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St John's Church Perry Barr

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
 
Hi another old post i found i lived just round corner aldridge road i delivered news papers round their kids damaged them head stones twice i remember their was a concrete football on a villa player grave that got broke that was going to be replaced there also was a lot of damage done at another time i think they where both mentioned in the evening mail and midland news years after they happened. I lived their 1956 to 65.
 
St John the Evangelist Church compared with today. The same gates, but there was once lots of ivy attached to the church tower and around the entrance gates. Gates look the same, probably repainted several times.The boundary wall looks much the same. Today, there are no longer any pinnacles on the tower - it originally had many pinnacles around the whole building, but these were removed as a safety measure. These pinnacles must have been sizeable pieces of stone. You have to wonder if some now decorate local residents gardens, or even somewhere in the churchyard.

Not sure if it's a typo or just fading on the caption ('Pepry")

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Yes Lyn. The two ladies to the right are my aunts. Soon after, they emigrated to USA. I think the car was my uncles.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Exiting the church on the day of my Christening on Mothering Sunday 1954. I'm the one checking out my new shoes!

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I was christened at St John's too Viv - would have been in 1951!

My parents were married there and I was in the St John's Brownie pack which met in the more modern church hall in the grounds next to the church.

After my parents passed away we had their ashes buried in the church grounds along with my Nan's.

Did you know Steve Winwood was a choir boy at the church, he used to play the organ there too I believe!
 
Seems Perry Barr/St John's Church must have been our 'local' church at the time (the Winwoods lived in the same road as us). So we'd have travelled there from Kingstanding.
 
Someone may have used this path, myself included, although I don't remember it. But looking at Streetview, I think it still exists. The start of the pathway, through the bollards, could have been from Walsall Road. The fact that there are bollards in place, suggests a warning to people exiting here from St John's Church of a busy road.. A bit of guesswork, but, the end of this pathway could be one of two on Church Road - see red dots marked on Streetview.images.

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