Graveyard at St Mary's Stockport

[Jenjen]

Does anyone know the condition of the graveyard at this church? In other words, would a gravestone search be worthwhile? Or maybe someone has done memorial inscriptions.
I believe my 4 G Grandfather was buried there in 1830. Finding his gravestone would really help.
Thanks Jen

[uksearch]

I pass by the Church almost every day so I can take a recce.I am sure that some MIs will be at Stokport Central Library.Depending on what time frame you are looking at Stockport Cemetery maybe worth a dose of looking at as it was opened in the 1830s.

http://www.stockport.gov.uk/content/communitypeopleliving/lifeevents/deathsandcemeteries/cemeterycremationservices/cemeterysites/stockportcrem/?a=5441 (http://www.stockport.gov.uk/content/communitypeopleliving/lifeevents/deathsandcemeteries/cemeterycremationservices/cemeterysites/stockportcrem/?a=5441)

UK

[uksearch]

:o I should have read the posting more carefully|banghead| .

Give me his details anyway.

I would also get in touch with SCL their heitage section is usually quite helpful.

UK

[uksearch]

I have just done a recce.the churchyard is not that big.All the gravestone are flat on the ground.I am not sure if they were like that or that they were upright to begin with.I guess that the early ones were flat anyway.Other big stones have geen made to make a walkway over the whole of the churchyard.Some of the stones are in very good condition and some are not.

Here's SCL email address.

localheritagelibrary@stockport.gov.uk (localheritagelibrary@stockport.gov.uk)

UK

[Jenjen]

Thanks UK for all the helpful information.At the LDS library in Salt Lake I found a Thomas Knowles buried at St Mary's on Jan 25 1830. He was the only one I found and his son in his will said his father died at Stockport. The christenings were at St Mary's so I'm assuming they used the church for his burial. he was 85, which is a good age, and fits quite well. His son died one year later. Can't find a will for father.
Interesting that the stones were lying down because the same is true of the graves at Motttram in Longdendale.. We thought it might be because it was such a windswept place on the top of a hill. clearly it was not uncommon to do them that way. Maybe someone has an answer.
I will use the links you have sent me to see if I can find memorial inscriptions.
Jen

[uksearch]

Take a look at the following link

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/ChurchRecords.shtml (http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/ChurchRecords.shtml)

I am pretty certain that Owen may have done some Stockport transcriptions,but I am not sure which years he covered.

UK

[prestbury]

A visit to the graveyard may not reveal all.

The graveyard holds an abundance of old stones, many laid flat after the rebuilding of the church in the 1800's.

Many of the older gravestones were destroyed during the widening of Churchgate in the 1820's. In fact the old stones and spoils were removed for landfill during the building of nearby Waterloo Road where it is said that hundreds of gravestones were used to form the base of a causeway across the valley for the building of this road.

There is also an extension to the graveyard at the rear of the adjacent carpark which also has a number of stones laid flat.

The Family History Society of Cheshire do sell microfiche with the Stockport St Mary's Monumental Inscriptions.

I would consider that the Stockport Central Library will also have fiche and paper copies.

[sandgrown]

Thank you for the interesting history of the gravestones. I managed to get there last Christmas but was unable to find his stone although did find one family member. I did not look in the extension though so maybe his stone is there. Fingers crossed. I assume that the stones were all recorded at the time they were torn up so I would find the information on the microfilm. Alas, last Christmas, I was there at a time when they were stock taking.
Jen