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St Philip's Graveyard Skeletons

H

harborne

Guest
A couple of years ago whilst work around St Philip's graveyard was going on, apparently there were some skeletons found, where before, I believe, there had been paving. It was reported on the news and in the papers at the time but that seems to have been the end of it. I never ever found out what became of those skeletons and why the pavement had been built over them. Can anyone throw any light on this subject?
 
Harborne, most of the graveyards in town were simply paved or grassed over and it was only in later years they exumed the remains and put them in other graveyards 1700- 1800s and beyond
 
I have seen the maps of the graves at Key Hill and they are all laid under the paths. I am sure this was common. We have to realise that the graveyards and cemeteries were full to overflowing! There were over 60,000 people buried in St Phillips graveyard. If remains are removed they are either cremated or re interred in another cemetery this is always documented.
 
Thanks both of you. You wouldn't happen to know where they were reinterred, would you?
 
I have looked in a few of my books and it does not say so they may have been cremated. The south and east side where closed in 1848 in accordance with the Church of England cemeteries act. The remainder was closed for burials in 1859. Sections of the churchyard were removed in 1900 to widen Temple Row and Colmore Row. The churchyard was laid out as a garden in 1910. I can remeber work being done there a few years ago as I remeber the blue tarpolin surrounding the area but I can't remember when this was. Perhaps someone else remembers this!
 
That's the period I'm on about, MomaP; it was about 1999 I think.
 
Hi,

I was talking about this with a person at work and she mentioned that they were the graves of persons buried in the unconcecrated ground. They were unearthed by the bank. I am not sure how she knew this though but it does make sence.
 
We have to remember that around 1800 onwards the population of Birmingham was growing so rapidly the Church yards were overcrowded and insanitary. This became a threat to the health of the populatin. At this time the church sextons were using boring rods to find spaces for burials. As a result of this burials completely coverd the church yard this included paths every inch of the churchyard would have been used for burials.
 
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