Hi Barrie
My cousins came over from Canada to see the grave of our Grandfather in
Blaenau Gwent Cemetery. Unfortunately it has gone. It was removed along
with lots of others several years ago. This started us on the long road to
compiling our family tree. Whilst I have done most of the work as I am here
and can get to Wales and up to the London records office it has not been
very easy at the cemetery. We have made several trips but are no nearer
finding the actual burial records for that cemetery. We know they exist
because on that first visit we found the person who had them, but at that
time had too little information for them to be of much use to us. Now,
sadly she is too elderly and poorly to approach, and the new Vicar at the
church there tells are there ARE no records. The council have provided some
names collated by a local school I believe, but they are not complete and
give very little dietail, certainly not enough to be conclusive. There
surely must be actual records somewhere one would have thought. We are
totally dissappointed and very frustrated by this. I have traced back to
1817, but cannot get these records of 1900-1930. So I do understand how you
must feel locally. Trying to get a straight answer is impossible. Just
wanted to share that!
Regards
Iris
----- Original Message -----
From: barrie <bj(a)reverendvox.demon.co.uk>
To: <BlaenauGwent-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2003 3:58 AM
Subject: [Bla'Gwent] St Peters and Blaina cemetery today
The sexton for Blaina cemetery is normally at the cemetery until 5pm
and he has records of burials on site. The old part of the cemetery has
headstones that date to 1850's.
St Peters (Blaina) was knocked down many years ago (1970's?) and a
modern church built in it's place. It hasn't the character of the
original church of course, but it still has a fairly good membership, so
I'm told.
Anyone visiting St Peters will be disappointed to find that it's
graveyard doesn't exist either. The headstones, what are left, are
propped up against the perimeter wall, which used to be the graveyard of
the old St Peters church. The headstones would number about 70 I would
say.
It's sad to see these churches and other monumental buildings disappear
as they were grand places. St Peters church in Blaenavon is being
renovated, but of course Blaenavon is a world heritage area now.
When will the Blaenau Gwent council (notice the small 'c') ever learn. I
was talking to a German Canadian this week who has come over to advise
the Blaenau Gwent council about the regeneration of our towns. Why don't
they send our council lot, self funded by themselves of course, to
Canada for instance and they can see what a mess they have made of
Blaenau Gwent!
best regards
Barrie Jones, Gwent
-Visit Gwent FHS at :-
http://www.gwentfhs.info/
(comprises, Ebbw Vale, Pontypool, Chepstow, Newport, Abergavenny,
Blackwood.
Of interest to anyone who has ancestral connections with the old
county of
Monmouthshire.--
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