Burial of Major General James Bramham 20 Nov 1786 St Alfege Greenwich

[Beaujolaiswine]

Hi Folks

I am trying to locate a place of burial (and monumental inscription) for Major General James Bramham, Chief Engineer in the Royal Engineers. He died on 11 November 1786 at his home in Greenwich after 40+ years of service in the Army as a military surveyor.

Between 1777 and 1781 he was Lieutenant-Governor of the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich.

So far I have been unable to locate an address for the home of James Bramham in Greenwich.

I presume that he was buried in the Greenwich, Woolwich, Charlton area where many military people seem to have lived and been buried. His daughter Jane who married James Miller an officer in the Royal Artillery was buried along with her husband in Charlton.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

Regards

Richard

[Beaujolaiswine]

Hi Folks

I now know that Major-General James Bramham was buried on 20 Nov 1786 at St. Alfege Church in Greenwich.

Does anyone know of records of memorial transcriptions at this church?

Regards

Richard

[grandarog]

You could try 
The Church Office is open Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 09:00
to 16:00. Jenny works remotely on Thursday's (10:00-13:30) and Friday's (09:00-12:00) and can be reached on the same telephone number and email address. Tel: 020 8853 0687 Email: jenny.bracey  at st-alfege.org.uk ( Sub @ for at)

[Beaujolaiswine]

Hi Grandarog

Thanks for your reply. I have contacted Jenny Bracey Church Administrator at St Alfege Church. Unfortunately she couldn't find a burial of a James Bramham in the church crypt and there are gravestones all around the church and local park but most are now illegible.  And there are no records at the church. She suggested I contact the London Metropolitan Archives.

I was hoping to find that someone in the past, pre WW2 bomb damage and before recent destruction of the gravestones, had transcribed what was written on them. It looks like I will have to make do with the St. Alfege burial record alone, which unfortunately doesn't give an age at death only the occupation of "General".

Regards

Richard

[casalguidi]

Greenwich Heritage Centre appear to have monumental inscriptions for St Alfege ......... it may be worth contacting them http://www.greenwichheritage.org/family/index.html

Casalguidi

[Beaujolaiswine]

Hi Casalguidi

Thanks for your interest. I have tried the Greenwich Heritage Centre. They advised me they have no record of a monumental transcription for James Bramham at St. Alfege.

So far all I have to go on is the Ancestry photos of the original St. Alfege burial records which are corroborated by North West Kent Family History Society giving the date and occupation of James Bramham.

I am not sure that there is anywhere else I could go to try to find out his age at death.

Regards

Richard

 

[Bookbox]

There's a typescript of the monumental inscriptions in Greenwich churchyard, held on the open shelves in the Society of Genealogists Library in London (KE/M8); however, this may be the same source that the staff at Greenwich Heritage Centre have already looked at for you.

You could also try searching the newspapers for an obituary.

Failing that, I would try contacting the Royal Engineers Museum archives at Gillingham, who will surely have something on him.

http://www.re-museum.co.uk/research/

[panda40]

Hi Richard
Not sure if you are aweare but his will is available to download from http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D420394
The National Archives site for a cost of £3.36. This may well give you some more information.
Hope it helps
Regards panda

[Beaujolaiswine]

Hi Bookbox and panda40

Thanks for your replies. I followed up you advice bookbox and contacted the Royal Engineers specifically Nigel E Montagu CEng MIMechE MIET MIOD MInstRE, Chief Executive and Secretary,
The Institution of Royal Engineers. Mr. Montague was very kind in emailing me some very interesting information about Major-general James Bramham's career, but was unable to give a date of birth or age at death for him.

I have downloaded James Bramham's will from the National Archives Panda40, which was most interesting as it mentions his daughter Jane (widow of John Cooper Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery), brother's Cuthbert (of Pontefract) and William and William's son James, but does not give a date of birth or age of death (when the will was proved) nor does it mention where James Bramham was living in Greenwich.

I am not sure where to go next.

Regards

Richard