Frank And Bertram Parfitt St Michaels R.c. Cemetery Rivelin.

[CATnCABBAGE]

Hi all, a long shot I know but would anybody happen to know who visits the graves of Frank Arnold PARFITT and Bertram PARFITT in the St Michaels R.C. Cemetery on Rivelin Valley Road. Both men killed/died WW1 as officers with the RAF but had served earlier with the York Lancs. I went to photograph the graves for a research project today and found a poppy cross at each grave, very recently placed so am guessing remembrance day. It would be nice to get to speak to the person/s who still visit to remember and respect these brothers.

Thanks Rob

[vox]

Ron Clayton would be my guess. I know he's big on visiting Sheffield's war graves.

I was with him a couple of years ago when he put poppies on the ones at Wadsley Church.

[Bayleaf]

Another possibility is they were placed there by a church. I know of a couple of churches that place crosses on war graves in their churchyards every year.

[CATnCABBAGE]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. There are 30 or so CWGC headstones in the cemetery, a surprising amount for a small cemetery, the only 2 with poppy crosses were the PARFITTS so I was hoping it may well just be family. I don't know Ron CLAYTON, I take it he is a well known member here?

This is why I would like to contact the person concerned PARFITT Frank & Bertram I recently bought the plaques and I am part way through the research.

Rob

[vox]

Ron isn't a member (don't know why) but I'll email him and ask if it was him.

[CATnCABBAGE]

Cheers Vox, any lead is worth following. appreciate your help.

Rob

[Bayleaf]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. There are 30 or so CWGC headstones in the cemetery, a surprising amount for a small cemetery, the only 2 with poppy crosses were the PARFITTS so I was hoping it may well just be family. I don't know Ron CLAYTON, I take it he is a well known member here?

This is why I would like to contact the person concerned PARFITT Frank & Bertram I recently bought the plaques and I am part way through the research.

Rob

Possibly RC casualties who died in one of the military hospitals? RC cemeteries aren't that common in Sheffield. If the Parfitts are the only ones with crosses it does suggest a relative doesn't it.

Thinking a bit further along those lines, if they were buried in a catholic cemetery, isn't it a reasonable assumption that a relative who takes the trouble to visit a relatively out of the way cemetery is also RC? In which case you might try contacting the Hallam News, the newsletter for the RC Diocese, to see whether an item about your search could be included? Just a thought.

[CATnCABBAGE]

Bayleaf, an excellent and astute observation that I think has a lot of merit. Thanks for the link, I will indeed try that as a line of enquiry.

Cheers Rob

[vox]

Reply from Ron today.

Really chuffed to recieve the enquiry -I have known about the Parfitt Brothers for some years and have placed poppy crosses and poppies on their graves in the past but not this year [went to Darnall -sadly neglected] Have a couple of poppies left which I will take up this year -lot of Irish lads up there as well. Didn't realise the Parfitts were in the RFC/RFC -have noticed Christmas decoration up there as well -presume they are placed by family. Cemetery is RC.

Hope this helps

Ron

[CATnCABBAGE]

Thanks a lot Vox, that rules out Ron then so means someone else is obviously paying their respects. I am going to follow up on Bayleafs suggestion. If I get anywhere with this I will let you guys know.

Rob

[Bayleaf]

I don't know whether you've seen it, but St Michael's cemetery has a website with a couple of possibly useful contacts

http://www.saintmichaelscemetery.org/

Looking down the burial register (pdf download) Bertram is given as Bertrand but the preamble does apologise for transcription errors. According to the record he died in the war hospital in Reading.

[CATnCABBAGE]

Cheers Bayleaf, visited the site you mention and contacted the owner. Unfortunately they have no idea who placed the poppy's or who visits the headstones. Thanks very much for maintaining the interest, did you see the link I put on a few posts ago?

Rob