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Great Malvern Cemetery

Tour 5

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On Monday 19th June 2017, during Civic Week, local historian Brian Iles led, what has become, an annual tour of Great Malvern cemetery. Despite this coinciding with a heatwave, a small group of about eight persons braved the uncomfortable weather and were given an extended tour highlighting some of the notable people, mostly, buried in the older half of the cemetery.

Earlier, in the morning, a small team had begun a tidy up in the Victorian section, and at midday, Dr John Harcup had unveiled the new cemetery information board, which is located behind the 'Mortuary'.

Great Malvern cemetery noticeboard

Great Malvern cemetery information board

Brian Iles is writing a book about the history of Great Malvern cemetery, and we were able to benefit from his extensive knowledge.

Here are just a few photos taken before and during the tour.

Index

Catherine Moody

James Wilson

Unknown grave

Catherine Severn Burrow

Chapel interior

Display boards

David Kendall

Euphemia Scott Braid

Kathleen Joyce King

Mary Hamilton Cartland

John Sloggett Jenkins

Matthew Thomas Stevens

 

Catherine Moody

As you walk from the Madresfield Road entrance, on the left, just before the cemetery buildings, and buried not far from her parents, who are mentioned on the previous page, you will find the grave of artist Catherine Moody.

Grave of Catherine Moody

The inscription reads:

In loving memory of Catherine Olive Moody

Born 27th November 1920

Died 6th December 2009

Beloved Daughter of May and Victor Moody

Head of Malvern School of Art 1962 - 1980

Artist, Author, Poet

 

James Wilson MD

We originally recorded James Wilson's memorial on tour 1.

The year, 2017, marked the 175th anniversary of the founding of the water cure in Great Malvern, by doctors James Manby Gully and James Wilson; and also marked the 150th anniversary of James Wilson's death. To mark these anniversaries Malvern Civic Society arranged for the memorial to be restored by the firm of Steve Allard and Son of Callow End, see photo below.

James Wilson memorial

James Wilson MD, the restored memorial

Tour 5 started at the lodge, next to the Wilton Road entrance. We stopped at the restored grave of Henry Ward VC, and further on at the memorial to Rev William Grundy, a past headmaster of Malvern College, who is recorded on the previous page.

Near the bend at the SE corner of the cemetery we spotted a small memorial leaning over. We attempted to take a snapshot, see below, but the photo was not detailed enough to read the inscription.

Unknown grave

Unknown grave

Unknown grave in SE corner

The small headstone appears to bear the forename Frederick and we wondered if it was the grave of a child?

We had previously looked for the memorial of photographer Norman May in this area but had not found it. As we found out later his memorial is 50 yards or so the north (see tour 6).

 

Catherine Severn Burrow

Further on, behind the graves of the Foster Family, who were cricketers educated at Malvern College, there is a memorial to local artist and historian Catherine Severn Burrow and her parents; Catherine is mentioned in our history of Great Malvern, and on other pages.

Memorial to Catherine Severn Burrow

Catherine Severn Burrow

Her father was a bottler of mineral water on Belle Vue Terrace, and one of the founders of Malvern College.

As we walked back to the chapel for refreshments, we were told about a number of shopkeepers buried in the SE quadrant of the cemetery.

 

Chapel interior

In the small chapel, see glimpse of interior below, were set up display boards with information about some of the notable people buried in Great Malvern cemetery.

Interior of cemetery chapel

Interior of Anglican chapel

 

Display boards

Display boards

Display featuring notable burials

The Census records that one notable, Henry William Jacob MD, lived at a house named St Helens in Church Street which we were told may be the building now named Chartwell House, occupied by Miller Opticians.

 

David Kendall

As we left the chapel and walked towards the Wilton Road entrance we passed a large monument. The inscription is faded now, and almost unreadable, but we were told it was a memorial to shopkeeper David Kendall and his wife.

Some residents still remember that David Kendall ran a department store on the NW corner of Church Street and Graham Road next to the Great Malvern hotel.

Kendall memorial

Kendall memorial

The inscription appears to read:

In loving memory of David Kendall who died July 12th 1904 aged 87 years

Also of Eliza Ann wife of the above who died May 20th 1909 aged 88 years

 

Inscription on Kendall memorial

 

Euphemia Scott Braid

One of our party who lives in Abbey Road noticed a memorial to a housekeeper who lived at Chesfield.

Braid memorial

Euphemia Scott Braid

The inscription reads:

In loving memory of Euphemia Scott Braid daughter of William Braid, Leven Fife, for 40 years in the service of the late Mr and Mrs Hooper of Chesfield

Who died at Great Malvern on 26th October 1925 aged 75

I waited patient for the Lord

Psalm 40 Verse 1

The 1911 census recorded retired schoolmaster Francis Alfred Hooper aged 74 years in residence at Chesfield with his wife Emily, a cook, parlour maid and house maid. The census form records the house having 13 rooms (excluding scullery, landing, lobby, closet and bathroom). Despite having such a large house, they had no children

The Hoopers are buried nearby (see tour 6).

Kathleen Joyce King

We ventured onto the edge of the modern section of the cemetery seperated from the old section by a line of fir trees.

King headstone

Kathleen Joyce King

The inscription reads:

Here rests Kathleen Joyce King 1911 - 1965

Journalist

For 20 years editor of the Malvern Gazette

 

Mary Hamilton Cartland

Known as Polly, she is probably best known as the mother of novelist Dame Barbara Cartland whose daughter, Raine, was the stepmother of Princess Diana.

Cartland headstone

Mary Hamilton Cartland

The inscription reads:

In loving memory of Mary Hamilton Cartland, who inspired everyone who knew her, born September 5th 1878, died in her 99th year, February 21st 1976.

With courage never to submit or yield.

Polly's maiden surname was Scobel. In later years, she lived in Malvern at Littlewood House, an ancient black and white cottage, opposite the Three Horseshoes pub in Poolbrook Road.

Polly had married Major James Bertram Falkner Carter who, in 1918, was killed in France.

Her two sons were very sadly both killed in the Second World War:

Major John Ronald Hamilton Cartland, Member of Parliament for Kings Norton, Birmingham, was killed during the retreat to Dunkirk in 1940. His younger brother Captain James Anthony Hamilton Cartland, 2nd Bn Lincolnshire Regiment, had been killed the previous day.

 

John Sloggett Jenkins

John Sloggett Jenkins (1822 - 1900) was the editor of the Malvern Advertiser taking over from the newspaper's founder the water cure doctor Raph Barnes Grindrod MD.

Jenkins headstone

John and Sarah Sloggett Jenkins

The simple inscription on the headstone recording the death of John and his wife Sarah reads:

In memory of Sarah, the wife of John Sloggett Jenkins, who fell asleep 17th July 1889 aged 66 years

Also of

John Sloggett Jenkins who died March 31st 1900 aged 77 years

Matthew Thomas Stevens

Another newspaper man, Matthew Thomas Stevens was the founder of the Malvern Gazette newspaper.

One of the few graves in the cemetery with iron railings, located 100 yards SW of the chapel, which you can just see in the photo below.

Grave of MT Stevens

Railings around MT Stevens grave

 

Stevens memorial inscription

Matthew Thomas Stevens

The inscription reads:

Feb 21st 1944.

Matthew Thomas Stevens, founder of the 'Malvern Gazette'

In loving memory of whom this tribute has been erected by his second wife Stella.

On the reverse is a memorial to Matthew's first wife Amy.

Amy Stevens inscription

Amy Stevens

The touching inscription reads:

Oct 21st 1923

Amy, wife of MT Stevens, by whom this tribute is placed in precious memory of many happy years

 

The new information board

Here is a larger picture of the new information board incorporating a map of Great Malvern cemetery, click to enlarge.

Cemetery noticeboard

Great Malvern cemetery map and information board

 

The picture below, showing the view looking NW across the new part of the cemetery, was taken while walking back to the car parking area at the Madresfield Road entrance.

View of new section of cemetery

View across cemetery from path leading to Madresfield Road

 

References

  1. The Times Digital Archive
  2. England and Wales census
  3. Great Malvern Victorian Cemetery, printed by Aspect Design 2013 (a booklet published by Malvern Civic Society).
  4. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
  5. Who's who
  6. Malvern Gazette, microfilm archive, at Library
  7. Newseum, a publication of Malvern Museum
  8. Great Malvern cemetery burial register
  9. National Probate Calendar

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