave, chancel, side aisles, and galleries ; the chancel is ornamented with a beautiful stained glass window representing the ascension. It will accommodate 1690 persons, of which 470 seats are free. It was made a District Church in 1841, with a population of 8500 souls assigned to it. The living is a perpetual curacy, rated at ^520. in the patronage of trustees ; Rev. John Cascbow Barrett M.A., incumbent.[FONT=&quot] The Parsonage, a neat residence in St. Mary's Row.[/FONT]
​
Does anyone know if this church still stands, and if parish records survived?
I have a Charles HARRIS who was living in John St, St Mary's Birmingham in 1841 and thought this might be an option for registering the birth of some of his children.
Cheers, Leanne
[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
 
Thanks Wendy,

That does look like the church described, sadly no longer around I see. But a few links to follow for records. Thanks Leanne
 
I've located a burial in 1817 via ancestry that tells me it took place at the Chapelry of St Mary, Birmingham, Warwick. I am not familiar with the churches in that area but I have seen a few St Mary's i.e St Mary's Whittall Street, St Mary's Harborne ?RC, St Marys Anglican Parish Hamstead Road. (I have still a lot to learn about the Parishes etc) Would anyone be able to tell me which church this burial would have been at please? The family lived in Newton Street, Birmingham. Thank you.
 
I would take a guess it was St Mary's Whittall Street by the address given.
 
Whittall St is virtually opposite Newton St - so that looks likely/ Birmingham in 1817 was quite small. St Mary, Whittall St was built on the land given by Mary Weaman, Part of the Weaman Estate. Consecrated in 1774, 1st burial being 5th November. Entries 1774-9 are in St Martin register. St Mary's registers start 1779-1861, although part of the burial ground was closed in 1848. Burials in Vaults continued until 1884. In 1881 the land was laid out as a recreation ground by the Parks Dept. St Mary's was demolished in 1927 and the Western half of the land used for the site of the General Hospital, 1927. All coffins were removed to Witton cemetery. The Eastern half was cleared 1952-3 with 2,497 coffins to Warstone Lane Cemetery, and the land used for the Inner Ring Road. Individual re-burials plots will not be identifiable.
 
Wendy and Key Hill Brian, thank you both, I can now look for further info and know where I am looking. Thanks again for your help, much appreciated.
 
Thanks Wendy
from that angle it looks a lot bigger than I imagined it to be. Also I just located this area on the map and found out it was the 'gun quarter' well that fits in well with me too because the man of the house was a gun maker. Thank you again.
 
hi folks would anyone happen to know if st marys chapel that ran alongside loveday st had burials and if they did when was the chapel demolished...

many thanks for any help

lyn
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

its ok folks..ive got the info i need now..

lyn
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

Lyn

Have you got a photo? St Mary's 1774-1925.
 

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Re: st marys chapel loveday st

phil i forgot to say that the only thing i dont know is what happened to the bodies buried at st marys after it was demolished

lyn
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

Lyn

All I can tell you is that for many years after the church was demolished the churchyard remained as St Mary's Park. I think it may have still been there when St Chads Queensway was built and I wouldn't put it past them to have built the road over the graveyard. So unless you find that the burials were reinterred elsewhere I would assume they were still there.
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

Lyn

I have just read this on RootsWeb

"I understand St Marys' Church Whittall Street and nearby St Thomas Church Bath Row, had overflowing graveyards which were re-interred at Warstone Lane Cemetery 1927, and 1952-1953".

Though I would still also consider my first thoughts on this matter.
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

thanks phil..your first thoughts were my first thoughts...in the new year i will have to make some enquiries to try to establish just what happened to those buried at st marys...many thanks phil this info is most helpful

lyn
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

I am amazed that you both think it conceivable that a road might have been built over a graveyard! Are there precedents to this sort of thing?
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

edcartermo said:
I am amazed that you both think it conceivable that a road might have been built over a graveyard! Are there precedents to this sort of thing?
Click to expand...


i agree you would think it impossible and not right that such things could happen but to be honest it would not surprise me especially having read this report which states that the bodies in another graveyard were removed to witton but obviously not all of them..
or at very least a very bad job of removing them was done..

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/secret-removal-1000-bodies-buried-6734184
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

They put a car park over Richard III didn't they and he was in what was a Friary graveyard wasn't he?
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

Yes, they carparked RichardIII, but I would imagine not knowingly. No other remains were found so perhaps the ground was properly deconsecrated for other purposes?
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

i agree edcartamo... you would think it impossible and not right that such things could happen but to be honest it would not surprise me especially having read this report which states that the bodies in another graveyard were removed to witton but obviously not all of them..
or at very least a very bad job of removing them was done..
see link below
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/secret-removal-1000-bodies-buried-6734184[/QUOTE]
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

I asked if there were precedents for building over graveyards and you have provided one, Astoness. The link to the Birmingham Mail article is fascinating not least for the film of the journey along Broad Street and Easy Row. Easy Row has merged into greyness in my memory and this helped revive it. The city engineer quoted in the newspaper cutting says they removed the remains they had "come across" so, as you suggest, there are likely more there beneath our prestigeous ICC. I like Brian Henderson's line "You have to go back in history to go forward", Birmingham Council might learn from this modify the present "Forward".
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

Hi lyn, the 1927 re-burials were taken to Witton, they were from the western side which was sold to the General Hospital. 2,497 burial were taken to Warstone Lane Cemetery in 1952/3.
This is from "In the Midst of Life" by Joseph McKenna. I bought it at Birmingham Library a long time ago but I think it's still in print.
Regarding removals of burials, I have mentioned before that Great Grandmother was moved to make way for the Metro at Key Hill. It must have been distressing for relatives but I didn't know at the time.
rosie.
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

hi ya rosie and many thanks for this info it really is most helpful...now all i have to do is find out which side of the graveyard the person i am researching was buried and ive cracked it lol..

have a good christmas rosie and thanks again...

lyn x
 
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Re: st marys chapel loveday st

forgot to say rosie that yes how awful for your rellies having to see your gt grandmother re located....my own personal feelings are that your last resting place should be just that...your last resting place...i really think its awful to dig up bodies and put them somewhere else in the name of progress or for any other reason..rant over...

lyn
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

Hi lyn, I don't know how to find that out for you...best of luck trying!

I will have a happier Christmas now, my Husband has been in hospital for a week but he's out now!! Happy Christmas and Happy Hunting!!

rosie.
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

rosie said:
Hi lyn, I don't know how to find that out for you...best of luck trying!

I will have a happier Christmas now, my Husband has been in hospital for a week but he's out now!! Happy Christmas and Happy Hunting!!

rosie.
Click to expand...

rosie im actually looking to confirm where charles glover is buried..my info say st marys birmingham so i am asumming its the st marys whittall st as he and his family lived around that way...i think if it was st marys handworth it would have said handsworth....im not subbed to ancestry at the min but he died in 1821...

thanks again rosie so pleased hubby is now at home....all the best

lyn.x
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

Hi All,

I think that it is time to tell this little story. Sometime about the end of 1976 I was on duty in Bradford Street Police Station when we were called to a building site where a body had been found. On arrival we found that a digger had unearthed a skeleton. It had obviously been dead a very long time. Further observation found other skeletal body parts and what was obviously parts of coffins ie handles but the actual coffins had rotted away.. It was ascertained that a factory had been demolished at the site and preparations were in proress for another factory to replace it. Therefore the original factory had been built over a graveyard. Enquiries at the Central Library ascertained that a Baptist Church had originally been on the site and it had closed towards the end of the 19th Century. The remains of about 3 bodies had been recovered and these were removed to the City Mortuary. The coroner then decided that they should be reburied in Witton Cemetery and that work could recommence at the building site and asked for care not to disturb any other grave.

I believe the street was Lombard Street but my memory is not that good. It was certainly a street off Bradford Street and the site was a little way down the street on the left. Perhaps Mikej can locate it on one of his old maps.

On reflection if all the old grave yards were dug up and moved to WItton that too would be full.
Each grave would have to be opened and the bodies carefully removed. Bearing in mind the older the grave the more fragile the contents. Also the coffins themselves rot away in time. Personally I feel that whatever activity is intended when a graveyard is closed it is best if it is remained in situ.

I say let them carry on resting in peace whatever is happening above them.

Old Boy
 
Re: st marys chapel loveday st

thanks old boy very interesting info....totally agree with you about letting folk rest in peace...

rosie just a quick update...ancestry is free from the 24th to the 26th so i have been able to find charles glovers burial record and he was buried at st marys whittall st..thanks again for your help..

lyn
 
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