My gt., gt., gt., grandfather, James Emmott (born 1798), was one of the group who organised and built the Primitive Methodist Chapel in Main Street, Wilsden, he also built Providence Mill. When he died in 1860 he was buried in the yard behind the chapel in the grave of his son, Michael Briggs Emmott, who had died in 1856, aged 30. When I visited the chapel in 1961 I saw and photographed their gravestone and that of John and Mary Emmott, who had died in 1891 and 1860 respectively, along with their daughter Sarah who died in 1847, aged 6 years. There were also a number of other gravestones and memorials of people who were not of my family.
When I returned to Wilsden a few years ago I found that the chapel was being converted into a private house and the gravestones were buried under tons of building rubble, only the very tops of the stones could be seen. I have tried as best I can, working from London, to discover whether the bodies were removed and reburied but have not been able to discover anything. My late father had contacted the local Church authorities (the building had been sold to the Catholic church) to arrange transfer of the headstones but never received any answers to his letters. I have tried to discover the present owner without success.
If anybody can provide me with any relevant information I would be very, very grateful.
(Lionel) Barry Emmott
http://mysite.freeserve.com/emmott-family
