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Swanshurst School Site

Historynut

Historynut

master brummie
www.swanshurst.org
There are several things on our site which will be of interest to members:
BARRA - a database of all those killed or injured in Birmingham during the Second World War
ORAL HISTORY - a growing collection of interviews with veterans and others. Highlights include Len Owens MM from the War and Tommy Godwin from the postwar.
BRANDWOOD END CEMETERY - growing database of all those buried in the cemetery from 1899. It's a slow process but we are up to 1908 at the moment (January 2012)
 
I've just visited the Swanshurst School Site and found it very interesting indeed. I looked mainly at the Brandwood End Cemetery and unfortunately the entries were a little early for my own family who are buried there but I have added the site to my favourites. I haven't had time to look at the other things like BARRA and the Oral History but I am looking forward to looking at them soon.

Judy
 
Hi Judy,
Yes I am sorry we haven't got up to your relatives yet! We'll do our best. I want to add deatails of bombing to the BARRA site but am awaiting copyright permission. The Brandwood site is taking a great deal of time to do but really interesting. I want a counter added so that I can see how many people are using it. The oral history site is my favourite as I get to meet such lovely people. I would love other schools to use it in their lessons and maybe historians refer to it in books.
Best wishes,
Doug
 
Thank you for posting the link - I can think of no reason why I would look up Swanhurst School, so would have missed an interesting site. Have had a quick look and put it in favourites to return later.
 
Re: Brandwood End Cemetery

I have found the Brandwood End on the Swanshurst site... do we have to Log In... and how do we do that please?
Georgie
 
Re: Brandwood End Cemetery

Hi Georgie,
No you don't have to log in. Just enter www.swanshurst.org and the links are on the main page. On both BARRA and Brandwood I can add details if you let me know.
Best wishes,
Doug
 
Re: Brandwood End Cemetery

Hi
I found the barra site via this history forum as i was looking for a relative that was killed in the bombing his name was on the site and his death certificate said he was found at claverdon street in aston death due to war activities all this info was also on the barra website it would be great if more info could be added reguarding circumstances as to his death.
Keep up the good work
phil
 
hi phil..dont know if you know this but if you click on the name of the person killed or injured in some not all cases it gives the names and addresses of next of kin and also info about the raid...
for instance there is one civilian that was killed in claverdon st a joseph glover.... but the extra info tells us he actually lived in gt francis st nechells..


lyn
 
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Re: Brandwood End Cemetery

Hi Phil,
What was the relatives name and the date of death? I am going to add information about where the bombs dropped when time permits, as most of the time at the moment is taken up with the Brandwood site. Is there anything you want to add about the relative and I'll add it to his notes?
Best wishes,
Doug
 
Doug
I have just accessed the barra site and the address given is incorrect on his death certificate the address given is 35 claverdon street not clevedon street he was married to adelaide my aunt as far as i am aware they did not live there would your notes add anymore info ie was adelaide with him
i would be intreagued to find out anymore
phil
 
Sorry Doug i forgot to give his name senior moment!

It was thomas edgar harrison died 10th april 1941
phil
 
Hi Phil,
I checked the original record because the pupils and I are fallible when it comes to transcibing but it appears that this time we were right. I checked the Commonwealth War Grave Commission (www.cwgc.org) and it says Clevedon Street. I checked my very old A to Z and there is no Claverdon Street [h=2]HARRISON, THOMAS EDGAR[/h]Rank:CivilianDate of Death:10/04/1941Age:48Regiment/Service:Civilian War Dead Reporting AuthorityBIRMINGHAM, COUNTY BOROUGH[h=3]Additional Information:[/h]of 35 Clevedon Street, Nechells. Husband of Adelaide Harrison. Died at 35 Clevedon Street.

But there isn't a Clevedon Street in the A to Z!!! So we are no nearer solving it because the death certificate and the CWGC are wrong! I'll see what I can find out in the records of the raids because I am totally confused because I checked what Lyn put and she's right!!! There are 4 names mentioned for Claverdon Street in Ashted but the A to Z, which was published just after the war, records no such place!!! Wait for a reply late afternoon tomorrow!
Doug
 
Doug
I have attached ordnance survey map 1902 showing claverdon street running between gt francis street and bloomsbury street, also the death certificate that i recieved showing the address clearly as 35 claverdon street ! the mystery continues
phil
 

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  • claverdon street nechells 001.jpg
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Thanks Lyn and lindyloo
I dont want to bog down this thread with my family history but your help has been appreciated ,as regards cleveden road i looked it up myself and found that it was in balsall heath a fair way from nechells where the bombing raid took place and where his body was found as he and adelaide lived all their life up until then in nechells .

I will wait until doug finds out anymore info and i will keep you informed if you are interested.

phil
 
happy to help phil and always interested so yes please keep us informed...i found 2 of my rellies on the barra site..husband and wife died when their house in erdington was hit...both of their names are on the cilivilan memorial in the bull ring..your rellies must be there too..

lyn
 
Dear Phil and Lyn,
Well it was all very curious! Clevedon Road or Street is in Balsall Heath as is pointed out. I have only photographed up to December 1940 and so I can't verify what happned on that date. Also the police record for that raid is missing and so I had to rely on another source. As Lyn said there were four people mentioned on the data base for Claverdon Street but when i looked it up in my very old A to Z I couldn't find a Claverdon Street so I did what many would do...I googled it! There is actually a thread on the Birmingham History Forum about Claverdon Street and with a map! It was off Oliver Street. With the extensive bombing in the war I think that Oliver Street was continued and obliterated Claverdon Street. I'll chnage our data base when I am able. This is quite hard to do at the moment because the man who makes the changes for me is the IT man at school. I will pursue this Phil but it will be sometime before I can get back to Library for more photographing. If he didn't live there he may have been with friends as people often did that during raids, As to Aunt Adelaide she may have been with him and not hurt therefore not recorded.
Anyway I hope that helps,
Best wishes,
Doug
 
Hi again, in the Kelly's for 1940, Claverdon Street has at number 36, Sterndale, Mrs Annie, Wardobe dealer and at 37 Walmsley, Alfred, shopkeeper, but there is no number 35.
I have found Claverdon Street on a 1951 map, but all the street names on maps after that are too small for me to read, so I cannot say when it disappeared.

In the Kelly's for 1940, Clevedon Road has at number 31 Froggatt, Jn, Decorator, then there are no numbers till 38, Morris, Jas J, Male Nurse. Again there is no 35 showing

Hope this helps in some way
 
thanks doug..in case you missed it post 15 show a pic of claverdon st on the corner with bloomsbury st nechells..



lyn
 
Dear Phil and Lyn,
Thanks for your inputs. It's strange how a small detail like that can be quite exiciting in finding out.


I've Looked again in my old A to Z and it looks like they built Duddeston Manor Road and this obliterated Claverdon Street!
Best wishes,
Doug
 
yes doug it looks like that to me as well....keep up the good work the BARRA site is just wonderful...

lyn
 
Mikejee will probably cringe when he sees my effort here, but I had a go at doing an overlay map to show where Claverdon Street was....

overlay claverdon street 4.jpg
 
mikejee said:
Looks good to me
Click to expand...

:) Thanks Mike :) It took me ages to try and get the roads to match up !! Trying to adjust the size on google earth to fit the old map is a nightmare !!..I remembered after that you had said to do several shots with different levels of opaqueness (is that a word ?) and that I should have left more showing of the "earth" picture...hopefully I will remember next time.
 
lindy mike would need the patience of a saint to teach me anything technical lol..

lyn
 
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