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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Shropshire => Topic started by: Janice123 on Saturday 01 September 12 11:30 BST (UK)
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Hi,
Does anyone have any records for the Lords Hill Chapel near Snailbeach ? I have a Thomas Hill who died in near by Pennerley on 24th August 1853 and I cannot find a burial for him anywhere. I thought this may be a possibility.
Any help would be great. best Wishes Jan.
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Hello Janice, I know the Chapel very well, having attended there as a child when evacuated to my paternal grandmother`s family during the war.
There are some records held at Shrewsbury but not many as some were in a bad state, damp and mouse-nibbled, they were taken away by a previous minister many years ago to be copied and they never re-appeared. I too am searching for a relative believed buried there in 1914.
I believe the baptism record still exists , if there is a funeral record at least you can be fairly certain your relative is buried there, but as far as I am aware no actual burial record exists.
The Chapel, before it moved to its present site was a temporary building on the mine site in Snailbeach. Sometimes such non -conformist buildings were not fully licenced at first and worshippers were married in Shrewsbury in a CofE Church which did have a licence . It was also the case that burials were not always allowed at the start , and one very well known Methodist lay Preacher, Andrew Dorricot was buried at Holy Trinity , Minsterley.
You might try All Saint`s Church at Shelve, that is close to Pennerley.
Shropshire records are held at the Shirehall.
Have you ever visited Lord`s Hill?It is alovely spot but so remote and lonely, the graves were kept neat by an elderly lady who lived in the little house which would have been the Minister`s years ago, but she has move away and there are no services now and I can imagine it is dreadfully overgrown and such an early grave would be nigh impossible to find.
Google it in and you will get a potted history and a photograph:-LORD`S .HILL PARTICULAT BAPTIST CHAPEL .
It featured in a film "Gone to Earth "from the novel by Mary Webb
If I can be of any more help let me know.
Viktoria.
have
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Hello again, I have just unearthed a leaflet, marking the centenary services held at Lord`s Hill in 1933
It is a bit confusing as it talks about the Church and the Chapel, by which I think is meant the coming together of a group of people(the Church) and the actual building(theChapel).
It says the Church is 15 years older than the Chapel .The present building was almost demolished and much enlarged in 1873 on the site of the first, built in 1833.
The Marquess of Bath gave the land in 1833,as he too was a non-conformist so it is possible that the grave you seek is there. It depends how soon the land included in the transaction was consecrated for burials.
Once again ,
if Ican be of any further help just let me know.
If you do visit the area there is a lovely,friendly pub not far away and they sometimes have copies of the film for sale. The Chapel features in it a lot, even the interior which was reproduced in the studio but it is correct. The film is on video not D.V.D,well was last time I saw it.The scenery is breathtaking . Cheerio. Viktoria.
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Hello Viktoria,
Thank you so much for your replies about Lord's Hill Chapel. You gave me a lot of information that I did not know. I did recently visit the Chapel, whist visiting my Parents, and you are right , it is in the most beautiful situation. I love the area, where my Dad was born and brought up.(Well at White Gritt actually, but all was within wondering distance to him and his brothers!)
I did not find anything there, or at Sheve grave -wise and Shelve has no burial record of Thomas either. Thomas was a miner who died of tuberculosis. It is a shame that some of the records seem to have gone missing. As far as I can tell from future generations Thomas was likely to have been Non Conformist.
I have seen the Gone to Earth DVD and the scenery and filming of it is wonderful. Dad thinks that some of it is Pontesford Hill as well as the Stiperstones and the Lords Hill area of course.
It always makes me very homesick whenever I think of it all!!
I must try to pop into the Shropshire Archives next time I visit family if I get the chance.
Many Thanks again for your reply. Best Wishes Jan.
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Janice,
Shropshire Family History Society have published the memorial inscriptions of the gravestones at LordsHill.
See the publications catlaogue on page 24 under "Snailbeach"
http://www.sfhs.org.uk/sites/default/files/SFHS_Publications%20120430.pdf
Shropshire Archives hold the original baptisms register but only for a short period - I found one of my folks baptised in there from the 1850s.
I am related to Edward Evans who was the minister there from 1832 to 1865. There is a plaque to him on the wall inside the chapel - can be seen from the back window but I have never managed to get inside the chapel. His wife was buried c. 1865 outside the chapel door, so this predates the exsiting building.
I would be insterested to see any other records/documents relating to the chapel - particularly for the period before 1865.
Have you checked the old newspapers for the relevant dates? I found several mentions of Edward Evans as he was the Minster there but there were also mentions made of funerals/weddings etc held in the chapel (found under the local news pages - gernally listed under "Snailbeach"). They are on microfilm at Shropshire archives but some of them can also be seen at the British Newspaper library at Colindale.
Jeremy
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Hi Jeremy,
Thanks for replying to my message. The web link looks really interesting, and I will definitely look into getting hold of some of their publications if possible. I haven't looked at old newspaper articles, which sounds like it would give a good feel of what was happening and what things were like then. I don't get chance to get into the Archives in Shrewsbury often I'm afraid, as I am living in Yorkshire, but I do hope to manage it before too long! If I come across any interesting documents relating to the Chapel I'll let you know. It's such a beautiful spot and It must be a lovely feeling to know your relative had roots there. Now I am getting all home sick!!!
Thanks again for your help. best wishes Jan.
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Thank you for all of the above info. I have found this really helpful.
Viktoria - I have registered to this site tonight as I can see you mention relations at Blakemoor Gate. I'm doing my family tree and would like to see if you have any further info that may help me if thats ok?
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Hello. Can’t remember if I replied to your post,I apologise if I have not .
Just ask away and I will do what I can.
My paternal grandmother was Mary Blakemore .
Her parents were David Blakemore and Mary Maddox.
There was a Blakemore at The Paddock. Jack Blakemore .
The Paddock is not far from Blakemoor Flat .
Note one o and two o’s ,different.
Let me know for whom you are looking and I will help as much as I can.
Cheerio and apologies if I have not answered before.
Marcia Fletcher,
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Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to me. I'm actually quite amazed that I have randomly fallen across your name. I have credited you multiple times through-out my family tree research so when I saw your name in the above response I really did smile to myself. We most certainly have the same people. My Great, great grand father is John(Jack) Blakemore, son of David and Mary, brother of Mary.
Are you still local to Shropshire Marcia?
Best Wishes
Nikki.
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No, it was pure chance really that I lived there ,one of the very very few good things to come out of the war.
After Manchester was bombed so heavily on December 23 abd 24 1940
my sister and I were rushed to Snailbeach.
I lived with David Oldfield and his wife zGertrude.
My sister with David’s mother Annie Oldfield ,Tom Oldfield her husband and
Alfred Blakemore her brother.
Annie and Alfred were my grandmother Mary’s younger sister and brother.
Mary died in Manchester in 1916.
My father
went frequently to Snailbeach .
I am in touch with ,the grandson of Mary,Alfred ,Annie ,William and John’ s bother David .
After a time I lived with other people as Gertrude was expecting their one abd only child after many years ,Auntie Annie was too ill by then .
We went to people who were not relatives ,I was lucky and am still in touch
with the daughter of those I lived with my sister not so.
I will try to contact David’s grandson just politeness really ,to see if he will make contact.
He is a very nice person.
Do you have a copy of the family photograph ?
With Mary and David Blakemore ,also John,David jun.William and Alfred and at the front Mary and Annie .
Cheerio.Nice to hear from you, for some reason RootsChat is not notifying me of posts from topics I have contributed to.
Found yours by chance.
Viktoria.
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Hello Jan,
I just tripped across your original posting looking for the burial of Thomas HILL (d. 24.08.1853), from Pennerley.
I run the Hope and Bentlawnt Local History Group, which covers a small rural areaabout 3 miles from Pennerley. I have the records of the grave markers at Holy Trinity Church, Hope, that were legible when the records were compiled in the early 1990s. Hope Church was built in 1843 and many of the markers, certainly from the earlier years were not legible and I do not have the parish records of burials performed there.
There is no record of Thomas HILL but there is a marker for Elizabeth HILL and her daughter, Mary who are buried in the same plot. The gravestone reads:
'In loving remembrance of Elizabeth wife of Thomas HILL XXXX XXXX who died March 1 1885 aged 85 years. Also of her daughter Mary beloved XXXX XXXX who died April 29th 1867 aged 28 years.'
The 'XXXX' denotes illegible text.
In the book, 'Never on a Sunday Memories of the Stiperstones Mining Communities', published in 2000 on behalf of The Shropshire Mines Trust, there is reference to those buried after the 1895 Snailbeach Mining Disaster, as follows:
'There was definitely some antagonism between the churches and the Church of England, and in some cases it was very bitter, A nonconformist minister could perform a burial in a Church of England graveyard, but the incumbent could claim the fee and invariably did. So you might have to pay double if you wanted your own Minister at the burial. At one time the only places for burials were Hope Church, Shelve Church or Lordshill. People from the Stiperstones would have to go to Hope to be buried.'
So, it is possible that:
- The Thomas HILL you are seeking was buried at Hope;
- The above mentioned Elizabeth and Mary HILL are related to your Thomas HILL
I hope that this helps and does not confuse your search.
Kind regards,
Barry