ST MATTHEWS, 26th January 2007

St Matthews Church in Duddeston-cum-Nechells is quite involved in my family history, one set of grandparents married there, a great aunt married there, a great grand-aunt was buried there (aged 12) and at least four other relatives were Christened there including my great grandfather John Fisher who was later to be secretary of the East Birmingham Liberal Unionists and to work with Joseph Chamberlain.
After having a look round the graveyard I decided to photograph every memorial and headstone, there are not that many, and to copy all of the monumental inscriptions. There are obviously lots more graves there but they are no longer visible. Stage 1 is complete and all the photographs of ALL the memorials/headstones are here. I only have to check out 1 inscription and check details on a few others and I will be finished. Please note there may be memorials inside the church, I have not been inside... yet.
Must get back to St Saviours soon (gulp).

In Loving Memory of
JANE ROGERS,
WHO DIED JUNE 11th 1918,
AGED 84 YEARS.
ALSO HER DAUGHTER
MARY LOUISA BLAKE,
BELOVED WIFE OF
ROBERT PECKITT CLARK,
WHO DIED NOV. 22nd 1929,
AGED 65 YEARS.
ALSO ROBERT PECKITT CLARK.
WHO DIED OCTOBER 8th 1936
AGED 73 YEARS.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
JOSEPH SLAYMAKER.
DIED MAY 29th 1951.
AGED 55 YEARS.

MORE OF THE SLAYMAKER GRAVE. SMALL MEMORIAL STONE SHOWS THE NAMES OF

GEORGE ARTHUR SLAYMAKER (see previous photograph)
JOSEPH HENRY DAVISON

FREDERICK FRANK DAVISON

IN
MEMORY OF
WILLIAM ALFRED
DEARLY BELOVED HUSBAND OF GERTRUDE ROSE
WHO FELL ASLEEP DEC 23rd 1933 AGED 31 YEARS.

ALSO THEIR CHILDREN LESLIE AND STANLEY.

Front kerb-stone reads: ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER

Grave is of William Alfred ROSE.

ONE OF THE BEST,
NOW IN GOD'S KEEPING
SAFELY AT REST.

(to be examined again)

Unmarked grave.

H.BASHFORD

1847

IS.BASHFORD

(remainder underground)

Also of William Oakley
WHO DIED MAY 19th 1915 [??]
AGED 60 YEARS
DEAR GRANDAD OF THE ABOVE.

The lowest part of the stone needs cleaning before I can read what is visible of the inscription.

SWEET
MEMORIES OF
+ MADGE +

IN LOVING MEMORY OF DAVID, THE BELOVED HUSBAND OF MARY ANN BULL.
DIED FEB 23rd 191X AGED 40 YEARS. GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.

X ..numeral broken away.

ALSO CHARLES THEIR SON.
DIED AUG 23rd 1924. AGED 21 YEARS.

ALSO MARY ANN BULL, BELOVED WIFE OF DAVID
WHO DIED 20th JAN. 1945. AGED 70 YEARS.

The grave of a child, the inscription has worn away.

ANN ROSE & FRANK WILLIAM ROSE, see following photograph...

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
ANN ROSE
DIED 27th FEB 1942
AGED 79 YEARS.
...
ALSO HER BELOVED HUSBAND
FRANK WILLIAM
DIED 1st JUNE 1946
AGED 78 YEARS
...
PEACE PERFECT PEACE.
...

DEVOTED PARENTS OF LIZZIE.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
HEATHER VIOLET WILSON
BORN 23rd MARCH 1919
DIED 19th SEPTEMBER 1983
A LOVING
MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER
GOD BLESS

A grave for DAVISONs & SLAYMAKERs, see following photograph...

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

OUR DEARLY BELOVED MOTHER
ETHEL DAVISON,
DIED DEC. 31st 1949, AGED 55 YEARS.
ALSO OUR DEAR SISTER
ELSIE DAVISON,
DIED DEC. 22nd 1923, AGED 18 MONTHS.
ALSO GRAN,
ELIZABETH SLAYMAKER,
DIED OCT. 10th 1923, AGED 67 YEARS.
ALSO GRAND-DAD,
THOMAS SLAYMAKER,
DIED MARCH 27th 1941, AGED 86 YEARS.

Smaller stone reads:-

TO NAN WITH LOVE
FROM SHEILA PAT AND PAUL

Grave of JOAN & FANNY BURTON. See following photograph...

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

DEAR JOAN
BELOVED DAUGHTER OF
WILLIAM & FANNY BURTON
DIED NOVEMBER 2nd 1937 AGED 18 YEARS
SADLY MISSED BY ALL.
ALSO OF FANNY BURTON
MOTHER OF DEAR JOAN
DIED JAN. 11th 1957 AGED 73 YEARS.

Grave of EDITH DAVISON, see following photograph...

Sweet Memories

of
EDITH DAVISON
died
21st Dec. 1936
aged 20 years.

From Mother.

Small stone reads:-

SWEET
MEMORIES OF
EDITH M DAVISON
FROM MOTHER

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
WILLIAM TOMLINSON WHO DIED JULY 4th 1932 AGED 77 YEARS

Jigsaw

ALLEN, OSBORN and SMALLWOOD, see following photograph...

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
JOHN ALLEN
DIED OCTOBER 1868.
---------
ALSO ANN OSBORN
WIFE OF THE ABOVE
DIED DECEMBER 11th 1897
AGED 60 YEARS.
---------
ALSO JANE ALLEN SMALLWOOD
DAUGHTER OF THE ABOVE
AND WIFE OF THOMAS SMALLWOOD
OF CASTLE BROMWICH
DIED APRIL 14TH 1927
AGED 65 YEARS.
REST, REST IN PEACE. THY WORK IS DONE.
THY SORROWS ARE O'ER, THY VICTORY WON.
HOW SWEET IT IS TO REST UPON THAT SHORE
WHERE PAIN AND SORROW ARE FELT NO MORE.
---------
ALSO THE ABOVE
THOMAS SMALLWOOD
DIED OCT 11th 1933 AGED 88 YEARS

SEEK HIM - THAT TURNETH THE SHADOWS OF
DEATH INTO MORNING. AMOS ---?*

*From Amos 5:8

IN MEMORY OF
ANN ADAMS
WHO DIED JANUARY 4TH 1850
AGED 74 YEARS

Unknown.

23076 PRIVATE
J.H.HUSTWAYTE
KING'S OWN YORKSHIRE L.I.
19TH MAY 1916 AGE 23

BELOVED BY ALL
WHO KNEW HIM

The SIDWELL family grave, see following 2 photographs...

Thomas & Elizabeth SIDWELL.

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF
CLARA, DAUGHTER OF THOMAS & ELIZABETH SIDWELL,
WHO DEPARTD THIS LIFE OCTbr 27th. 1858 AGED 20 DAYS.
ALSO ELIZABETH ELLEN, THEIR DAUGHTER
WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE NOVbr 6th 1858 AGED 4 YEARS & 10 MONTHS.
I HAVE HEARD THEE SPEAK OF A BETTER LAND
THOU CALL'ST ITS CHILDREN A HAPPY BAND
MOTHER OH WHERE IS THAT RADIANT SHORE
SHALL WE NOT SEEK IT AND WEEP NO MORE
ALSO FLORENCE, THEIR DAUGHTER
WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE NOV 11th 1865. AGED 1 YEAR & 6 MONTHS.
ALSO CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS, GRANDMOTHER OF THE ABOVE CHILDREN

WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE JANry 20th. 1868, AGED 62 YEARS.