Cemetery Issues

[Hilbre99]

It is 2003 since I was last in Liverpool and I have been appalled by the damage done to many headstones especially in Anfield and also at Flaybrick in Birkenhead. I must assume much history has been lost. I have an older photograph of a Headstone in Anfield taken around 2000. Even with the grave plot & location, I could not find the Headstone. Am I right in my assumption that some of the more damaged Headstones have been removed by the Cemetery?
It has been a bitter disappointment to travel so far to take more current photographs and do research only to instead see destruction everywhere.
My first view of the 'New' Liverpool leaving central station and walking up Bold/Hardman Street was the disgusting quantity of gum stuck to the sidewalks and streets. Liverpool still has a long way to go.

[MaryA]

We can only assume you restricted your visit to that area, and didn't look at all the wonderful places in Liverpool there are to be seen.

As far as the chewing gum etc. your protests must surely be vented towards the local council rather than a Family History Society. For that matter the local councils would probably also be responsible for any damaged headstones that might have been made safe due to health and safety issues.

[Katie]

Us family historians despair at going to a cemetery and finding the headstone face down and the condition of Cemeteries. As for the state of the present day streets you should complain to Liverpool City Council www.liverpool.gov.uk.

[Blue70]

Have you contacted the councils? (Anfield: Liverpool City Council, Flaybrick: Wirral Borough Council) Unfortunately cemeteries do tend to go into decline over time and it was never the role of local authorities to maintain privately owned graves and stones. They do though have a duty of care to ensure the safety of visitors to its cemeteries. Decline happens everywhere a lot of cities have old cemeteries that have been landscaped into gardens or parks.

I recently viewed an old photo of St Peter's CE Liverpool. It showed the cemetery prior to it being landscaped into gardens. It was a terrible eyesore in the centre of Victorian Liverpool. I think many of us would have liked this eyesore of a cemetery to have survived as it was. Sadly even after the cemetery at St Peter's was beautified it didn't stop the whole site being sold to fund the building of Liverpool Cathedral.

As for the chewing gum it's not nice to see anywhere but most cities have some irresponsible people who spoil things for others.


Blue

[Hilbre99]

I understand the decline and safety issues. One would hope that before everything becomes a lawn, that time is taken to record the Headstone information and maybe the actual Headstone location. These days GPS is accurate enough to use for this purpose.

[Blue70]

Councils are experiencing budget cuts so it's unlikely new cemetery projects will be taken on. It's usually volunteers who record grave inscriptions and whereabouts.


Blue

[daggers]

Anfield cemetery: I was told this week by the volunteer who listed all the legible headstone inscriptions at Toxteth Park cemetery that a similar project is taking shape for Anfield. Huge thanks!

D

[Blue70]

Well done to the volunteer concerned. I know the Friends of Anfield Cemetery have been very good in helping to locate graves. It looks like they have a new look on their website:-

http://friendsofanfield.com


Blue

[MaryA]

Anfield cemetery: I was told this week by the volunteer who listed all the legible headstone inscriptions at Toxteth Park cemetery that a similar project is taking shape for Anfield. Huge thanks!

D

I believe this has been ongoing for a while, since they finished with Toxteth Park, it is an extremely useful site and has our gratitude. There is a listing for those transcriptions being undertaken on their main page
http://www.toxtethparkcemetery.co.uk/ and includes Anfield as far as is done.

[Blue70]

There's two Toxteth "volunteer" sites and I think they're by different people. I may be wrong on that. The person who did the burial records for Toxteth is now doing Anfield. I've just noticed that the burial record site has gravestone photos:-

http://www.toxtethparkcemetery.co.uk/He ... 0Page.html

http://www.toxtethparkcemetery.co.uk/He ... 0Page.html


The other Toxteth site has inscriptions and is here:-

http://www.toxtethparkcemeteryinscriptions.co.uk


Blue

[Hilary]

I've just had a look at the Anfield Cemetery given above and found that my grandfather had 2 brothers I'd never heard of as they died young. They are in the same grave with grandfather's uncle and another baby who could well be another brother to grandfather.

I now have a grave number so will go and find it some time in the future. Many thanks for showing me the site.

[MaryA]

There's two Toxteth "volunteer" sites and I think they're by different people.

And would you know I've just noticed that I actually have the two of them listed on our Websies list of Burials, Graves and MI's and not realised it.
http://forum.liverpool-genealogy.org.uk ... =14&t=5739

[BarbaraW]

Blue that third site down has photo's of headstones but when you click on the link it doesn't work nor does the link to buy a photo, do you know anything about this please?

I already knew some of mine were buried here (from the first site a long time ago) but would like to see a gravestone if possible.

[Blue70]

There's free photos in links 1 and 2 have you looked there?

http://www.toxtethparkcemetery.co.uk/He ... 0Page.html

http://www.toxtethparkcemetery.co.uk/He ... 0Page.html


The photos part doesn't seem to work on link 3, the inscription website, below.

http://www.toxtethparkcemeteryinscriptions.co.uk



Blue

[BarbaraW]

No they don't, the headstone I want is in the inscription link but no photo to click on, the top 2 don't have mine.

I don't know who undertook these sites but it's a massive project so well done.

[BarbaraW]

Sorry I meant to say I got my original info from here, to me it looks like the same site owner as link 1 and 2?

http://www.toxtethparkcemetery.co.uk/

[Blue70]

If the details came from a burial record not an inscription then it's possible there's no gravestone.


Blue

[BarbaraW]

Just to clarify. The headstone is on link 3 (but unable to be viewed) but not on the other site.

[Blue70]

Perhaps it will be photographed in the future and added to those free photos already on the Toxteth Park Cemetery (Burial Records & Photos) website.
On this page below it says, "More will be added as time allows":-

http://www.toxtethparkcemetery.co.uk/Is ... stone.html


Blue

[BarbaraW]

They will send you a photograph for £5 towards the upkeep of the site, but will check first whether it's worth your while and see if the gravestone is good enough.