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St John's Church Perry Barr

Some of the miners who died in the 1908 disaster at Hamstead pit are buried at St Johns. Apparently each grave had an urn with the miners name and the date of the disaster 4 March 1908. I would love to think they have survived and are in the long grass.
 
St Johns church.

:( Derek what a wonderful story. Is the St Johns you are talking about opposite the Church Taver as that is where my grandad Taplin is buried. If it is I was told that a number of graves were covered over for some reason. I would love to visit sometime. Most of my family on my dads side were buried in Aston Churchyard but a while back the vicar of the day decided to sell off part of the graveyard to accomodate new houses. This greatly upset members of my family. I met someone who carried out the work and what he told me upset me greatly. I never told my mom or my aunt. It all seems to revolve round financial gain and no institution is any different. TTFN. Jean. :crying::angel:
 
If you go back to the beginning of this thread, Jean you will see that St Johns grave yard is almost totally overgrown. You can't see any of the old graves. My gran and granddad are buried there, and I know their head stone was wobbly at one point, and I wanted to have it made safe again. I was so upset when I saw the state of the place, that I have never been back.

It is opposite the Church Tavern, which had a make over last year, and was still closed when we were in Perry Hall park during the summer. I put a photo of the Church Tavern on here, maybe removed by now though. :)
 
Can anyone tell me have the grounds been cleared around the headstones yet to the rear of the church?
When I last visited only the front half was cleared and many headstones still in thick undergrowth.:(
As my Gt Grandfather is buried there I would dearly love to locate his plot.
 
Sparkhill lad this is on the agenda a visit to try and find my grandad Taplins grave. I do believe some of the graves have been covered over but I must pay it a visit and when I do I will take some photo's for you. Jean.
 
Thanks so much for your kind offer of help Jean.:)
details are ( I forgot one Great) He is GT GT Grandfather William Henry FELLOWS
Born 23/03/1825...died 26/07/1885
Derek
 
my mother and i have been to st. johns church this morning. the back area of the churchyard is still very overgrown. we had a look round ourselves but as we couldnt find the grave we asked a lady who works voluntarily there and she said that they have tried really hard to find william henry fellows grave but have been unsuccessful and she thinks it is probably an unmarked grave, so im sorry no luck there.

jean i asked about your taplin (didnt know the first name you were after). the lady has taken my email address and if she finds anything she will let me know. she was very helpful, her name cotterill and it turns out my children and hers were at school together so had a nice chinwag while we were there.
 
Hi Chris have you a contact no only I am going next week sometim one for myself and one for Sparkhill Lad. Thanks. Jean.
 
Hi Shera

thanks so much for your visit on our behalf, it is very much appreciated.

Don't think that same back part has been cleared in a very long time.

Will have to conclude that this is probably the case of an unmarked grave.
Thanks for your kind consideration in taking the time to look fo us.
Derek
 
I walked around St Johns churchyard today and as you have already said it is very overgrown,they have started to clear it up and i would guess that about 1/5th of it has been cleared, but it is impossible to get to the rest of the graves.
Mossg.
 
Thanks Mossg

for the kind reply.
It is sad that the graves are never cleared as many people try to look there and for a long time the back two sides have been totally unapproachable.

I'll bet the picture you have added features the grave of an Aston Villa player, this is always clear and seems as far as they go, such a pity.
Thanks anyway for the kind thought.
Derek
 
Visited the churchyard today just for a quick look around. Next time I am determined to find my grandad and his baby daughter Evelyns grave even if they have been covered over by slack. Will make enquiries now I have definate dates. Jean.
 
Two more. It was a lovely day but we had to get back for an appointment. Would love to have stayed longer but another day maybe. Jean.
 
You go girl !!

What are the surnames?
I ask because just today, from this site of ours I have printed off an 11 page document from "Perry Barr & Beyond"
Many Many names on there of souls who are buried at St Johns.
BUT STILL, they do not list my Gt Gt Grandfather.
Have to say I emailed the Birmingham Central Library and they confirm what I already know that he is there ( I have a burial / death card ), but they are of the opinion now that there may not be a headstone etc. for him as they cannot find it in the manoral inscriptions book.:brokenheart:
Good luck to you I really do wish you well.:)

Derek
 
Sparkhill Lad I still have your details and when I arrange to get together with someone from the church I will ask for you. There was no one there today and it was a fleeting visit as we have been up to our necks in work being done in our house. I have the dates of my grandads death and his little baby daughter and will go from there. My mom said many years ago she went to visit her dads grave and slack had been allowed to flow over it and it upset her so much that she never went back. We managed to get her as far as the Church Tavern for lunch then she just wanted to go home. This is my grandad and have put it on before. Jean.
 
Hi Jean

Thanks for posting that delightful picture, so prescious.

I have spoken to Rita Cottrell the church's archivist and the father there, we met by chance when we made our 1st visit some time ago now.
Rita did say they were in the process of having the churchyard mapped out but I am not sure if this has happened yet.


I paid for the Library to search the St Johns records for me and they produced a page of internments on which My 2x Gt Granfather was one, but it told me nothing more than I already knew.
No plot numbers were mentioned so have no idea where he is.:redface:

Regards
Derek
 
Certainly remember St Johns, where My Sister and I went to Sunday School, but Church Lane has changed, just used to be a lane with only the park on the one side and the entrance to the Tennis Court pub (as well as the Church) on the other. Great photo's by the way.
 
bvc.jpeg
These lovely old cottages were/are near to St. Johns Church, Perry Barr. 1906
 
I like the photo Stitcher. That's a miracle they're still there! Didn't know about this thread, so nice to find out about it as I was christened at St. John's. Many thanks. Viv.
 
My cousin and myself went to St. Johns, she was married there in the early 1960's. They had a very good youth club, I remember going on a trip on the train, do not know where we went to, probably Sutton Park, that was quite an outing in those days. I especially remember the choir boys!!!!!!!!!
 
Vivienne14 said:
I like the photo Stitcher. That's a miracle they're still there! Didn't know about this thread, so nice to find out about it as I was christened at St. John's. Many thanks. Viv.
Click to expand...

My parents were married at St Johns and I was christened there too. I also belonged to their Brownie pack (219th Birmingham I think they were)
 
My Sister and I used to go to Sunday school at St Johns in the middle fifties, we used to save the religious pictures/stamps they used to give you if you attended. I would have preferred staying at home and playing in the gully at the back of our house but our Mother insisted we go, probably to get us from under her feet.
 
That's brought back a memory for me - the religious stamps. Although I was christened at St. John's I went to Sunday School at Kingstanding Settlement. They gave you religious stamps. Fine, but we had to learn the biblical extracts at the bottom of the stamp and recite them the next week. I too would have rather stayed at home, especially with the dreaded prospect of reciting in front of the class. The saving grace was I liked the pictures on the stamps. Viv.
 
Hello Viv
My sister and I told our Mother that St Johns was becoming a High Church (we wouldn't have used these words) as they were starting to swing some sort of smoking pot on a chain around, that was the last time we went to Sunday school, Oh happy days playing out all day Sunday :)
 
Yes I too stopped going to Sunday school. Don't know to this day why I stopped going, probably because I kicked up such a fuss about going! But it must have been standard practice to send children off to Sunday school in th 50s. Viv.
 
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