Have you ever explored the Victorian cemetery in Shrewsbury? Do you even know where it is?
I went to the recent Open Day at the cemetery, organised by Friends of Shrewsbury Cemeteries and the excellent national burial grounds charity Caring for God’s Acre. When I posted some pictures on social media I had lots of comments from people who’d lived in Shrewsbury for years, even decades, and had no idea the Victorian cemetery existed, where it was or what and who could be found there.
Yet it’s the final resting place of sixty-eight thousand former Shropshire residents, some of whom led remarkable lives and whose stories can now be told.
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In this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast you’ll hear about just a few of those sixty-eight thousand people. Their stories are told by passionate Shrewsbury volunteers who have been caring for their graves and researching their histories. And if you’re in Coton Hill, Crowmere Road or King Street, Shrewsbury, you might find out something about someone who used to live in your home!
Cathy tells the story of George Williams of Crowmere Road in Shrewsbury. Orphaned at the age of eight, he was a promising RAF pilot until tragedy intervened.
Gina’s been investigating the life of Miss Annie Purcell, Welsh-born music-hall star who retired to Shrewsbury … but why?
Linda has an account of the Right Reverend Arthur Poole, a missionary in India who then became the first Church of England Bishop of Japan, where he’s still remembered and honoured as the founder of a school. After some time in California he returned to his home town of Shrewsbury and died of TB at the age of just thirty-two. Which house on Coton Hill was his last residence?
Anthea from the Wellbeing Art Group explains the presence of the mysterious creatures among the monuments!
And who was Maggie?
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If you’d like to know more about the stories behind the monuments, follow the fascinating Shrewsbury Victorian Cemetery page on Facebook.
Join in the conversation about this episode in the comments:
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