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St Mary's Handsworth Graveyard Map

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wendy
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Wendy

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Here is a map of the graveyard at St Marys Handsworth sometimes referred to as the 'Old Church'.

Overall plan of church and churchyard showing sections A to Q.

Outline

This is based upon a tracing of Ordnance Survey map dated 1887. The dotted lines show paths added since.

The Area is bounded by Handsworth Park and to the East by Hamsptead Road.

Entrances to the churchyard:

1. Just a short distance from inside Handsworth Park
2. Through the Lych Gate.
3. Through two iron gates(up one step) leading to the church.
4. Reached from a number of wide steps near the bus stop.

Pathways (at time this was originally produced) from the latter three entrances are of tarmac construction. All others are liable to subsidence in wet weather.

Subsidence Mainly affects section A and C but all visitors are requested to take care as the area is undulating.

StMarysChurch5192.jpg
 
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Thanks for the posting of the map of St Marys Cemetery. It is terribly overgrown and vandalised but nonetheless splendid in its own way. Some of the graves are quite elaborate and given that in its day it was quite a posh area you can just imagine the history associated with each one........sadly mostly forgotten. Every one must tell a story

In Birmingham Ref Library there is a listing of graves and locations. I once went in search of the grave of Samuel Gamgee - the founder of Birmingham Hospital Saturday Fund and emminent surgeon - but even though I had the section reference I could not find it due to the vandalism, briars and the odd rat!

It would be such a worthy project to try and tidy the place up and note and photograph everything but when you stand in the middle you wonder quite where you would start!
 
Yes it is sad as its such a lovely church. I have read so many posts here and elsewhere about the state of the graveyard its such a shame. It usually only needs a few dedicated volunteers but now with health a safety the churches are frightened to ask, in case anyone gets hurt. I have done a cemetery clear up and its very satisfying and beats going to the gym.:D
 
I believe there are plans afoot to renovate the old church yard, following on from all the work done on Handsworth Park. If I'm correct, sinbad (Simon Beddeley), an occasional poster on this forum, is a leading light on the planning committee.
 
That would be a project worth supporting; Maybe highlighting any historic or important connections would add voice
 
Just found this on Wikipedia:

Plans to end the neglect of the Churchyard

In 2006, and indeed for over 25 years, St.Mary's churchyard has bordered on utter dereliction. It is a closed graveyard, with the apparently empty spaces to the south of the graveyard harbouring the final resting place of numerous paupers whose names are written on the Church Register but whose remains were interred without coffins or visible memorials, beyond the unevenness of the overgrown ground above them. The condition of the churchyard - as a place that feels unsafe to some, whose memorials have become inaccessible to many, their inscriptions overgrown with ivy, headstones broken, unstable or unreachable through the surrounding undergrowth - is recognised as a reproach to all who know the place. Even so, to those who enter the lime avenues long being kept clear of encroaching undergrowth, this wilderness contains mystery and beauty as well as melancholy. It is intended that planned improvements in the accessibility and appearance of the graveyard will be ones that restore it to respect in Handsworth, without lessening its serenity or its qualities as a haven for wild life next to Handsworth Park. It is intended it should become a safer place, a more attractive place and a place of education for visitors of all ages. To this end there has been a marked increase in voluntary work in the graveyard while local community leaders have voted neighbourhood renewal funds that they hope will be matched by other regional agencies to implement a plan drawn up by the city council's Landscape Practice Group end years of neglect and bring about a rejuvenation similar to the great improvements they have funded in the neighbouring park between 2000-2006.
St.Mary's present incumbent is the Rev. Brian A. Hall who, among his many roles in the local community, became, in March 2006, the chairman of a new group called "The Friends of St.Mary's Churchyard" (Handsworth Rectory, 288 Hamstead Road, Birmingham B20 2RB, UK) which aims among more detailed goals 'to be a focus for future hopes for the integrity of St Mary’s Churchyard as a special place' - special not only for the respect accorded to the dead which ought to apply to all graveyards, but because of the association of this church and its grounds with the founding fathers of the industrial age, and more recently with such local celebrities as William McGregor Director of Aston Villa F.C. who organised the founding meeting of the Football League on 22 March 1888. Also in the churchyard are the ashes of the Romany King Esau Smith and his wife Queen Henty, buried with him on 11 Jan 1907 some 6 years after her husband's death and two years before their community was evicted from Black Patch Park in Smethwick."
 
Thanks for posting this info Oisin I know a few people who will be very pleased at this news.
 
Interested to see a map of the churchyard, should come in handy to find my ancestors graves.

Visited there today, and sad to say there is still alot of work to do to uncover a vast majority of gravestones... but it looks like money has been spent on the churchyard recently - on the permiter walls and a clean path around the church. Lets hope to work on the rest of the churchyard does get done!
 
Interesting to see this thread and the map, my father who has taken over the family history research from me, while I am back at college studying. He has discovered only last week that my G G G Grandparents are both buried in St Mary's.

Stephen
 
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My parents were married at St Mary's Church and I was baptised there. I know that church very well - Watt Boulton and Murdock memorials are inside that church - I have wandered around that grave yard many times, been up in the tower and read the lesson for childrens services during lent - my what memories
 
Wow Charlie I think we must be sisters - Maurice liked both of us -;) I will probably be the little sister - I never seem to meet anyone as small as me unless they are a midget LOL:D
 
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Are there any more plans afoot to clear up the churchyard at St Mary's? I called in with my husband last Sunday to look for two family graves with locations taken from the plan on the microfiche of MIs and only found one because it was right next to a path. The other was in the middle of a particularly overgrown area and we'd have needed a machete to get near it! There were a few dodgy looking people around as well (though they probably thought the same about us!) and the whole place felt really creepy and unsafe.
 
I think you will find that clearing a church graveyard is up to the church and they don't have the funds these days to pay for it. It's a good idea to form a group and have clear up days. This happens alot in church's in villages but not much in the cities. It's sad I know but it does work as Key Hill Cemetery is testament to this.
 
Does anyone know if the "Friends of St. Mary's Churchyard" as referred to above in 2008 is up and running and looking for donations. I have relatives buried there and would like to support the renovation.
 
Hi Dick,
I used to be in touch with Simon Baddeley who was one of the active members, but haven't heard from him for a while. You could try the church itself for details: Handsworth Rectory, 288 Hamstead Road, Birmingham B20 2RB
 
Thanks Oisin,

I will write there.

Cheers,
Dick
Oisin said:
Hi Dick,
I used to be in touch with Simon Baddeley who was one of the active members, but haven't heard from him for a while. You could try the church itself for details: Handsworth Rectory, 288 Hamstead Road, Birmingham B20 2RB
Click to expand...
 
Hi all
Does anyone know if there is a list of the people buried in St Marys Church graveyard?
My great grandfather Samuel Matthews was buried there in 1906
thanks
Mark
 
Hi there, I know this is an old post but has anyone still got a copy of the image of the graveyard map they can post as I can't access it now.

Many thanks :)
 
I located the church register at the Birmingham Central Library with the help of their reference staff. An an attempt was made some time ago to transcribe the gravestones in St. Mary's Old Church yard. Some markers were more legible than others, but if you are fortunate, as I was, you may find some information there. I visited the cemetary on a recent trip to the UK, but the graves are very difficult to access due to the undergrowth.

I am attaching a map of the churchyard showing the sections (which I got from this forum - many thanks), and from the church register I am attaching a diagram of sections I and J which related to my ancestors.

I hope these are helpful.

wychburybrocc said:
Hi there, I know this is an old post but has anyone still got a copy of the image of the graveyard map they can post as I can't access it now.
Section I.jpgSection J.jpgSt Marys.jpg
Many thanks :)
Click to expand...
 
Hi there: In the church register (available in the Central Library) you search for the name of the deceased. There are full or partial transcripts of the markers and a number is assigned to each grave (102, 103, etc.). The cemetary is divided into sections. If you are fortunate enough to find who you are looking for, you check the section pages for the grave. The cemetary map gives the location of each section. I was only interested in Sections I and J (the maps for which I have posted). It is a tough job to access the actual grave in the cemetary, due to the undergrowth and conditions as described by others in this thread. I visited in 2011 while in the UK. It was quite an experience. The transcriptions must have been done A VERY LONG TIME AGO, as most markers are unreadable at this point. So the register was of great assistance. Good luck!
 
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