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Warstone Lane - some 'before' and 'after' pictures

leslam

leslam

Brummie by marriage
Sifting through images of WL to repost, I though that it would be interesting to reflect on the tremendous progress that has been made by Key Hill Brian and others in the last eighteen months. Not all the corresponding shots are taken from the same positions - many of them are just random shots, but they just happen to show areas of tremndous improvement.

Firstly, the public graves in section I above the catacombs:

Before....
section-I-slabs-2010_50pc.jpg


and after......

WL-I-and-K-slabs.JPG
 
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South section of catacombs:

In August 2010...

south-tiers-august_2010_50pc.jpg


Today, after some serious clearance work, all the copings are visible on wall of the first tier - for the whole tier. This photo was taken when there was still some tidying up to be done - and then the battery went on the camera! I'll repost a better one another day.

warstone-after-26-Nov-2011_trimmed.jpg
 
Great pictures Lesley I can't beleive the difference it will look amazing when all the ivy is removed. It would be nice to see the railings restored but thats hoping too much. It was lovely to see you today as well.
 
Wendy, I thought there there must have been railings - perhaps there were at one time, but if you look at this engraving, there aren't any railings! I'm surprised that grief-stricken widows/widowers didn't throw themselves off there!
 
It is so difficult to tell with these pictures a lot of artistic license I think. It would be nice to find out what the short metal rods were for sticking out of the brick work. I never thought of the grief stricken throwing themselves off. I bet e few had to be grabbed and rescued.
 
I think that there were sloping coping stones (like ridge tiles) that sat on top of the flat stones that we have uncovered. I suspect that the rods were used to position these. I think that Brian has a photo from the 1970s that shows them.
 
Correct Les,
Looking again at the 1953 & 1979 pic of the Catacombs, there are Ridge like tiles on the top.
We have permission x Library to use them for display purposes, unsure about displaying them on websites.
We are having trouble obtaining further copies of Photographs x Library, because someone has copied previous Pics onto their own newly formed research group site without having had Library permission, and they have picked up on this.
It only takes one selfish person to spoil it for so many!

he pics are on our Official 'Friends' display boards which are out at IOpen days and the Birmingham Lives fair - Come and see it!
 
I had to go back to WL this morning to retrieve my camera case, so I took the opportunity to look at the ridge copings again. These two pictures show what the ridge copings looked like - there are still some visible near the steps and at the top level.
Catacomb-ridge-1-50pc.jpg


Catacomb-ridge-2-33pc.jpg
 
These are lovely photos leslam, thank you for the hard work on the ivy too. We were in Warstone this morning, it's looking good now.
rosie.
 
Thank you Lesley it makes it easier to understand what it would have looked like with the coping stones in place. Brian I will have to take a closer look at the display board now.
 
Wendy was only saying on Saturday that apart from learming to load pictures, there has been challenge to the little grey cells lately
How about this?

SAM_3244.JPG


Its a fragment of a memorial in the Catacomb Circle. Although getting back into the Cemeteries this week, I may not be able to pop along to handsworth to look at the Register for August 26th 1910, so who can work out a) The script and b) the missing letters to discover who this might be...........?????
 
I just sent you an email with the image reversed (trick I learned from Mike) and I think that the surname is Lightfoot - but I can't find an equivalent death.....
 
wonderful photos lesley and how hard you and others are working to tidy up the catacombs...i turned up for the last WL clean up day but next time would like to get over and help with the catacombs unless of course you have done it all by then lol..

thanks again...

lyn
 
Difficult one this I can't find a death that fits either. I am asuming the person in the grave is ? Terry and the M ? Lightfoot is mentioned but is that person buried in the grave. Unsure why the names are different maybe a second marriage.
 
I'm not sure that it's a 'M' - look at the M in Memory - bottom uprights go out out, whereas the ones in the name don't. I was wondering about 'W'
According to FMP, there was a William McLary Lightfoot buried in WL (register no 20402) - but it was 1876 and he was 65 then. Death was reg Kings Norton.

No Lightfoot buried in 1910 in WL according to FMP, so she may have remarried as you suggest.

Found a candidate William Lightfoot, age 5X (where X is unreadable), living in Hagley Rd, Edgbaston in 1871 with wife Madeleine whose date of birth (calculated from the census is 1838

My brain hurts - too many unknowns/variables!
 
I found a marriage of Madeline Eleanor Lightfoot and Seymour Ernest Terry in June Q 1890 at Paddington. As you say Lesley my head hurts!!
 
We've done it Wendy!

Terry is the surname and the bit above that is missing (on the broken join) and that is Madeleine!

Death of Madeleine Terry Kings Norton Q3 1910 6c 197

javascript:gopage(1910,3,1,'6c','197',1)
 

In 1901 they were at 12 Brunswick rd Hove, and Seymour was a C of E minister. She was originally from Hemel Hempstead, so family reason probably not why in Kings Norton, so maybe he moved to a parish there. He was only 44 in 1901
 
I think we need Brian to have a look at the register I still have a headache with this one...lol
 
Although we sem to have the name - we do not seem to have the body or burial!
Another Mrs Mann Mystery !

Definitely needs a trip to Handsworth, sometime!
 
Although nothing is coming up in the search for a burial for Madeline E Terry 1910 - in the burial registers there is a Madeline S PERRY in WL. 1910 register number 66797 number in grave 1.

I cannot find a death entry for a Madeline S Perry. Is it possible that the name has been entered incorrectly? Perhaps someone else can find a death for Madeline S Perry.

Probably way off here but just thought I would mention it.

Suzanne
 
Hi Suzanne,

Managed to get iover to Handsworth this afternnon and looked up the original Burail register entry -

30th August 1910 - 66979 - Madeline E Terry, aged 76 of 73 Harborne Road, Edgbaston. Grave owner Lightfoot. Grave Number 46 M !

NIt has obviously been wrongly transcribed as Perry - No wonder there were no suitable Terry's showing up in the WL Index!

Although the index shows Number in grave as !, at also says Also 2896-3 noted

So there is obviously another with that Grave referance! However - I cannot find it - will ask BMSGH in a bit.

Brian
 
Hi Brian

Well done to you as usual:) That's sort of the problem sorted then?

(I'm almost tempted to say there has been a "grave error" committed;) )

Suzanne
 
Suzanne - That's my sort of Joke!
There is a William McLary & Madeline Eugine Terry shown as "Catacomb" 1876 & 1877 respectively.
I am wondering if these are her parents, and she is with them?

The BMSGH are now looking at their copy of the entry and will correct.

Can anyone confirm the (possible) family connection?
 
Brian

A William McLary Lightfoot (born 1819 St. James, Middlesex) married Madeline Eleanor Merry (Born abt 1835 Hemel Hempstead - her age does vary throughout the census years as much as by 10 years!) in 1859 Hemel Hempsted.
In 1861 they are both living in Kent, Folkstone and William's occupation is a Fundholder?
In 1871 they are in Hagley Road, Edgbaston with 2 children born Bham, Frances A & Lewis F Lightfoot
By 1881 Madeline is a widow living with her daughter Frances at 13 Brunswick Rd, Hove

According to William's probate record - William McClary Lightfoot late of Hagley Road died 27 Feb 1876 - Madeline Eleanor Lightfoot Widow.

Suzanne
 
Well done Suzanne great piece of detective work. I wonder how Merry became Terry it's very plain on the memorial but very poinient at this time of year!

I am sure this will make Brian's work much easier and help the BMSGH with their research.
 
Thanks Wendy. Only adding to what you, Leslam and Brian had already found:) Madeline's maiden name was Merry (born Merry:) ) Her father was a Robert Merry, Surgeon. She married William McClary Lightfoot then Seymour Ernest Terry. She must have come back? to Bham after 1901 when she was in Hove.

Also BMSGH has William McLary (only 1 C) Lightfoot register number 20402 for 1876 WL.
"William McClary Lightfoot, Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Gentleman" was mentioned in the Birmingham Daily Post in 1866 as a shareholder of The Birmingham Banking Company

Suzanne
 
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Oh I think we could give heir hunters a run for their money. Thanks for the update I missed the bit about Madeline's maiden name as Merry and then marrying a man named Terry.
 
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