Cattells

Thank you Garlands. It made me feel a little sad to read this. No one spoke of her after her death - almost as if she never existed. Maybe one day I'll come to Coventry and visit her grave.

Garlands, before she gave birth to my nanna, she gave birth to another child a year earlier I think. Do you know if she is buried with that child? Maybe there are other family around her?

Probably irrelevant, but I worked alongside two separate Cattells in Coventry in the 1960s, There was Bill Cattell at Courtaulds (Our Philip may recall him!) and Gordon Cattell at Plumbs (he lived in Swan Lane).

GemmaB. I am still in touch with the school friend who knew Mrs Cattell, Bray's Lane. I will ask if he remembers her Christian name and that of her husband!

Hi, a bit more from the directories.

Thanks Heathite. The 1972 Directory showing Gerald Eaves at 36 Brays Lane, he was my uncle whom I'm named after!

I've looked on the records I have on disc and it appears there is only one person in the grave. I looked at the tree that Heathite referenced to previously and can see you're talking about Mary Eaves b. 1923 d. 1923 (according to the information on the tree she only lived for 20 minutes). However as Mary has a death certificate I imagine she would have been buried officially, unlike many babies in the 1920's that were stillborn which I have heard were buried in graves together or were discretely buried during an unrelated individual's burial alongside them. I can't see Mary's burial record at London Road Cemetery. Perhaps Mary was buried in a Church graveyard? As she has a death certificate I imagine she would have to have been buried properly and have an actual burial record; perhaps someone on this forum knows more about the burial practices of young babies in the 1920's? Luke.

GemmaB I have spoken to my friend about the Cattell family that lived at 71 Brays Lane, Stoke, Coventry. Her name was Florence, and her husband was Arthur Cattell. He worked or owned a Gent's Outfitter's probably the one in the directory at Far Gosford Street. They had a daughter, Vida, who married a Mr Treherne, and they lived at 1 Wyver Crescent, the same road where I was born. Florence Cattell may have had the maiden name of Instone. She died in a Christadelphian Nursing Home in Acocks Green, Birmingham in the 1970s. She was approaching 100 when she died. I hope this helps. There is a descendant my friend knows in the Lake District. He may be able to tell me more.

Hi Prof. According the London Road Cemetery burial records: Philip H. Cattell, Arthur H. Cattell and Florence Cattell are buried in the North (old) section, square 74 (not far from Mary Lavinia Eaves' grave), grave 98. Philip Henry Cattell: Died 10th April 1929, Age 18. (abode: Croydon Borough Hospital, West Croydon / other abode: Stoke Lodge). Arthur Harry Cattell: Died 31st March 1960, Age 82 (abode: 71 Brays Lane). Florence Cattell: Died 28th November 1973 (No age recorded). Luke.

I've looked on the burial record of Mary Lavinia Eaves and it says 'New Grave - 1st Class ground' so therefore I don't think anyone could have been buried there previously. Also saw in the 1921 Coventry Directory that Miss Mary Lavinia Cattell is listed as a shopkeeper at 23a New Buildings, Coventry. ____ In relation to the family at Brays Lane: 1921-22 Coventry Directory:- Arthur Henry Cattell is listed as living at 15 St George's Road, Coventry. 1955:- 71 Brays Lane, Coventry. Arthur H. & Florence Cattell. 1962:- 71 Brays Lane, Coventry. Florence Cattell and Michael & Angela Payton.

I helped transcribe some of the London Road Cemetery records. There would have been an "O" in the column if the grave had been opened for a family member. I also came across this on a site so it's possible the burial would have been dealt with by the hospital. "In the early 19th century right up until the 1960s and even 70s, a baby that was stillborn or died shortly after birth was usually buried in a communal grave with other babies or in a grave with a female adult. Hospitals used to take care of the burial at that time which meant that most parents didn't know where their baby was buried. Fathers were certainly not present in the delivery room, and mothers didn't even have a choice to see or hold their baby."

Thank you all so much for your help. I am finding this so interesting and will sit and read it again to see if and how all the names connect. It's so sad that Mary Lavinia wouldn't have seen her baby and then to die during the birth of her second

Was looking on the map of the graves - I think this is Mary Lavinia Eaves' grave, unfortunately it doesn't appear to have had a gravestone, but the location can be worked out from the locations of the other gravestones. I think the location of your great nan's grave is in front of a Peter Burns Conly's grave and two graves to the right of a John William Heathcote's grave. The Brays Lane Cattell family's (which may be related to Mary L. Eaves???) gravestone was easier to find: Sadly the grave seems to be in quite a poor state with the stone now broken in half and detached from its stand. Luke.

Aww that's quite sad really, but in a strange way also nice to see. I appreciate you taking the time to look.

There's so much I want to ask the family like why wasn't she given a gravestone? I feel a bit sad for her.