OLD WEST BROMWICH PHOTOS

I am planning to visit Heath Lane cemetery on Friday to try and find may brothers grave.

Not having a car i intend to make my way out there from West Bromwich bus station, would any kind soul have any ideas of a local

bus service covering the area.

many thanks

Neville..

Neville, get on any of the Walsall Buses, they will all drop you off outside the Cemetery

It might be worth your while phoning up in advance Newton Rd crematorium who hold all the burial records for the West Brom area and they will tell you exactly where your Brothers grave is, they are pretty good  0121 569 6700, it will save you walking around for hours trying to find the grave

Paul

Hi Neville, I already had the grave number I was looking for, so I enquired at the small workshop/office inside the Cemetery where a chap looked it up for me on their plan..

Hope this helps. 

Hello Paul and Essa, 

Thanks both for the advice and information.

My brother died, as a baby, over sixty years ago and never having found out about his place of

burial until now, this has become something of a holy grail for me.

Hoping for a positive outcome after ten years of searching for him.

regards Neville.. 

If you enter the cemetery from the Walsall Rd (not the main entrance) most of the early child burials are on your right.

As most early graves are now unmarked, many just areas of grass, you really need help in identifying the one you want..

The workshop/office is along on your left as you enter.

My 18 month old brother was buried there in 1945 and all I found was a grass square.

Good luck with your search.

Essa at 01:09PM on Feb 18, 2010

If you enter the cemetery from the Walsall Rd (not the main entrance) most of the early child burials are on your right.

As most early graves are now unmarked, many just areas of grass, you really need help in identifying the one you want..

The workshop/office is along on your left as you enter.

My 18 month old brother was buried there in 1945 and all I found was a grass square.

Good luck with your search.

Found my late brothers details within ten minutes of searching at Newton Road, they were very helpful.

Walked up to Heath Lane and as you intimated the child burials are in the right area near to the wall.

As with your brother, i only managed to find the plot from 1949, no sign of anything to remember him.

Had thought of some sort of stone or marker to commemorate him but not sure whether to or not.

After ten years of searching finally found what i had been looking for, rather a strange feeling....

regards

Neville.. 

Hi Neville, so glad you found the grave, it is disappointing to find nothing marking the spot.

When I mentioned this to one of the workmen he said permission was required to erect any form of memorial, I am not sure of the validity of his statement...

Regards..

It depends what sort of burial your brother had, unfortunately if it was a Pauper grave you are not allowed to raise a monument as there may be more than one burial in this spot. Both my Gran and 2 aunties are in unmarked graves from the 1940's on that side and not allowed a marker. We were however allowed to put my uncles ashes in his mother's grave. The Pauper Memorial is to comemorate unmarked graves and pauper burials and always has many floral tributes.

Hi Neville.  I found your photos of 83 Littleton Street today.  I lived there with my parents and grandparents for a while, when I was a child.  I believe we are related by marriage.  My grandfather was William Siviter and my grandmother was Edith.  She died in 1946 and my grandfather later remarried, I believe, your grandmother.  The shop is exactly as I remember it.  Would be pleased to pass on any information you may find of interest. 

It is quite hard to locate a grave at this Cemetery,I have a plot number and names but Newton Road cannot locate it saying their maps must be incomplete but maybe the guys working in the Cemetery may know where it is,unfortunately I live in London now so thsi is impractical.

Malcolm GORDON at March 3, 2011 at 4:07 AM

It is quite hard to locate a grave at this Cemetery,I have a plot number and names but Newton Road cannot locate it saying their maps must be incomplete but maybe the guys working in the Cemetery may know where it is,unfortunately I live in London now so thsi is impractical.

If you want me to track it down for you, I know the cemetery quite well as many of my relatives are there. If you send details i may be able to take a photograph.

Many thanks Barbara,

There are two plots  A5875 WITH 5 Gordons which I have found and which should now have a pot on top following my aunts death.

The one we cannot find is A5207  Joseph Gordon 1884/1910,Elizabeth Gordon 1850/1931 and Charles Gordon 1878/1909,Newton Road assure me that it exists and will not have been disturbed but cannot find it on their maps.

No rush at all for this Barbara but if you can trace and photo that would be smashing.

Malcolm GORDON at March 5, 2011 at 3:52 AM

Many thanks Barbara,

There are two plots  A5875 WITH 5 Gordons which I have found and which should now have a pot on top following my aunts death.

The one we cannot find is A5207  Joseph Gordon 1884/1910,Elizabeth Gordon 1850/1931 and Charles Gordon 1878/1909,Newton Road assure me that it exists and will not have been disturbed but cannot find it on their maps.

No rush at all for this Barbara but if you can trace and photo that would be smashing.

Dear Malcolm will check out on Thursday (day off) let you know what i find.

barbara at March 6, 2011 at 11:22 AM

Malcolm GORDON at March 5, 2011 at 3:52 AM

Many thanks Barbara,

There are two plots  A5875 WITH 5 Gordons which I have found and which should now have a pot on top following my aunts death.

The one we cannot find is A5207  Joseph Gordon 1884/1910,Elizabeth Gordon 1850/1931 and Charles Gordon 1878/1909,Newton Road assure me that it exists and will not have been disturbed but cannot find it on their maps.

No rush at all for this Barbara but if you can trace and photo that would be smashing.

Dear Malcolm will check out on Thursday (day off) let you know what i find.

Great,very kind of you Barbara,

I have since discovered that Joseph Gordon should be 1849/1903 and was buried on 27 May 1903,this may help the chaps at the cemetry trace the plot

brgds Malcolm

Malcolm GORDON at March 6, 2011 at 12:01 PM

barbara at March 6, 2011 at 11:22 AM

Malcolm GORDON at March 5, 2011 at 3:52 AM

Many thanks Barbara,

There are two plots  A5875 WITH 5 Gordons which I have found and which should now have a pot on top following my aunts death.

The one we cannot find is A5207  Joseph Gordon 1884/1910,Elizabeth Gordon 1850/1931 and Charles Gordon 1878/1909,Newton Road assure me that it exists and will not have been disturbed but cannot find it on their maps.

No rush at all for this Barbara but if you can trace and photo that would be smashing.

Dear Malcolm will check out on Thursday (day off) let you know what i find.

Great,very kind of you Barbara,

I have since discovered that Joseph Gordon should be 1849/1903 and was buried on 27 May 1903,this may help the chaps at the cemetry trace the plot

brgds Malcolm

noted, hope it does for you 

barbara at March 7, 2011 at 3:05 PM

Malcolm GORDON at March 6, 2011 at 12:01 PM

barbara at March 6, 2011 at 11:22 AM

Malcolm GORDON at March 5, 2011 at 3:52 AM

Many thanks Barbara,

There are two plots  A5875 WITH 5 Gordons which I have found and which should now have a pot on top following my aunts death.

The one we cannot find is A5207  Joseph Gordon 1884/1910,Elizabeth Gordon 1850/1931 and Charles Gordon 1878/1909,Newton Road assure me that it exists and will not have been disturbed but cannot find it on their maps.

No rush at all for this Barbara but if you can trace and photo that would be smashing.

Dear Malcolm will check out on Thursday (day off) let you know what i find.

Great,very kind of you Barbara,

I have since discovered that Joseph Gordon should be 1849/1903 and was buried on 27 May 1903,this may help the chaps at the cemetry trace the plot

brgds Malcolm

noted, hope it does for you 

Dear Malcolm, Mixed results down the cemetery this afternoon only found one grave, Just realised I do not have your e-mail address can you send it and i will send photos and the full story.

Barbara

Dear Malcolm and Barbara, Great News !! ... i have found the missing headstone .... A5207 ... i will be in touch soon Malcolm with details... regards  mark.

Hello Mark, Malcolm has been in touch and said that he is delighted you have found the grave, he is chuffed to bits !

Well done mark & thanks for your help...I know who to turn to if I have any questions about Heath Lane !

Paul

I would love to know where it was as I spent some time looking for it for Malcolm and it wasn't even on the map

barbara at August 6, 2011 at 6:03 AM

I would love to know where it was as I spent some time looking for it for Malcolm and it wasn't even on the map

 Mark needed all his detective skills to find the grave.

It was not marked on any maps and yet we knew it existed,he found a smudgy squiggle in old fashioned script which showed where the grave was on the map,so he and a mate found the stone had collapsed and broken,and lay face DOWN in the soil.

On lifting it a remarkable headstone was uncovered,very ornately carved and as face down was not overgrown with lichen etc and is pristine.

FYI the grave was quite close to my other one that you found in section  A,This saga turned into a bit like "who do you think you are" and thanks to our posts and your help and the site Mark was able to pick up on the story and mangaed to solve it.

brgds Malcolm