Are there are any other people watching this from the Bradford area that would like to volunteer to help clean this site along with myself? I live in Bradford but nowhere near here however it just saddens me that a graveyard could be left in this state!! A few volunteers for the day with garden equipment etc could make a great difference! If anyone is interested let me know with a reply as unfortunately it would probably be pretty hard for me to tackle alone
The graveyard owners have contacted us, they're good people. We want to put a plan together to present to the trustees, we'd like people like yourself to be with us in this process. There are Health and Safety issues in the graveyard as can be clearly seen in the video and we will need careful planning and seek advice before attempting to clean it up. Anyone interested in joining us on this project to restore/save the graves and graveyard please let us know so that we can keep you updated. Lastly, clearly there are important people from Bradford's history buried here including the first grave we showed Isaac Sowden and his family, who built Cannon Mills (we didnt realise initially who he was until we did some research, it was a bit of a shock) as well as Isaac Sowden and Sons Mill which was on City Road.
It is so sad to see graveyards in this state. But it is part of us being an industrial economy. Families move away to be able to follow work. The very thing that brought thousands of people to Bradford in the first place, including my father's parents from East Yorkshire. I found my grandmother's grave in Tong Cemetery. That had fallen into disrepair but I was able to clean it up after the council cut down a bush that was encrouching upon the grave. But many of my family have died or moved away and the means to get to it were changed when trams stopped and it just became more difficult and expensive to get to it. if anyone is planning any clean up work, I have some tools and would do a day or two. Thank you for all your films, keep up the great work that you do in recording and publicising the history of the people of Bradford.
Thank you for making this video. I stumbled upon it while researching my family who used to live in the area. I'm specifically researching my 4th great grandfather, Isaac Shaw, who died in 1831. He was buried in Great Horton (Wesleyan) Methodist Chapel. Is that the graveyard in this video? It's very difficult to do this research from so far away (I'm in Colorado). The old back-to-back houses and the lamp posts and coal bins are great too! I really appreciate you getting out there and showing this. I hope that someone's able to get it cleaned up!
Hi, Thanks for watching 👀 and commenting. Yes, this graveyard belongs to the church you mentioned, which is shown in the video. It holds a lot of history, and I believe the burial records are held at that church.
Another great video guys and really interesting. I can’t believe some of the graves have collapsed and you can see inside them. It’s so sad to see the graveyard in this state and it makes me wonder what will happen with it in years to come if the council doesn’t step in and clean it up. Keep up the fantastic work that you both do it’s much appreciated.
absolutely horrible state of a resting place ! summat should be done! back in 2005 on a trip to bradford we encountered similar in undercliffe it was early on in the repairing of undercliffe and a path had to be hacked thru to our rellies grave. the last burial in the plot was my great great grandad who died in1915. And here we visited 90 years on and found it contained some 3 generations and the vines where embedded in the stone! I sure hope summat gets done! i am amzed that no locals knew owt of this place! thanks for sharing! Margaret in Canada of bradford roots!
Thank you so much for your informative comment and connecting with us from all the way from Canada. Let's see what can be done , as we are making the enquiries. Keeping the awareness going. Take care.
I ived on Melrose street just at the side of here getting on for 20 years ago, never knew it was there at all. I've had had a look around if I'd known - I was an archaeology student back then
I've just had a look online and have found out a little bit more about it. The graveyard is assosaited with the methodist chapel in front of it - sometimes called the Wesleyan Methodist chapel on maps, and seems to have been in use from about 1814 until the mid 1950s. Plans of it and a list of the graves are held by the West Yorkshire Archive Service here in Bradford. There was a plan in 2006 (article in T&A) to relocate the graves and redevelop the site with housing, but there were too many objections, and I guess the reccession at that time stopped any further development interest, so it remained as it is overgrown mostly forgotton.
@thesilversun79 Thanks for looking it up. We were liaising with the Church , but never got any further with finding the details. But interesting indeed 🤔
I found this graveyard in the late 90's from my Nans friend who lived on Pleasant St. It was bad then, but this is so sad to see. Keep up the great videos, I am really enjoying them!!
that granite stone for nathaniel topham is much more current i imagine a family member had it done long after his death or it replaced the original stone just my thoughts on it!
Love this videos Chaps. I now live down South but im always still tuning in to see little updates from the city. I absolutely had NO IDEA there was a graveyard here and ive passed this area many times.
Well you uncovered a shocker there. I wonder why the council don’t step in when cemeteries like this are abandoned. I drive past there a lot and you just wouldn’t have a clue its there. Mind you its not an area I would feel comfortable to be exploring. I shop close to there and its not safe being in the car park let alone walking through the snickets of the back to backs in the area.
First time I been there , and I must admit the whole area has been neglected and feels unsafe. We just wanted to make this awareness video , as no-one deserves this.
@@BradfordThroughTheLens yes you did the right thing. It does seem a little disrespectful to leave it in this condition. I wonder if there are living relatives that would love to visit their lost loved ones/ancestors but have got there to discover they cannot gain access. Its all very sad. You are doing a wonderful job of uncovering our lost history not only in this case but in the other videos you do. I will look forward to the next one. 😀
Great video, I live not too far from this location & I didn’t even know about this …… people are learning quite a bit from your videos 👍 There’s another location you could research …… it’s not too far from this one - there’s an old mine works on skally hills ( car bottom / wibsey area ) there are shafts / entrances ect ) - could be educational for the residents around the area 💯
This sounds fascinating. Thanks for the tip , and I will try to look into it in the near future . I'm glad you like the videos, and thanks for the support 🙏
Although the graveyard originally belonged to the church. When a graveyard is closed the responsibility of upkeep transfers to the council. I’d ring them and complain and get it sorted. That is the case in Essex. I would imagine it is the same across the country. But who knows lol
The grave of isaac sowden , was he the owner of cannon mills? Just down the road. I remember been taken here at school to do some wax rubbings 40 years ago, great videos, need the kids to learn about the local history, so interesting, keep them coming
Hi, yes you are absolutely right. He is definitely connected to the history of Cannon Mills. What a crying shame. Who else is buried there? There must be some very important local people that have shaped Bradford in the past. Thank you for viewing our video and for your comment.
Maybe there could be a connection with this location & the old bell chapel ( Southfield ) 🤔…… the two locations are surprisingly close ( similar dates on stones )
Any chance of uploading a video ...on some catacombs..or crypt ...I think there are some within the cemetery...not sure what its called .......just off otley Road bradford .... .... ? Thanks
@@BradfordThroughTheLens not sure but ....wouldn't there be kinda special permission required if ......planning a catacombs or a crypt.......well my name is not jesse .......its fawad ......but as said earlier ....permission would be a guess ....
@@marilynn76 it's the church in the video. Yes , I believe the records are held by them. We never had a chance to follow this through to find the records.
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