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Wardsend Cemetery


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Are the friends of wardsend cemetery still active? if so who's in charge?

yes they are still active but limited in numbers- there are only 3 active members.

Ron Clayton is the guy who runs it.

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WARDSEND CEMETERY

LOCATION

Club Mill Road, Owlerton, Sheffield 6

CEMETERY PLAN

picture copyright - http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/

INFORMATION

Wardsend Cemetery has a distinct military influence due to its close proximity to Hillsborough Barracks. The obelisk monument commemorates the soldiers of 6th, 19th, 24th, 33rd, 51st, 55th Regiments of Foot, Victorian Army, who died whilst at Hillsborough Barracks during the period 1866 - 1869.

A separate grave belongs to Lieutenant George Lambert V.C., an Irishman, born in Markethill, County Armagh, in December 1819. A sergeant in the 84th Regiment (York & Lancaster Regiment), he was promoted twice �without purchase�, and was awarded his Victoria Cross for �conspicuous bravery� during the Indian Mutiny at Unnao in 1857. His death was due to �the breaking of a blood vessel� on the parade ground of Hillsborough Barracks on February 10th 1860.

There are also memorials to several soldiers who gave their lives during both world wars.

Some of the 240 victims of The Great Sheffield Flood of the night of 11th/12th of March 1864, when the Dale Dyke reservoir at Bradfield, collapsed, were laid to rest in Wardsend Cemetery, including the children of Paymaster Sergeant Foulds, Isabella, aged 5 and John, aged 3, of Hillsborough Barracks, also Mr. Joseph Goddard and his wife Sarah, of Malin Bridge.

Of the 213 bodies which were found, there were 35 which were buried without being identified. In addition to the 240 people who were drowned there were 50 horses, 38 cows, 8 donkeys, 258 pigs, 267 fowls and 72 tame rabbits allegedly lost!!

Other epitaphs of interest are dedications to a number of Bible readers, one a member of the Philadelphian Wesleyan church; the Secretary of Sheffield Angling Association; widows referred to as relics, and a reference to a 15 year old boy tragically killed at work in a colliery accident.

Wardsend dates back as far as 1161 and was then called wereld send.(relating to a forest clearing), by 1336 the spelling had been changed to Wallsend and by 1388 it was call Wordesent.

Wardsend House was built on this site in 1477 and stood for 400 years,before being demolished in 1957.

By 1901 there had been some 20,000 interments on the site and the new area was consecrated in 1859 by Archbishop musgrave of York.

It is said to be the only cemetery in the uk with a railway running through it.

It was also frequented by grave robbers,who sold the bodies to the medical school.

The final burial took place in 1977,when the re-internment of remains from a building site close to the Cathedral took place.

It was officially closed in 1988.

"many of the graves close to the railway line are damaged and open" - :o :o :o :o

PICTURES

We took the following pictures on 18th February 2007

LINKS

Friends Of Wards End - http://www.fowc.i12.com/home.html

I went to wardsend cemetery today, thought i'd have a look on section Q some of my ancestors are buried there. i must have spent nearly 2 hours hacking through undergrowth, bracken, japanese knotweed all over place. how the hell have they let this cemetery get into the state its in????? what are the friends group actually doing??? looking at the state of the place i'd say not a lot!!!!! :angry: you need a team going in there with strimmers, followed by tree team to thin out the trees and get rid of the self- sets that have sprung up all over place. then once that's done spray the area off ie the knot weed/ivy with weedkiller after a few months hard work and with regular mowing the place will look decent once again

mick

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I went to wardsend cemetery today, thought i'd have a look on section Q some of my ancestors are buried there. i must have spent nearly 2 hours hacking through undergrowth, bracken, japanese knotweed all over place. how the hell have they let this cemetery get into the state its in????? what are the friends group actually doing??? looking at the state of the place i'd say not a lot!!!!! :angry: you need a team going in there with strimmers, followed by tree team to thin out the trees and get rid of the self- sets that have sprung up all over place. then once that's done spray the area off ie the knot weed/ivy with weedkiller after a few months hard work and with regular mowing the place will look decent once again

mick

Sounds like a volunteer there lol

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Sounds like a volunteer there lol

stuart 0742,

i live in barnsley now, i work for barnsley council cutting grass and maintaining cemeteries :rolleyes: not long ago we cleared an old-dis used grave yard, about half size of wardsend., and to look at it now you wouldn't have thought it was the same place. it annoys me that these places are left to get overgrown and neglected. looking round wardsend today i think it would only take a couple of months to clear the site of vegetation. i would still like to know what the friends of wardsend are playing at??? <_< as for a volunteer, if a few more people are up for it, then count me in!!!!

mick

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Guest bpjmarriott

I went up there from college today for the first time. It really is a mess up there and it needs fixing. How long has that grave been broken (the tomb for the six year old child) You can see inside it. The monument is surrouned by shrubbery and it is completely overgrown. It definitly has an eerie feel to it. I am going up there tomorrow after college to get some photographs. :)

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Ten days after the meeting the Star finally gets around to printing the story:

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/David-Blunke...tion.5580719.jp

Includes video interviews. (I didn't quite manage to avoid the camera. lol )

Hugh

I agree with the " local person" Blunkett was only there for the photo shoot.

We were told they once had young offenders in to smarten the place up

but some do-gooder stepped in and called it all off because there are no

toilets up there. :blink:

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I went to wardsend cemetery today, thought i'd have a look on section Q some of my ancestors are buried there. i must have spent nearly 2 hours hacking through undergrowth, bracken, japanese knotweed all over place. how the hell have they let this cemetery get into the state its in????? what are the friends group actually doing??? looking at the state of the place i'd say not a lot!!!!! :angry: you need a team going in there with strimmers, followed by tree team to thin out the trees and get rid of the self- sets that have sprung up all over place. then once that's done spray the area off ie the knot weed/ivy with weedkiller after a few months hard work and with regular mowing the place will look decent once again

mick

There are only about three of them, all pensioners. What they need is more volunteers [how about you?]

and an injection of cash.

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There are only about three of them, all pensioners. What they need is more volunteers [how about you?]

and an injection of cash.

i'd quite happily help to clear the place of overgrown vegetation, its what i do at work, cut cemeteries. ( so how about you??? )

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Ive got another favour to ask!

HughW very kindly gave me a photo of the grave of my G Auntie Eliza Oldham buried with son Ernest and daughter in law and son James back in May 09.

Im now after any photos anyone may have of a grave for her husband Thomas (Tom) Oldham born 1863 but I have no idea when he died. He may be buried with a Harold Oldham his son. Im told they are definitely in this cemetery

Is anyone able to help?

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Im now after any photos anyone may have of a grave for her husband Thomas (Tom) Oldham born 1863 but I have no idea when he died. He may be buried with a Harold Oldham his son. Im told they are definitely in this cemetery

hello Karen,

Sorry I missed this question until now.

I think this may be the entry in the death index for Tom:

GRO Deaths MAR Qtr 1912

OLDHAM Tom 51

Ecclesall B. 9c 500

He is not listed in the published MIs for Wardsend and the Burial Index ends in 1905, so finding him will involve looking through the burials for that quarter in the original register in Sheffield Archives.

The birth index and the 1901 and 1911 censuses suggest he was born in 1861.

Hugh

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hello Karen,

Sorry I missed this question until now.

I think this may be the entry in the death index for Tom:

GRO Deaths MAR Qtr 1912

OLDHAM Tom 51

Ecclesall B. 9c 500

He is not listed in the published MIs for Wardsend and the Burial Index ends in 1905, so finding him will involve looking through the burials for that quarter in the original register in Sheffield Archives.

The birth index and the 1901 and 1911 censuses suggest he was born in 1861.

Hugh

Hello Hugh,

Thank you for this tip I will toddle on down and see if I can find his details in the archive

best wishes

Karen

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Guest cstevens

I have just visited this site myself, very interesting:

A complete set of images from the day can be seen here

http://www.cm-photos.co.uk/events/graves/

I have contacted Network Rail about the particular issue of the hacked headstone that Hugh brought up., and received a less than satisfactory response. I am now in touch with the press and preparing a story.

What not to do when building a fence :angry:

grave A426 Wardsend cemetery

The fence (new blue and old red posts) is the boundary with the railway.

Hugh

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Great photos! I note that no-one burned the bracken this year - maybe it was never dry enough.

This image and the following one caught my eye. Some people may be familiar with a large painting which is currently on display in the Museum called 'Sheffield and Valley of the Don', by E Price and dated 1863. This shows a vista from the high ground behind the cemetery looking across to the barracks and on down the valley to the distant town centre. The painting shows two prominent white monuments, separated somewhat from the other gravestones. The photographs show these two monuments, the one on the right being a fallen obelisk and the other a much truncated square column.

The narrow obelisk is for the MARCHINTON family. James MARCHINTON was a partner in William MAKIN and Sons steel makers of the Clifton Works Neepsend Lane, right next to the Fairview pub. I believe this may be where a building waste recycling depot (?) was recently approved which upset those hoping that the Fairview would re-open. There is an interesting 1864 flood claim for the Clifton Works.

Hugh

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I am finally surfacing after a horrible few months, beset by illness death and work commitments.

A few things have got to be said about Wardsend. Firstly, it is still in the possession of the Church of England. I have pursued this religiously (forgive the pun) for over 2 years now, to unanswered emails and non returned phonecalls

The Friends of Wardsend were originally part of The Hillsborough Trust. The same names appear on documents. The National Federaton of Cemetery Friends have had no contact since 2005 from the Wardsend group.

The Hillsborough Trust went in 2008 having done nothing for over 3 years. The Charity Commissions Website shows no accounts after 2005.

The latest little escapade in August last year was organised purely to make the local Labour Party look good. Sorry if this upsets anyone but that's how it was.

The whole business of Wardsend Cemetery is a disgrace to the City of Sheffield, and as is usual in Sheffield, dogged by politics

If anyone wants any more informatino please conact me direct.

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Guest darren chambers

I'm from Shirecliffe and I did sometimes take a short cut through Wardsend

to get to Hillsbrough,

I no longer use that route due to bumping into some very unsavoury characters,

drug and solvent abuse is rife in that area.

My advice is, that if you are going Wardsend, take a friend and do not visit the area alone.

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I'm from Shirecliffe and I did sometimes take a short cut through Wardsend

to get to Hillsbrough,

I no longer use that route due to bumping into some very unsavoury characters,

drug and solvent abuse is rife in that area.

My advice is, that if you are going Wardsend, take a friend and do not visit the area alone.

I think its been like that for a good few years now darren. As a child my dad would often pick me up at "home time" from Hillfoot School, we would then follow the waterside to the power station. At the time the last cooling tower was still under construction and the overhead buckets were still in use. Further on we would cut through Wardsend, have a look at the old chapel then go up and over the concrete railway bridge, there we would stop and wait for the express trains steaming to and from Sheffield Victoria then make our way home for tea. [ I still miss my dad.] Happy days. W/E.

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Brilliant Stuff, When we was kids we had a story passed down from one of my mates parents, that a local witch by the name of Mrs Critchlowe was buried up there, who used to terrify the children of her day. Dont know if there is any more to the tale, as that is all I remember on the subject. The little stone bridge at the top end of Livesey street has recently been distroyed in the June 2007 flood, which is a shame, but I do believe they are working to rebuild. Is there any more stories about the place? Please tell us some more. :wacko:
When we were kids in the mid 50s we were told a story of a Indian chief. The tale was that he had come over to this country for a major operation but sadly died in the Royal Infirmary, It was said he was buried at Wardsend. We spent a good few days looking for his grave but gave up in the end. W/E.
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Is it this story W/E?

Indian

Hello 'dunsbyowl' Well it looks as though that could be him, no wonder we could not find his grave. Its nice to know it was a true story and that he was finally laid to rest amongst his own people. W/E.

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Hi all

Yesterday I went for a walk through the cemetery on our way to the city centre via Club Mill Road (a scenic tour of Sheffield's rough edges...).

I'm afraid the cemetery is very much overgrown and falling further and further into disrepair.

The odd gravestone is still standing, but most are leaning or laid flat.

It's the first time I've been up there and it was very sad to see.

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I spoke to friends of Wardsend Cemetery. They have been offered a considerable amount of labour re cleaning up the Cemetery but not as easy as it sounds as the Cemetery is also a wildlife haven so renovation work has to be very carefully judged. If you are looking for a specific grave they have a huge data bank of burials in the graveyard though not yet complete as there are several thousand buried there. So well worth asking Friends first before looking. They also do guided tours several times a year so keep an eye out for those.

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Good to hear, must be a MASSIVE undertaking. I'd love to see a link on here to the finished bank of data.

I spoke to friends of Wardsend Cemetery. They have been offered a considerable amount of labour re cleaning up the Cemetery but not as easy as it sounds as the Cemetery is also a wildlife haven so renovation work has to be very carefully judged. If you are looking for a specific grave they have a huge data bank of burials in the graveyard though not yet complete as there are several thousand buried there. So well worth asking Friends first before looking. They also do guided tours several times a year so keep an eye out for those.

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