St.Giles Church, Colchester.

[onefortheroad]

I have just learned of an ancester who was buried in the family vault at St.Giles church, Colchester in 1877. However, I have also just found out that the said church was closed in 1953 and is now a private building of some sort.
Does anyone know what would have happened to the buried, both interred in the graveyard and in family vaults.
Also, if the vault no longer exists would there still be a record of all those interred therein?

[DORAN54]

hello,  i googled st Giles church colchester

it has been converted into a masonic hall
there is a web site www.stgilescentre.org.uk/          so they may be able to give you some info it's worth a try

[muddy48]

St Giles Church - St Johns Green, the burial place of Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle and now the headquarters of a branch of the Freemasons, periodically open to the public.
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http://www.camulos.com/cemetery.htmEarliest - Romano-British - Christian and Pagan

1st 2nd, 3rd and 4th century Romano British graveyards found to the south of the town wall in the vicinities of Butt Road, Lexden Road, Maldon Road roundabout, St Giles church, to the south of the Circus Victricensis. These graveyards have been destroyed by Victorian building works and, more recently, excavated by archaeologists, with many of the bodies and grave goods displayed at the Colchester Museum. Perhaps the most famous of the Colchester headstones found are those to Longinus Sdapeze (c50 AD)

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St. Giles
Probably built in the first half of the 12th century for the use of tenants and servants of the abbey, given its location within the abbey precinct and the fact that the boundaries of the parish lay largely within the abbey demesne. Possibly it succeeded an Anglo-Saxon wooden church, dedicated to St. John, that was on the northern part of the abbey site, just prior to the abbey's foundation. St. Giles was badly damaged during the siege of 1648.
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St Giles, St John's Green
St Giles' ChurchOriginally built on part of St John's Abbey cemetery around AD 1150, contains work from every century since. It was declared redundant in 1956 and then used as a St John Ambulance depot until 1975 when it was converted in to masonic centre.[
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St. Giles Masonic Centre
St Giles Centre is not just a Masonic Centre. Situated on the edge of the St. Boltophs area between the Garrison and the Town Centre, it is a converted church boasting a fine history, the centrepiece of which is a stone tablet once marking the final resting place of Royalist Captains Lucas & Lisle, who met their end at Colchester Castle in 1648 during the English Civil War. It is easily accessible from the St. Botolph's roundabout turning left into St. John's Green as you enter Southway.
If you are working to a budget and looking for a fairly central venue in Colchester, good parking facilities, comfortable, interesting surroundings with a friendly atmosphere then look no further. The centre has an excellent Function Room with a separate Licensed Bar Facility where we can cater for up to 120 people. It is especially suitable for Weddings, Dinner Dances and other functions or meetings.

All meals are prepared in fully equipped kitchens supervised by our professionally qualified Catering Manager, James Goldsmith. Whatever the occasion, James can call on his wealth of experience to ensure your function is enjoyed by all and something to remember. Our on-site catering and waiting staff can provide an extensive selection of meals ranging from light snacks, hot and cold buffets to more formal dinners.

This venue is very popular, so please remember to book well in advance. To find out more information, check availablility or receive a no-obligation quote, do not hesitate to use the Contacts.  If you wish to visit the Centre - please call to check that it is open...

 

http://www.bowcott.com/postcards/page3.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Colchester_StGiles_Masonic_Centre.jpg


http://www.camulos.com/virtual/guidee.htm
The church graveyard was converted into a car park and many of the graves were desecrated and removed elsewhere.
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http://www.londonfhc.org/content/catalogue?p=England,England,Essex,Colchester&f=1

[t mo]

hi muddy
are you on a commision for publicising the masonic centre  .
regards
trevor

[muddy48]

Hi Trevor
May be I can stike you a great deal for membership fee - however the bad news is that no burial plots are available

I tend to look for information from more than one source, each time rewording the search text, looking outside the box instead of inside the box (excuse the pun in this particular subject.. ) as often as not some interesting information comes up, or it takes me on a different path - basicaly just searching history is fun and enlightening So happy Googles to you

Julian.
ps .. Litleport or Littleport  seems to have an interesting history -1816 was a Riot of a time . 

[t mo]

hi julian 
not sure on a deal for membership masonic lodge and all sounds far too adventurous for me  and as far as burial plots go i,m already booked in for a quiet time in st johns churchyard  colchester along with my parents and grandparents , now there,s a nice little victorian ch worth researching , least it was till they plonked a great big extention on it .
as to littleport yes a back water it may have been but a lot of funny owd boys lived there and did you know that one half of the harley davidson motorcycle co came from littleport , mr harley esq ,see we are famous for more than civil disruption as well      and my own step gt grandad was a local skating champ by all accounts that was apart from his duties as a mole catcher ,[ dangerous little critters moles they go for the throat given half a chance  ] .
have fun with your searching dear boy .
regards
trevor

[onefortheroad]

Hi.
Thanks to Doran54 and Muddy48 for the info.

David