London Road Cemetery

Thank you again DBC, just seen this - been away. In fact I do have the details of the four burials in that grave. The earliest was my ancestor James Jefferys (also Jefferies), he had lots of descendants. Is anyone else related I wonder? I hope to be visiting the cemetery in June.

Hiya - no - have not got around to it yet! DBC - what are those diagrams from?

They are from the book mentioned in Midland Red's post (post #2).

Let me know what details you have and I will check for you. Mods note : subsequent postings on this subject now moved to "Yardley Family History"

I wasn't sure where to put this so I chose here rather than a new link, it's got some truly horrendous stories in the blitz, as you will see on the side. True stories, it also has the firefighters and names of the people who are not named on the memorial who died in the mass grave London Rd Coventry Blitz Victims

My great uncle and his wife are mentioned in that article. They were both killed when a bomb hit the West End Club in Spon Street. Both are buried in the mass grave and have their names on the memorial.

I am not familiar with the layout of the cemetery and I have read the details here about bomb damage. I have found a newspaper article concerning the moving of a beautiful tree to the cemetery in 1850. There is a reference to the location in B. Poole's, 'History of Coventry' - 'it stands on a flat piece of ground a short distance from The Dissenter's Burial Chapel', couldn't still be there could it? Moving a Large Tree to London Road Cemetery 1850

I spend a lot of time on the trees in the cemetery and this could explain why one purple beech is different to all of the others, it is in the right place to be the one in the article. Thanks for the information I shall be looking into it in a different way now. Regards.

Oh how lovely to get that response from you, I so hope the tree may get the recognition it deserves for all its heritage, please inform me of any information you can supply about this beautiful tree (would it be asking too much to get a photo on here). Our close friend was a stone-mason for the Co-op funerals for many years and I asked him about the tree and he did confirm that there was a lovely purple tree in the vicinity of the chapel, it would be nice to think that it has been recognised as that ancient tree that was moved through the streets of Coventry all those years ago and has survived.

As a tree lover (although I have not hugged one yet) I second that Foxcote. I do hope it is the same tree and a photograph would be great. Lovely little snippet of history that My only connection with London Road Cemetery is my grandparents are laid to rest there (Blockley's)

Excuse being a bit dim but is there a register for dates from 1937 till say 2000???

Coventry Bereavement Services might be able to help you

Robthu, well, it's magnificent. It only started as a newpaper cutting and for you to confirm the very one with that photo is wonderful and to see it has survived and look so majestic - can't thank you enough. I was explaining it all to a friend the other day and he suggested taking beech nuts next year before the squirrels and grow some more? It's still a lovely shape after the hacking and bashing described in the article, no wonder they saved it

Hi Robthu, just been to see the tree at London Road, I took some more photos but won't post them because yours seems the best shot. I couldn't believe the size, standing underneath is amazing. It looked greener than purple but we have looked at our purple beech hedge and at this time of year it has the same reddy-green hue. It's double the size of all the others that were planted there. We had a walk round to see the other trees and Graves with the leaves falling and thanks again for telling us.