West Felton - Weirbrook burial ground

[rkdmj]

I have a couple of ancestors buried in the United Reform Church at Weirbrook south of West Felton, Shropshire. However, the graveyard of this church was only consecrated in 1910. Does anybody know where residents of Weirbrook would have been buried prior to the the building of the brick built church in 1910? I understand the original tin church nearby was first used as a place of worship in 1886 but it never had a graveyard.
In particular, I'm looking for the burial places (and monumental inscriptions if they exist) of Weirbrook residents Thomas Jones b1837 and his wife Ellen b1837 and also of Thomas Jones b1802 and his wife Sarah b1809. Possibly Richard Jones b1775 and his wife Sarah would also be buried in the same place.

[MJHulme]

Hello

I think the most likely place is West Felton but looking at the modern parish boundaries Weirbrook is on the boundary of West Felton and Ruyton XI Towns, so Ruyton is also possible. You would need to look at an old map to see where the boundary was in the late 1800's. You should note that there is also a church on the Pradoe estate. I don't know if it was only for the family or whether they also allowed burials of estate workers, so this also needs bearing in mind.

Mike

[Peter Goodey]

Have you checked the parish burial register? This is worth checking even though you know that they were non-conformists. There was a right (more or less) for all parishioners, including dissenters, to be buried in the parish churchyard. This right was confirmed in law by an Act of 1880.

[rkdmj]

Thanks Mike
In census returns my ancestors claim Ruyton XI Towns as their birthplace and so I've assumed that Ruyton was their official parish, but no monumental inscriptions exist for them at Ruyton. However, I haven't yet checked any Ruyton parish church registers. West Felton looks much nearer to Weirbrook than does Ruyton and it would be much easier to transport a coffin there in the 19th century. I do know that one of my ancestors claimed he was an estate worker in one census and almost certainly on the Pradoe estate.
I must visit West Felton and nearby villages one day to look in their graveyards.
Roger

[rkdmj]

Thanks Peter
Until recently, I thought all of my Shropshire ancestors were CoE. My ancestors lived at Weirbrook for the whole of the 19th century and I thought that no church existed there before 1886 and that they must have been buried in a graveyard of a not too distant church. Their 'official' parish was Ruyton XI Towns but a number of churches in other towns and villages appear to be closer. I do know that they married in the Parish Church of Ruyton XI Towns.
I will make the effort to look at burial registers in nearby parishes.
Roger

[CCBeddows]

You should try Pradoe Church, which is only half a mile away from Weirbrook. My parents and grandparents are buried there, having farmed as tenants on the Pradoe Estate at Eardiston for 2 generations. It's a small private church and Mr. Kenyon of Pradoe Hall is very helpful.

Good luck.

Colin Beddows.

[rkdmj]

Thank you Colin
Since posting my original enquiry, last year I visited Pradoe Church but didn't find anything there. There wasn't anyone around to ask about burials there. However, the next day I visited the Shropshire Archives Centre in Shrewsbury and found the Ruyton XI Towns parish records. In the burials register it stated that both my great grandfather Thomas Jones and his wife Ellen were buried at Pradoe. The register stated my gandfather's widow actually died in Liverpool and gave the address and name of the informant. This eventually enabled me to trace a long lost relative. Success! The Ruyton register confirmed my earlier ancestors were buried in Ruyton but there is no record of any surviving gravestones.
Roger