I am looking for the grave of Henry John GRIFFITHS who died in Wem in Q4 1917. (Born 1843) Does anyone have access to Memorial Inscriptions for Wem or local enough to have a look in the graveyard of the parish church for me please?
In the April 1911 census Henry was resident of the Wem Union Workhouse, was this place also a hospital, as someone suggested to me?
Henry John GRIFFITHS was son of Thomas GRIFFITHS and Anne KYNASTON of the High Street, Wem, publican, wine and spirit merchant and high baliff. I would be interested to hear from anyone else researching this family please?
Thank you so much Mike for taking the time to reply. At least I'm not searching for something that isn't there! I was hoping there might have been a stone to shed a little more light on Henry. I live a long way from Wem now, so unlikely to visit the grave space, but I will make a note of the information in the register of graves and the exact location.
Do you know if there are any workhouse records for the Wem Union Workhouse that I could investigate please?
Heather
Hello Heather
Have a look at The Workhouse website. Just put Wem in the search box at the top left.
Shropshire Archives is a likely source.
The National Archives, Kew has a massive catalogue. Use 'Search the catalogue'.
Mike
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Hello Heather
By 1917 all Wem burials took place in the Cemetery located on Whitchurch Road. Only a small percentage of people could afford a grave stone and I would not expect to find one on the grave of someone who had been in the workhouse.
There is a full transcript of the gravestones in the Whitchurch Road Cemetery, Wem but your Henry John GRIFFITHS does not appear in the transcript.
The Register of Graves has the following details:-
Grave No: 33
Row 21
Henry John GRIFFITHS
Age 74
Buried: 24 Dec 1917
Burial Reg Ref: No 588 Folio 74
If you wish to visit the grave space then you should be able to find its location. The Row Numbers start at the back of the cemetery furthest from the road with the row nearest the hedge being Row Zero not Row 1.
If you walk down the central path and go past the Chapel and continue for about another twelve rows you should find a World War I grave stone for John Edward PARRY on your left. The stone is in Row 21. If you then walk along the row away from Wem town centre and cross over the central path (which is probably only grass at this point) you should find another World War I grave stone for Corporal / E [Evan] FOWLES and next to this should be a gravestone for George MORREY who is buried in Row 21 Grave No:29. Beyond this there are eight unmarked grave spaces. Henry John GRIFFITHS is buried in the forth space along.
Mike