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Loveday Street Hospital..the search for my sister

S

Shaun-C

master brummie
Looking for some advise.

Trying to trace my sister ( Jacqueline ) who was born at Loveday Hospital on the 25th October 1947. Sadly she was stillborn. I have her stillborn record, date and time of her birth and even her weight at birth. Contacted Birmingham Council who said there is no record of Jacqueline burial and her resting place must be in another council area. I have checked Dudley and Cradley Heath were my parents lived. No Joy. Also talked to a local Funeral Director near where the hospital was located and they can't help. Question, how likely was Jacqueline and other stillborn children to be buried away from the Hospital area? I getting conflicting stories. Do the digital records of Birmingham Council count for all still-born? I have hit a brick wall at present and looking for some suggestions.

Thank you for reading the post

Kind Regards

Shaun-C
 
I know someone whose baby was stillborn at Loveday St. and they were told the wrong cemetery. After many years the burial was discovered at Witton. I do hope you find her.
rosie.
 
hi shaun..i have been searching since 2008 for a full term still born birth for a friend of mine..her sister was also born at loveday st in 1935..i have a copy of her still birth cert..it just says girl born no first name..born 11th jan also registered 11th of jan..my friends mom swore her daughter was buried at key hill because that is what she was told but we can find no trace of her being there or anywhere else...i dont want to upset you or your family but it is a fact that very often still borns and indeed infant deaths were buried with someone else either to save the cost of a single burial or maybe to avoid the upset and possibly her name was not recorded in the burial records...very unlikely she was buried far away from loveday st hospital..

if you dont mind giving us the full name of your sister we could maybe try and find her for you?... also was the family catholics as this could make a difference in searching records ? sorry for the questions but the more info you can give us the better..if you could post her still birth cert that would be great but dont get your hopes up too much

lyn
 
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Astoness

Thank you so much for the kind offer. My sister name was Jacqueline Susan Cunningham. That is the name my mother gave her but it does not appear on the stillborn certification. I can only image Jacqueline was laid to rest under the name 'Cunningham' My parents name were Robert Joseph Cunningham and Doreen Cunningham. Jacqueline was born at 7:45pm on the 25th October 1947 at Loveday Hospital. Her weight was 6.75Ibs. For many years I tried to have a discussion with my parents about Jacqueline, it was simply too much for them to talk about her. Both have passed on now. I can understand why after reading how stillborn babies were removed from the mother almost straight way and this practice continued up until 1970. Unbelievable. I had little to go until this year when some paper work came into my possession. It was enough to obtain a copy of the stillborn register. However tracing the grave ( I know it will be a shared grave with other children) has been impossible. I want to give her some respect and show she hasn't been forgotten and she is not just an entry in some dusty book. Jacqueline must be out there somewhere.

Thank you so much

Shaun-C
 
Lyn

I do have the stillborn register copy. My mother was Methodist and my father was a Catholic but not in anyway a practising one.

Thank you
 
thanks for the info paul...leave it with us fingers crossed something will turn up

lyn
 
there is nothing coming up on the council owned crems and cems and i cant check warstone lane/key hill as they are undergoing a web site update...will keep trying

lyn
 
Shaun-C said:
Looking for some advise.

Trying to trace my sister ( Jacqueline ) who was born at Loveday Hospital on the 25th October 1947. Sadly she was stillborn. I have her stillborn record, date and time of her birth and even her weight at birth. Contacted Birmingham Council who said there is no record of Jacqueline burial and her resting place must be in another council area. I have checked Dudley and Cradley Heath were my parents lived. No Joy. Also talked to a local Funeral Director near where the hospital was located and they can't help. Question, how likely was Jacqueline and other stillborn children to be buried away from the Hospital area? I getting conflicting stories. Do the digital records of Birmingham Council count for all still-born? I have hit a brick wall at present and looking for some suggestions.

Thank you for reading the post

Kind Regards

Shaun-C
Click to expand...
Shaun, I had a stillborn brother born in 1943 at Dudley Road Hospital (Birmingham). The hospital wrote to my parents to provide them with the funeral arrangements. I assume Loveday Street Hospital would have done the same. In my case the burial was at Witton Cemetery, about 4 miles away. I still have the letter from the hospital...
John
1702712987683.png
 
Dear John
Thank you for the information. I am not aware that Loveday followed such a practice. Dudley Road Maternity hospital should be congratulated for following such a process. It is what ALL hospitals at the time should have adopted. I know reading other posts many families are having to endure unnecessary anguish. My mother never got over losing Jacqueline and the way she was taken from her. No time to share a parent’s Instinct, Love for their child. In all my research that is the first time I have seen such a letter. Once again, well done, Dudley Road, Maternity Hospital. I wish Loveday had followed such principle. Thank you John

Shaun-C
 
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thanks from me too john as i too have never seen a letter like this... shaun as you say sadly not all hospitals may have adopted this follow up method after a still born but as you said your mom would not talk about her loss we cant be certain that loveday st did not do the same as dudley road but chances are the baby was just taken away and disposed of telling the parents it was better that way instead of giving grieving parents a few days grace for them to decide what they wanted to do..we have even read of the deceased being used for medical science ...what troubles me most is the way that so many still birth burials are not recorded..even if they were buried with others they surely deserved the right to be remembered on record..sadly this was a sign of the time back then and of course would never happen today...

i will continue to see if we can find your sister...dont give up just yet

lyn
 
pjmburns said:
Perry Barr crem isn't council run and was opened in 1903 so is a possibility but I think that would have been parental choice not a service provided by the counc
Click to expand...

pjmburns said:
Perry Barr crem isn't council run and was opened in 1903 so is a possibility but I think that would have been parental choice not a service provided by the council.
Click to expand...

Only 12min by car from Loveday Street? Private yes, but could and I say could, be the reason by Jacqueline is off the radar.
 
Shaun-C said:
Still getting use to be a Brummie baby must take years to master Brummie! thank you
Click to expand...
does not take that long shaun...your signature title will change depending on how many posts you make or if you prefer to make up your own as i have done just go into your settings..

lyn
 
Shaun-C said:
Looking for some advise.

Trying to trace my sister ( Jacqueline ) who was born at Loveday Hospital on the 25th October 1947. Sadly she was stillborn. I have her stillborn record, date and time of her birth and even her weight at birth. Contacted Birmingham Council who said there is no record of Jacqueline burial and her resting place must be in another council area. I have checked Dudley and Cradley Heath were my parents lived. No Joy. Also talked to a local Funeral Director near where the hospital was located and they can't help. Question, how likely was Jacqueline and other stillborn children to be buried away from the Hospital area? I getting conflicting stories. Do the digital records of Birmingham Council count for all still-born? I have hit a brick wall at present and looking for some suggestions.

Thank you for reading the post

Kind Regards

Shaun-C
Click to expand...
Shaun-C, if you talk with staff at Witton cemetery or if you are able visit. You will find the staff will do all they can to help.

On thirty first (31) May 1908 my uncle (Samuel) was born 197 Hunters Rd Birmingham. He died on twenty eighth (28) November 1909, at 10 Court 11 Great Russell St. Samuel is also my Grand fathers name. Then often the first ( and some times second male ) was named after father. Because children often died at early age

My mother and her two sisters said my grand parents only had three girls

When started doing my family tree, Samuel 1908 kept coming up I just dismissed it. Then when I check grandparents information it all fell into place

When doing a family tree you have to keep a open mind.

Hope this was of some help.

Nick Phillips
 
Nick Phillips said:
Shaun-C, if you talk with staff at Witton cemetery or if you are able visit. You will find the staff will do all they can to help.

On thirty first (31) May 1908 my uncle (Samuel) was born 197 Hunters Rd Birmingham. He died on twenty eighth (28) November 1909, at 10 Court 11 Great Russell St. Samuel is also my Grand fathers name. Then often the first ( and some times second male ) was named after father. Because children often died at early age

My mother and her two sisters said my grand parents only had three girls

When started doing my family tree, Samuel 1908 kept coming up I just dismissed it. Then when I check grandparents information it all fell into place

When doing a family tree you have to keep a open mind.

Hope this was of some help.

Nick Phillips
Click to expand...
Nick thanks. The issue is all of the cemetery offices are closed and one needs to speak directly with the Council's Bereavement Services. This not to be taken as a criticism of them, they are working in difficult times and have been helpful, however, all Bereavement Services have are the digital records to check against. They don't have the actual registers. One is not able to phone any of the cemeteries directly, well I haven't been able to. Was informed that the digital records can and do have mistakes, how true that is, is conjecture. I don't have the knowledge to say so. I have researched a family tree for one reason that is to ensure Jacqueline has her rightful place within it and that she is given the recognition, she deserves. My search is to show some benevolence towards her. Very difficult to put into words. Thank you
 
Shaun-C said:
Nick thanks. The issue is all of the cemetery offices are closed and one needs to speak directly with the Council's Bereavement Services. This not to be taken as a criticism of them, they are working in difficult times and have been helpful, however, all Bereavement Services have are the digital records to check against. They don't have the actual registers. One is not able to phone any of the cemeteries directly, well I haven't been able to. Was informed that the digital records can and do have mistakes, how true that is, is conjecture. I don't have the knowledge to say so. I have researched a family tree for one reason that is to ensure Jacqueline has her rightful place within it and that she is given the recognition, she deserves. My search is to show some benevolence towards her. Very difficult to put into words. Thank you
Click to expand...
Shaun,
Witton Cemetery
115 Ridgeway
Birmingham
B6 7AE

Opens Tomorrow 08 30

0121 303 4368
 
Number 0121 303 4368 is not recognised like all the direct numbers to the cemeteries. Shame, I understand the staff were very helpful.

Shaun-C
 
Shaun-C, my family tree goes back to1864. I've spent long time on this research. Sometime weeks looking at one name.
I've learnt that you need to be careful when you read the information on any certificate. When my grandmother was born in Coleshill on fifth March 1871 her mother marked the certificate with a X because she could not read. So if any information was incorrect she would have not know.

I've said before that often first born male were often named after his father, yet another issue young child often died young so if a second male born he would also be given father name, so you could have two very young children and father with same name..

My uncle Sydney William born twenty eighth April 1914. On Thirteenth April 1933 on his marriage certificate it states he is aged twenty two, actual he was only eighteen years old. The certificate also states that his father deceased, Charles his father died on fifteenth January 1945.

Shaun-C looking at ones family tree is very interesting but one needs to be careful, but the more you research you can then cross reference the information.

Nick Phillips
 
Useful Site for Church Yards in a given area.

Church Heritage Record​

Churches - Online Faculty System

The Church Heritage Record contains over 16,000 entries on church buildings in England covering a wide variety of topics including architectural history, archaeology, worship, and the surrounding natural environment.
facultyonline.churchofengland.org facultyonline.churchofengland.org

Click on "OR" - in the Diocese box input Birmingham and click search.
zoom in to central Birmingham and one can see Church yards surrounding Loveday Street. Not all have burials.
The big question were stillborn children buried in church yards? Anyone?

May be of help.

Shaun-C
 
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