Cemetery Sunday - Sarah Jane Bird Johnson - A Mysterious Lady

 

 

 

 

Monument to Sarah Jane Bird Johnson, late of Stokenchurch, Oxon, died at Burchett's Green Octb 4th 1875 aged 55.

 

Every so often I come across a gravestone where the person memorialised is completely untraceable.

 

I have been unable to find out anything about Sarah Jane.  I cannot even find her death index for her, no Sarah Johnsons registered as passing away anywhere near Burchett's Green in 1875 or indeed 1876.  I have even searched under the surname Bird, but at the moment she eludes me.

 

 

 

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Cemetery Sunday - Angels Hovering

There are angels hovering around.

Inscription found at St Luke's Churchyard, Maidenhead Berkshire.


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Cemetery Sunday - Bridget and Augusta Higgs - Ladies Of Means

 

"Sacred to the memory of

Bridget Higgs

Born March 1?th 1821

Died December 17th 1883

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God

Also of her sister

Augusta Higgs

Died May 9th 1904."

 

 

 

Bridget and her elder sister Augusta were born in Hockliffe, Bedfordshire in 1821 and 1819 to Hervey Higgs and his wife Mary Ann Fogg.  Sometime before 1871, Bridget and  Augusta moved to Boyne Hill in Maidenhead Berkshire.

 

It seems that the Higgs family were well to do, as throughout the census returns Bridget and Augusta's occupations are listed as fundholders, living off interest from investments, dividends and mortages.  Both sisters remained spinsters, never marrying, and lived together until death seperated them.  Bridget was the first to pass away in 1883. The Slough, Windsor and Eton Observer repoted,

 

"Deaths

 

Higgs- On the 17th ult., at Boyne Hill Maidenhead, Bridget, daughter of the late Hervey Higgs, Reading Berkshire."

 

 

Augusta then moved to 50 Bath Road, Maidenhead after her sisters death, where she appears on thw 1901 Census.  Sadly Augusta was to pass away on 9th May 1904.  I wonder if Augusta died alone, or had family there to comfort her at the end.

 

Strangely I can find no further information on either Bridget, August or their late father Hervey Higgs.  Unusual for such a well to do family.

 

 



 

 

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Cemetery Sunday - Falling Angel

'Falling' Angel at All Saints Maidenhead Cemetery, Maidenhead, Berkshire.

The precarious position of this gravestone is caused by natural ground movements in the grave below.  As the body and casket break down the grave can sink, causing many gravestones and monuments to topple.  At the moment this gravestone is considered safe, once  it becomes unsafe it will be removed from its footings and placed across the grave.  This is to prevent damage to the stone and/or injury to cemetery visitors.


Below is an example of a gravestone that has been placed across a grave for safety reasons.

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Cemetery Sunday - Holly Wreath

I found this beautiful frost covered holly wreath resting against a stone vase at All Saints Maidenhead Cemetery.  It's lovely to think that someone remembers their absent loved ones at Christmas time.  Makes a lovely change from the many abandoned lonely graves.



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Cemetery Sunday - Blanket of Snow

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Cemetery Sunday - Fading

 

 

Sandstone weathers over time, leaving some gravestones completely indecipherable.  It is such a shame that there names and the historical information is now lost.

 

The only information readable on the gravestone above is John Pearce.

 



Above is the gravestone of the Brill family.  The only name that remains readable is that of young Arthur William Brill, son of John and Florence Jane Brill of Norden Farm. 

"Born March 18th 1892.  Died Jany 5th 1894. - The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away.  Blessed be thy name of the Lord."

Unfortunately the name of the person memorilised above young Arthur is now completely lost.

By photographing the older gravestones, I hope that in some way I am preserving the information for many many years to come.  Once it has worn away, it is gone forever.


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Cemetery Sunday - All Saints (Maidenhead) Cemetery

All Saints (Maidenhead) Cemetery, All Saints Avenue, Maidenhead Berkshire is one of my favourite cemeteries to visit.  It's not remarkable or full of impressive monuments to important people from the past (although it has many people of interest), but it has an amazing, calm and welcoming atmosphere.

All Saints Cemetery opened in 1888 when it became apparent that space was running out in the town's churchyards.  The cemetery covers around 5 acres of land, containing space for 10,000 graves.  To date there has been 14,600 interments.  All Saints closed to burials around 1953 when the mordern lawn cemetery at Braywick was opened.  In somce cases interment of ashes is still permitted at All Saints Cemetery.


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Cemetery Sunday - Together #2

After taking a picture of the two gravestones sharing a secret here, I vowed to go back to All Saints Cemetery in Maidenhead Berkshire and find out who was buried there and whether they were related in any way.

The left stone:  "George William Harrison who departed this life 13th May 1895 aged 68 years - Cecil Eliza Harrison loving wife of the above who died February 2? 1918 aged 86 years."

George was a railway clerk and moved with his wife from London to Maidenhead in the early 1890s.  Possibly to work with Maidenhead's railway.  Cecil continued to live in Maidenhead until her death in 1915.


The right stone:  "In loving memory of Sarah Elizabeth Broad.  Who died August 17th 1896 aged 42 years - Also Sovaness John Broad husband of the above.  Who died Febry 14th 1904 aged 60 - Also Eliza Wheeler who died Jany 11th 1911 aged 86."

Sarah Elizabeth Broad and her husband, a coachman, lived in park street from 1881 until her death in 1896, where Sovaness continued to live with his mother-in-law Elizabeth Wheeler until his death in 1904.  Elizabeth Wheeler followed them to the grave in 1911.

I have found no connection between the two families, other than they are buried next to each other.


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Cemetery Sunday - A. H. Gosiewski, Pennine Aeroplane Accident in World War Two

 

Antoni Henryk Gosiewski was born Poland on 12th January 1900.  Sometime after the outbreak of World War II, Antoni joined the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary).  Some of the duties for ATA personal was ferrying new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between factories, assembly points and transatlantic delivery points.

Second Officer Antoni Henryk Gosiewski

It was during one of these flights that poor Antoni met his death.  On 19th December Antoni was ferrying a Miles Master W8479 between Reading and Leuchars Airfield, via Shewsbury, when he encountered bad weather over the Pennines causing him to fly into the summit of Arant Haw due to poor visibility.

Miles Master Aircraft

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Cemetery Sunday - Air Transport Auxiliary ATA

A.R. Leslie-Melville

12th June 1942

The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) was a British World War II civilian organisation that ferried new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between UK factories, assembly plants, transatlantic delivery points, Maintenance Units (MU), scrap yards, and active service squadrons and airfields. It also flew service personnel on urgent duty from one place to another and performed air ambulance work.

First Officer Alexander Ronald Leslie-Melvillle died 12th June 1942 when he flew into a hillside at Great Sled Dale in Yorkshire in bad visibility whilst flying bewteen Henlow and Silloth near Carlisle.



T.C.D. Bray

18th March 1942

First Officer Thomas Charles David Bray of Austrailia, reported missing between Kirkbride and Thorney Island.

 J.B. Erickson

9th May 1942

First Officer John Burge Erickson, his Blenheim aircaft collided with another Blenheim after take off at White Waltham airfield on 9th May 1942

R.H Winn

28th January 1942

Second Officer Richard Harry Winn, flew into ground in a forced landing at Bald Hill Stainmore Westmorland whilst flying bewteen Dumfries and Catterick.

 B.E. Sayer

15th March 1942

Cadet Betty Eileen Sayer, engine stalled on approach to White Waltham airfield, the aircraft crashed into two bungalows on Smithfield Road on 15th March 1942, residents of the bungalows, Mr and Mrs Croft and Mrs Freeman escaped.  Neighbours who tried in vain to save the aircrew received burns and other injuries.

F.J. Bush

23rd November 1941

 

 

Captain Francis Joseph Bush, during a flight from Prestwick to Hawarden the engine of the Liberator II aircraft caught fire before the plane crashed into the sea off Pidinny Hill Stranraer Wigtown Bay

 H.E. Taylor

17th August 1941

Second Officer Henry Edward Taylor, crashed whilst landing at White Waltham airfield on 10th August 1941.  Sadly he died of his injuries on 17th August 1941.

P. Randall

17th March 1941

Captain Percy Randall, flew a Hurricane aircraft into high ground at Bledlow Buckinghamshire during bad visibility whilst flying between Henlow and Hullavington.



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Cemetery Sunday - War Memorial - Charles and Edward Turner

Maidenhead War Memorial

 

 

"Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore."

 

 

Today I wanted to post about two members of my husband's family and their scarifice in The Great War.

C. W. Turner - Charles William Turner was born in 1898 in Boyne Hill, Maidenhead to Walter Thomas Turner, a general labourer and his wife Jessie Rebecca White.

E. H. Turner - Edward Horace Turner was born in 1890 in Boyne Hill, Maidenhead.  He was the elder brother of Charles William.

Charles William of the Machine Gun Corps died of wounds received in battle on 30th March 1918 in France.  Charles is buried in Duisans British Cemetery.

Edward Horace of 1st Battalion of Royal Berkshire Regiment was killed in action aged 24 on 3rd November 1914 in France.  Edward is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Belgium.

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