Maz R, I've just got back home. It's been an interesting day. Much of the older part of the cemetery has suffered, probably from vandalism over the years. Many of the headstones are missing or on the ground. I printed the map of the cemetery from the Richmond Council website, and after spending about 40 minutes failing to find either of the two graves that I was looking for, I found a friendly cemetery worker. I told him my problem, and suddenly two more friendly cemetery workers appeared. Within moments one of them disappeared again and returned with some original cemetery plans hand drawn on linen, dating from the late 1800's. These were attached to a pole like having 8 or 10 curtains on one pole. I was astonished to see them. I cringed when he laid them out over the hot bonnet of his van, and even more so when he laid them out on the ground. To cut a long story short he couldn't work out how the references that you have related to his plan. The cemetery staff were very familiar with the plans and the numbering system and must have used the same maps many times. I've taken photographs of what they think could be right, but there is some doubt whether I was even in the right cemetery. I was at the cemetery in Hospital Bridge Road Whitton, which is officially known as Twickenham Cemetery. I wonder if it could have been somewhere else.
The men were wearing black t-shirts and the sun was very bright but they were happy for me to take photographs, but I don't know whether the detail of the charts will be shown. You'd have given several fingers to be there, it was brilliant.
If any of the photographs of the maps are any good I will post them here later today as they will be of interest to anybody.
Could you confirm that what you call Twickenham Cemetery is the one that is in Hospital Bridge Road Whitton, and has a sign saying Twickenham Cemetery outside it. Where did you get the grave location details from?
Martin
