Peter Quincey

By George Proctor A couple of days ago one of our oldest and longest members passed away. Peter Quincey one of the founding members of the group and associated with us from the 1990s passed away in a nursing home. Peter was a man who was very much interested in local history and through this …

Susanna and Harry Whittles – A tragic accident and connections to The Great Sheffield Flood of 1864

With thanks to Philip Robinson Some years ago my wife and I were walking through the cemetery when I noticed the grave of Susannah Whittles. My mother's maiden name was Whittles, so I took this photo, intending to compare the details with the family tree that I was compiling. The last resting place of Susanna …

Family History, Stories Handed Down and Childhood Memories – Anne Diver

Anne Diver is one of Wardsend's oldest friends and supporters. Over Christmas we got talking and Anne started telling me about some of her ancestors who are buried in the cemetery. Captivated by her stories I asked if she would write something for our website. So here it is, family history at it's most interesting, …

Sergeant Joseph Gilbert Cowley 1858-1893

Researched and written by George Proctor Wardsend Cemetery is the last resting place of many military personnel. Soldiers their wives and children account for over four hundred burials in the cemetery. They include Joseph Gilbert Cowley of the 1st West Yorkshire Volunteer Royal Engineers. Joseph was a sergeant with D company based at Somme Barracks …

A flight of medieval fancy and some cemetery plan nerdery.

Recent discussion in our faceBook group about the St James re-interment in 1950 reminded me of this earlier event. Who knows how many of the great and good of Sheffield might be represented in the remains brought to this grave in 1937? Sheffield Parish Church, which became a cathedral in 1914, was built in the …

World War and Wardsend

The Friends of Wardsend Cemetery newsletter of November 2015 contained details of Wardsend's connections with World War One. It included information about those who died in the war zones who are buried elsewhere and whose names are mentioned on memorials at Wardsend, those who lived in the parish of St Philip's and those mentioned on …

The Great Sheffield Flood – The Aftermath

Despite the swift and generous support of their neighbours in the local communities, it would appear that many of those worst affected were still in a desperate situation over the following days, as this report taken from the British Newspaper Archives suggests.The Sheffield Independent - Saturday 19 March 1864'THE CONDITION OF THE SURVIVING SUFFERERS. THE …

Shedding Light on Skulduggery – a piece of Wardsend folklore

[image credit http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk ] In 1983, Ivor Haythorne introduced his account*1 of the 1862 riot at Wardsend with a story learnt from his grandmother. She had told him that... "...of the four clockfaces on the old St. Philip's Church tower, one of them - that facing in the direction of Wardsend - was never illuminated at …

A Poem for Wardsend Cemetery by Timothy Dodd

    It's not so easy selecting places to visit when you have only one month in a country, but I didn't hesitate to include Sheffield while leaving off many places other visitors to England might choose. And after disembarking at the train station and walking up Howard Street to find my spot at the …

Walter William Glenn 1917-1931

With thanks to Anita Joy Glenn and her aunt Mildred Joan Johnson (nee Glenn) Three years ago we published the sad story of young Walter Glenn who died in hospital aged 14. Walter was buried at Wardsend Cemetery. His niece Anita Joy Glenn, who lives in Australia, shared with us some remarkable photographs of Walter's …