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Park Street Burial Ground

  • Thread starter Thread starter Darthdc
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September 1954 the council were searching for areas to convert for Car Parking and two of the sites considered were St Bartholomew’s churchyard near Fageley street, and the Old Park Street Gardens near the Bull Ring.

In May 1959 the Notice below was placed in the Birmingham Daily Post mentioning relatives of those interred in the Park Street Gardens cemetery...

57CAEA16-C553-4F2B-84B7-FA8429D34623.jpeg
 
May 1871 the state of the Park Street Gardens Burial Ground from the Birmingham Daily Post.

"St. Barts churchyard nearby is well fenced and well kept, and indeed, compared to its neighbour, looks an oasis in a desert.'
3B4C126E-F576-4312-AFFC-7CB46B3C739F.jpeg
 
Took these from the no 33 bus of the HS2 archaeological works near Park Street not that there was much to see!



This view of that structure from Moor Street Queensway.



I don't think there's much to see if you are on a train either. Had a look out of the window on Sunday as the train headed down into the tunnel, but was just mostly big piles of soil outside of those white structures.
 
what i would like to know is where have they dumped all the bodies and the remaining headstones that was dug up at park st burial ground....i use the word dumped because i will be most surprised if they have all received individual interments which is what they deserve...most likely all buried together in one big pit at an unknown location...if anyone out there can answer this question that would be great..such a lack of respect shown the people who helped shape birmingham..

lyn
 
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Lyn - all I could find was this: (written by the group doing the excavation).
When our research is complete the human remains will be reburied on consecrated ground in the Birmingham area.

Posting at same time as 60footer

BBC dated Sept 2019: The remains will be reburied in consecrated ground at a location identified in consultation with the Church of England.
 
pjmburns said:
Lyn - all I could find was this: (written by the group doing the excavation).
When our research is complete the human remains will be reburied on consecrated ground in the Birmingham area.

Posting at same time as 60footer

BBC dated Sept 2019: The remains will be reburied in consecrated ground at a location identified in consultation with the Church of England.
Click to expand...
I know a few here on BHF, who live in the West Midlands, have connections with the Anglican church. Maybe their vicar or rector could find out more. The Bishop is more likely to answer their phone calls than anyone elses'
 
its possible alan but personally i think it maybe best if someone contacted the people who removed the bodies...link to that on earlier post

lyn
 
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many thanks alan..so now we await reponses from 2 forum members...keep us informed

lyn
 
I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't end up at Witton cemetery which is where the Old Meeting House remains went. As we've said elsewhere on the forum those remains have been properly marked with an obelisk and some are still visible. However, this was some time ago and I wonder if the same respect will be shown to these re-burials?
 
hi pen my follow up question would be...are the remains from the old meeting house all buried in one big grave..second question is has a record of names been kept of the remains of those who were moved....just in case rellies come looking for them.. if memory serves me correctly the remains of those buried at st marys whittall st were sent to witton and key hill

lyn
 
As far as I can remember Lyn, there is quite a big area set aside for the Old Meeting graves. It's on a slope with the monument at the top. Where possible the gravestones were saved and if the bones were identifiable then they were buried whole, not lumped together with others. There are several gravestones which are still legible. The obelisk was erected so that the area could be found in the future and those whose graves were lost were commemorated. The names would still be listed under the Old Meeting House and it would be presumed that they had been moved but not always individually.
 
Hi Lyn, the coffins from the Western side St. Mary's went to Witton and later the ones from the eastern side went to Warstone Lane.
(Reference "In The Midst of Life". Joseph McKenna}
rosie.
 
sorry for delay in replying rosie and pen...i was away when you both posted...many thanks for the photo and confirming where the bodies from old meeting and st marys are..

thanks also 60 footer for the update on replies you have received...

lyn.
 
Radiorails said:
I have made other enquiries today.
Click to expand...
This enquiry was made to the Church of England Diocese by e-mail (cofebirmingham.com) on 9th. December. I have not received a reply or mail acknowledgement to date. Maybe they don't check their Spam as it may have gone there.?
 
Radiorails said:
This enquiry was made to the Church of England Diocese by e-mail (cofebirmingham.com) on 9th. December. I have not received a reply or mail acknowledgement to date. Maybe they don't check their Spam as it may have gone there.?
Click to expand...

Here is a list of Diocesan staff - you could try contacting someone direct - maybe the Public Affairs lady...

Diocesan Staff

www.cofebirmingham.com www.cofebirmingham.com
 
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History meets innovation HS2...

“Human remains to be reburied elsewhere, and including a Second World War bombing decoy in Lichfield, Staffordshire.”

“6,500 skeletons unearthed at Curzon Street station.”
www.constructionmanagermagazine.com

History meets innovation on Euston HS2 enabling works - Construction Management

A birdcage scaffold marquee, built by access specialist Palmers, protects the archaeology The biggest archaeological dig in British history is benefiting from clever engineering and eco-friendly construction plant. CM reports…
www.constructionmanagermagazine.com www.constructionmanagermagazine.com
 
When I worked in the garage for Marsh & Baxters I remember them digging up the graves to make way for a new car park this was about 1956-58
 
61000 bodies that have been at peace for many years have most likely now been disturbed....absolutely shocking :mad: i am almost lost for words

The biggest of these is at the site of Euston’s proposed HS2 terminus. St James’s Gardens, off the Hampstead Road, was London’s largest burial ground, where an estimated 61,000 bodies were buried in the 18th and 19th centuries, and it sits almost entirely within the footprint of the station.
 
Lyn, I spoke to someone at the Midand Institute today (we'd gone for a talk by a Midland Ancestors member). I took the opportunity to ask if anyone knew where the ashes would be re-buried. Nobody knew but it was suggested that as other displaced burials were moved to Witton then these new ones would probably go too. There is a talk at the Midland Institute on 1 July concerning the burial ground, and HS2 but unfortnately I can't attend.

I'll email Witton and ask where these original re-burials are and ask if they know anything. The burial ground seems to have been affected by redevelopment more than once in the past.
 
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