Graves in grave danger !

[Jean McGurn]

I'm up in Liverpool for the Military Show in a couple of weeks and intend on the way to it to visit Huyton churchyard to visit grand-parents grave. Having read this thread I'm dreading what I will find as I was last there in the 1960's.

Jean

[Nutty1966]

Late last year I found my Gt Grandparents grave, it was laid down with an notice from the local council, as the men were actually working in the cemetery I asked them what was happening.  The reply was all graves that look dangerous are to be made good again, I asked if the family would be responsible for the cost and no he said, the council are funding the project, he said if 'Little Jonny or Mary' want to play in the grave yard and a stone falls on them, the parents will sue    so we have been asked to make them all good. 

While I applaud the council for the repairs I was shocked to know the real reason why, if my boys decided to 'play' in a grave yard, they wouldn't be able to sit down for a week 

I went back on Sunday and the grave yard looks beautiful, all graves standing upright, grass neatly cut, flowers everywhere and no litter, well done Middlesbrough Council, and shame on the children who may play there.

I hope some of you find 'your' graves in such good condition.

Jane

[bitty_matriarch]

From August 2005:

"I was in the Fens visiting my parents last week, and on Thursday afternoon, I went to
the Baptist Chapel at Upwell as my father had told me that the the builders had moved
in and had started clearing the headstones - with a bulldozer.
It was a horrendous sight - not one of the old headstones is left standing; they are now
just a heap of rubble behind the chapel.

I took many photographs and have now put a selection up on my website:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cawthorn/Church&Chapel/Clearance/index.html
so that family history researchers around the world with Upwell connections can see just what
has been done in the name of "progress" to their ancestors' last resting place.

The developer [ Mr. Malaki Udensi] says he is doing nothing wrong [!] but surely the headstones
should have been moved to another site?  As according to Guidelines issued by the Baptist Church,
this is exactly what should have been done. 
 
I am appalled at what this man has done - I have lost 3-4 generations worth of CAWTHORN,
RUSSELL, SCOTT & FORTH family history. 
What has happened at Upwell is nothing short of desecration and utter vandalism.
 
I know there are many other small chapels in the Fens that face being sold for re-development;
so let what's happened at Upwell be a stark warning to the local communities and other connections
about what may happen after the sale is completed - unless they speak up first."

The chapel is now a dwelling.

Ann

[redkop]

This is happening all over our country. Cemeteries are our heritage. They are beautiful, peaceful places. And should be looked after better by the authorities.

It seems these people are answerable to no one. It completely discusts me the way they can do this, and not be accountable.

Red   

[flossy]

One of our oldest local cemeteries is in very poor condition, with most of the stones fallen.  The council will not allow the stones to be corrected because they say the earth is too soft and it would be a danger.

      I surpose that when this site was chosen a hundred or so years ago health and safty was not considered.

[Ruskie]

May also be a ploy to get them removed. I know that here in Australia some of our old buildings are left to rot in the hope that no one kicks up a stink when they are finally removed and a modern structure/s built in it's place.

There are the usual moans and groans about how dangerous the old buildings are and how expensive to renovate etc etc. All rubbish. They just want the buidling removed and the land reused preferably with many tiny townhouses filled with many people who can pay many rates and taxes.

We have so few old buildings that we need to hang on to those we have.

[Christopher]

This is happening all over our country. Cemeteries are our heritage. They are beautiful, peaceful places. And should be looked after better by the authorities.

It seems these people are answerable to no one. It completely discusts me the way they can do this, and not be accountable.

Red   

Very true Red,

People should be protesting to Church authorities, local councillors and local politicians about the total destruction of cemeteries and their gravestones. At the very least all the stones should be listed and photographed in situ prior to being destroyed. Gravestones are an important of local history as well as
family history. Are stones being destroyed in both consecrated and unconsecrated areas?

Christopher

[Jean McGurn]

When I went to Liverpool at the end of May I popped into Huyton graveyard and found that it was completely changed. The whole site had been landascaped with a dividing wall removed.

Of my grandparents gravestones  there was  no sign. It was the same for a number of other gravestones. However  you could see mounds where people have been buried. The number of old graves with broken stones was heartbreaking. Makes one wonder at the mentality of people who go round vandalising.

 I have been in touch with Knowsley Council and it seems that when they landscaped a couple of years ago (under their conservation area changes) it would appear that 90% of the gravestones had been vandilised and the wall had collapsed.

So it would appear that although a number of stones have been put back - some only partial but with names on them - Those that couldn't be put back, because they were too damaged, were removed as was most of the wall.

Jean

[Willow 4873]

Warning to anyone who has relatives buried in Holy Trinity Church, Heath Town, Wolverhampton as they are on about 'removing' unsafe gravestones

Thought I don't think they expected the backlash they got from people saying that if the graveyard was better kept more people would undoubtably look after family stones

I am going up Monday to see if I can find some of my relatives who are buried there

We will wait and see what happens

Willow x