A New Cemetery is Born

A New Cemetery is Born In the 1840s public health considerations were driving the demand for a new cemetery to serve Plymouth. Most of the churchyards were overcrowded and had no space for future burials. St Andrew’s churchyard was 10 ft above ground level due to the number of interments.

New burial grounds had been springing up across Britain, and were established outside the built up areas, landscaped with trees and shrubs.

Most of these cemeteries were set up by private companies.

On 30th August 1842 sixteen citizens met under the chairmanship of the Vicar of St Andrews, John Hatchard, for the purpose of forming a cemetery company which would serve the three towns and provide a burial place for all denominations. There was little public interest however and it proved difficult to find a suitable site. In 1845 Mr A Adams offered the 34 acre Maryland Estate, just off Mutley Plain. A managing committee was formed in November 1845 to oversee buying some of the land and securing a Parliamentary Bill to establish a Cemetery Company.

The Plymouth, Devonport & Stonehouse Cemetery Company was incorporated in June 1846 and 18 acres of the Approximate lines of leat, streams within the cemetery area and new piped leat, overlaying aerial view of cemetery today.

Maryland estate were purchased for £7,000 that October, forming the southern half of the cemetery immediately behind Ford Park Road. The site was not ideal however, as there was no access by road and there was a fear that the Stonehouse water supply would become polluted as the Stonehouse leat ran under the area. It was proposed that the leat be diverted in underground iron pipes at least 15 ft deep.

Nine architects submitted designs for the Lodge and two Chapels (one for Church of England and the other for Dissenters) and the Gloucester firm of Hamilton & Medland were selected. They had already built a cemetery in Birmingham. Edward Arnold, the builder chosen to make the plans a reality, tendered £1,888 sixteen shillings, which alarmed the directors to such an extent that the building of cloisters and catacombs linking the two Chapels was postponed. They were never to be built.

One of the original designs showing rotational symmetry, one side church the other chapel.

The foundation stone was laid on 4th August 1847 in the presence of the Mayor and each employee was given a quarter pound of tea to mark the occasion. The total cost of the Lodge, Chapels and bell turrets was £2,441.

Winning plan of the cemetery grounds

The original design of chapel with cloisters and catacombs

Poster written and created by Lindsay Noad Final design by Ian Hodgins

Directors and Staff Some of the Company’s early directors, officers and employees

John Butter - He was active as an early director of the Company, being concerned regarding the effects on public health of the overfull churchyards and other burial grounds. An ophthalmic surgeon and founder of the Royal Eye Infirmary.

John Saunders - Cemetery Superintendent from around 1851 for 12 years, he lived in the Lodge for some of this time. His vault, in the centre of one of the circular vaults, was presented to his family in perpetuity by the directors of the Cemetery Company.

Samuel Derry - Prominent in the establishment of the Cemetery Company being a member of the Provisional Committee formed to steer the Private Bill through Parliament and to find and acquire a suitable site. Elected as a director in July 1849. A surgeon during the cholera outbreak.

Other Associates

John Mills Carkeet - A member of the Provisional Committee. Insurance Agent Jonathan Clouter - Provisional Committee. Surgeon, Magistrate and Mayor of Devonport 1853-4 John Long Colley - Secretary for 24 years. It was his proposal in 1847 that the burial ground be limited to the 10 acres running west from the Chapels and that the original plans be scaled back. It was also his suggestion, in 1850, that the name of the Dissenters’ Ground be changed to General Ground, which is still in use today.

Colley was an artist who belonged to Samuel Cook’s group.

William Prance Chairman 1846. Mayor of Plymouth 1842.

Played a leading part in the establishment of the S.D. & E.C. Hospital, becoming its treasurer.

A ward in Greenbank Hospital, and more recently a road was named after him.

David Derry - A director for at least 10 years. In 1847 he warned the Company of the danger of overreaching itself, given the expense of acquiring and developing the site.

His wide business experience included being a director of the South Devon Railway Company and manager of Devon and Cornwall Bank. Mayor of Plymouth 1850.

John Mackey Hodge - Cemetery chaplain for more than 20 years, and Vicar of St. Luke’s Church (which is soon to become part of the new History Centre).

William Henry Hawker Director 1848; deputy chairman 1848-49; chairman 1853. Mayor of Plymouth 1825/26.

Founder of James Hawker Wine Merchants. Sole purveyor of Pedlar’s Sloe Gin.

Dr. Edward Moore - A Director who came to the rescue of the Company in 1849 by lending them £3,495 which was sufficient to tide them over until burials began to increase, helped in part by the cholera epidemic of 1849. He was also responsible for the two fine circular vaults.

Dr. Moore was the senior surgeon at the Royal Eye Infirmary.

William Morris - For many years Minister of the General Ground and Pastor of Norley Congressional Chapel.

William Joseph Square - Provisional Committee. Surgeon at S.D.& E.C. Hospital from 1840-1877.

Joseph Elliot Square - Hon. Secretary. Solicitor.

All but two of the above named people are buried at Ford Park Cemetery.

Poster written and created by Margery Payne Final design by Ian Hodgins

The First Burials The first six burials at Plymouth, Devonport & Stonehouse Cemetery were in the cemetery’s general (dissenters) section. This area is now covered by the Grade II* listing granted in Jan 2004.

Plymouth born Elias Easterbrook was 3½ years old when he died.

He was the 8th of 9 children and the youngest son. Elias was nd buried 22 December 1848. His grave is marked by a stone pier with a gabled cap closely resembling the design of the entrance pillars. His parents Margaret in 1876 and John in 1883 were buried with their son.

The next burial was in common ground 19 January, 1849. Baptist Sophia Goldsack, aged 40, lived with her father Thomas a fordsman from Kent at 2 Summerland Place.

Elias Easterbrook, buried 22nd December 1848

FPC Burial map showing the first 6 burials

A common (public) ground grave, provided for a Three burials took place on the 31st number of unrelated interments within the same January, 1849. Mary Ann grave space over a period of years until it was full.

Elickoum was 56 and lived at 37 Subsequent common ground burials were 14 years Whimple Street when she died. after an adult and 8 after a child. Common earth Annuitant John Prinn lived In White graves could be re-used 100 years after the last Crop Street when he was admitted to burial; ensuring as far as practicable only skeletal the Poor House in St Andrews where material remained and assumed there were no he died aged 63. Mary and John immediate descendants. were buried in separate graves in the In a vault burial, the bottom, sides and top of a vault, same row as Sophia. catacomb, raised vault or walled grave had to be The first vault burial was of Thomas sealed by concrete or bricks, leaving no gaps and required two traditional grave spaces. To entomb a Samuel Wiginton on the same day. body, the top would be removed and the coffin He was a forty-six-year-old Union Burial place of Sophia Goldsack, Mary Ann Elickoum and John Prinn lowered into the space. Occasionally, if allowed by Street brewer. the structure and interior space, the coffin would The sixth burial was of Elizabeth Watts on 2nd Feb 1849. Eight years earlier, Elizabeth and her have been slid inside. After the burial, it would be resealed air tight leaving no gaps. It was common sons William and Thomas lived at the Citadel barracks where their father was a soldier with the practice to place some charcoal or disinfectant with 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot. At the time of her death at 34 they were living at Treville the coffin.

Street. Her grave at the time of burial was recorded as freehold; a purchased family grave-plot containing 3-6 grave spaces and giving the deed holder exclusive rights to authorise an interment and a stone mason to erect a monument in perpetuity. The freehold fee was not paid and the grave site reverted to common ground.

The first burial in the Church area of the cemetery occurred a week later.

The vault of Thomas S Wiginton The General Higher B (GHB) Vaults Poster written and created by Vivien Warne Sources: www.avictorian.com/burial_laws_1875.html, English Heritage, Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management Final design by Ian Hodgins

A Problematic Start Finances continued to be problematic – the share capital was undersubscribed by £1500. With the £13,500 raised, boundary walls up to 8ft high had to be built along with a road running from Pennycomequick to the Lodge gates and through the cemetery. This was in addition to the cost of building the Chapels and Lodge and the landscaping of the burial area. The eventual amount spent on planting was a mere £24.

With debts of more than £3,000 the Company’s credit was so poor that no local bank would bridge the deficit and private loans were made by Edward Moore, one of the directors, until the income from burials increased.

The burial area was laid out in two sections, separated by the Processional Drive which led from the Lodge to the Chapels. The area nearest Ford Park Road was the General ground, with Church burials on the other side of the Drive.

The first burial in the General ground was on 22 December 1848, three weeks after the cemetery opened. Burials in the Church section were delayed as the Bishop of Exeter refused to consecrate the land until a retaining wall was built to separate the two areas. The first burial in the Church ground was not until 9 February 1849.

With huge debts the only hope was to attract more burials. In 1849 half the victims of the cholera epidemic were buried in the new cemetery and when in 1854 the General Board of Health decided to close the existing burial grounds (the most important event since the Cemetery’s opening) its position was secured. Barely 2 months later the Cemetery Company declared its first dividend. From 280 burials in 1850 the number had increased to 1431 in 1854.

The directors had originally decided to enclose only 10 acres for burial purposes. The remaining 8 acres, from the vaults behind the chapels towards Mutley Plain were let for grazing. In the early 1860s the decision was taken to extend burials into this area, but in only a few years it became apparent that this would not be sufficient. In 1872 the Higher Mutley Estate was auctioned, allowing the Company to acquire part of what is now the northern half of the cemetery. Because a further Act of Parliament was required to extend the land, purchases of 16.5 acres were made by two of the directors on behalf of the Company in 1874 and 1875, bringing the total acreage to 34.5.

For fifty years, until Weston Mill and Efford cemeteries were opened, the Company had a virtual monopoly of burials. In 1900 the number of interments peaked at 3,167, more than 8 a day and the Company’s future, at that time, seemed secure.

Poster written and created by Lindsay Noad Final design by Ian Hodgins

Further growth 1875 – 1921 and notable funerals The Expansion of the Cemetery.

The years of 1875 to 1900 marked the high water mark of the Cemetery Company’s fortunes. Burials continued to increase. The peak came in 1900 with 3,167 burials followed by a gradual decline in numbers, thus the same was the pattern for the company’s dividend payments.

The photograph by Firth gives us a good idea of how the cemetery looked in 1900. It should be noted that original southern half of the cemetery was to a large extent full but there had been a few burials in the newly acquired northern half.

Notable burials from this period.

Charles Norrington Charles Norrington was one of Plymouth’s great Victorian entrepreneurs, largely self educated as an agricultural scientist and it was said that by hard work and close application he made himself a master of the science of artificial manures. He was also Mayor of Plymouth from 1863 to 1865. Norrington has left an indelible mark on contemporary Plymouth. If you visit the Hoe, you will see the Bathsheba fountain, which is now a Grade II listed monument. The inscription reads “ Presented to the town of Plymouth by Charles Norrington in memory of his wife. Marianne Norrington, 1881. Thirst and ye gave me drink”. Charles Norrington died in 1900 at the age of 80.

The A8 Submarine Disaster 8th June 1905 Submarines were introduced into the Royal Navy at the beginning of the twentieth century, they had a very poor safety record and nearly every one was involved in at least one accident during the course of its operational service. On the morning of June 8th 1905, the A8 sank whilst on manoeuvres around the Plymouth Breakwater.

Fifteen officers and crew lost their lives that day. The A8 was raised and the following week, on June 15th, the funerals of ten of the victims took place at Ford Park Cemetery.

The funeral cortège took an hour and a half to cover the route from the Dockyard to the cemetery, the streets being thronged with thousands of spectators, in places up to 20 deep, wishing to pay their last respects.

The A class submarines in Devonport

Funeral Procession

The Last Volley

Lt Alfred Breeze (1901 – 1921) A pupil at Plymouth College, Alfred Jnr was captain of the school rugby and cricket teams. In January 1919, he entered the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst and within 12 months was made a sergeant. He joined the Worcester Regiment in Dublin in June 1920 as a 2nd Lieutenant.

The Roberts family who lived on the outskirts of Dublin, were family friends of the Breeze family. Alfred Jnr. spent time with them when off duty and was engaged to one of their daughters. .

On Sunday 19 June 1921 he was out for a drive with his fiancée and her mother. Armed members of the IRA who were felling a tree to block the road stopped the car. The occupants were ordered out of the vehicle, Lt. Breeze reached for his revolver but was shot in his side. Breeze was roughly bandaged over his clothes then bundled back in to the car. With one woman left behind, the other was ordered to drive the wounded Breeze and the IRA men to Leopardstown. A second Sinn Fein vehicle followed behind. Lt. Breeze made another attempt to escape during the journey and was summarily executed.

Leaving the dead man where he fell, the woman was made to drive the car back to Dublin.

Many years later, when relating the incident, members of the Deansgrange Company, 6th Battalion, IRA, insisted that the car would have been let pass had the man not drawn his gun.

Poster written and created by Karen Moore http://www.cairogang.com/soldiers-killed/breeze/breeze.html; https://www.navy-net.co.uk/community/threads/loss-ofsubmarine-a8.43252/; http://www.the-weatherings.co.uk/pccship0232.htm; A8 Photo acknowledgements – reproduced by kind permission of Mrs Julie Lawrence from her postcard collection Final design by Ian Hodgins

The Impact of other Cemeteries The Plymouth, Stonehouse & Devonport Cemetery Company opened in 1848 to alleviate the overcrowding in the churchyards of the local parish churches. When the General Board of Health decided to close all churchyards and other burial grounds in Plymouth in 1854 on the grounds of public health the number of burials each year grew rapidly. By 1900 there were more than 3,000 burials each year and it was said that, for shareholders, the cemetery was the best investment in the area.

However the fortunes of the cemetery began to change with the opening of Weston Mill and Efford cemeteries in 1904 and 1907 respectively.

Weston Mill Cemetery At a meeting of the burial sub-committee of the Devonport Corporation on 4 October 1898 it was agreed to purchase 52 acres of land from Mr Edward St Aubyn for use as a cemetery. The price eventually agreed was £25,000 and it was originally known as Devonport Borough Cemetery.

The land was bounded on the north side by Weston Mill Lake, on the south by the Borough boundary, to the east by Old Saltash Road and to the west by the London and South Western railway line.

First to be Weston Mill - Main Entrance erected was the chapel in 1903 and the cemetery was opened in November 1904. Of the first 100 burials in the cemetery, 47 were of children under five years old.

A garden of rest was added in 1957. The stones used in the erection of the garden of rest came from blitzed sites in the City.

The crematorium was opened in 1967.

To the present date over 54,000 burials have taken place in the cemetery.

Weston Mill

Efford Cemetery A municipal cemetery for Plymouth, initially covering an area of 37 acres, was started at Efford in 1904 and the cemetery opened in 1907.

The crematorium was opened in 1934. The opening of the Crematorium at Efford did have an impact on Ford Park Cemetery but even more significant was the opening of the crematorium at Weston Mill in 1967, which resulted in a sudden fall in numbers of people being buried at Ford Park.

Efford Cemetery - Main Entrance

It is an interesting fact that in the UK the national average for cremations is 80% yet in Plymouth it is in excess of 90%.

Efford - Blitz Mass Grave

Although not the only reason for the decline in the fortunes of the cemetery, the competition that arose from burials at Weston Mill and Efford Cemeteries, together with the lack of a crematorium at Ford Park, were significant factors in the demise of the Plymouth, Stonehouse & Devonport Cemetery Company.

Poster written and created by Alan Bricknell Sources: Brian Moseley (www.olddevonport.uk), Wikipedia.

Photos by Alan Bricknell Final design by Ian Hodgins

Efford - Civilian Blitz Memorial

MoD and CWGC Burials

MoD pre WWI graves section CP

MoD pre WWI (white crosses are last resting place of the crew of the A8 submarine)

Prior to 1917, there was no consistent practice in dealing with the bodies of deceased service personnel. Officers were generally buried according to their rank and wealth. Ordinary soldiers, if buried, were usually buried in communal graves with an improvised cross. Soldiers and Sailors who died overseas were often buried in a garrison or cantonment graveyard some distance from the base. Death certificates were not issued, making the tracking of the dead more difficult.

Gravestones were usually purchased by the unit, ship or family.

Many were not maintained. The Royal Navy had a long tradition of burial at sea in response to hygiene and health issues. Many families could not afford the burial if the body was returned to WWI Naval graves section CR port.

The vast majority of Ministry of Defence (MoD) graves in Ford Park are Royal Navy and Royal Marine Light Infantry with three burials in each grave. There are 1,098 MoD burials (over 360 graves). Sixty-five percent of these are located in section CP. The graves are marked by a slate headstone with the IHS (In Hoc WWI 1914 Naval Grave with 3 burials in Salus) symbol at the top. section CS Commanding a WWI British Red Cross mobile unit during WWI, Sir Fabian Ware endeavoured to find a way to ensure the final resting places of the dead was not lost.

His unit began recording and caring for the graves they could find and were incorporated into the British Army in 1915. Two years later the War Graves Commission was established by Royal Charter.

After the Armistice, work began in earnest to record the graves of casualties from 4 Aug 1914 when war was declared to 31 Aug 1921 when Parliament declared the war had ended.

There are 760 WWI burials at Ford Park. Two hundred are in naval plot CR, these resemble the MoD graves.

The rest are scattered throughout the cemetery and contain a headstone of Portland WWI 1915 family grave in section CR Stone, containing the national emblem or regimental badge, rank, name, unit, date of death and age. Some are buried in family plots and have a non-standard headstone.

WWI 1918 Portland Stone grave marker The eldest WWI casualty was Chief Petty Officer Charles Henry Blackford. Aged 69 he was buried at Ford Park Cemetery in 1917. Among the few Foreign Nationals are two Russian servicemen from SS Askold; both buried in the same year.

Soon after the completion of the programme in 1938, the Commission’s staff had to evacuate mainland Europe as WWII loomed. Burials between 3 Sep 1939 and 31 Dec 1947 became the next programme. Renamed the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) in 1960, it cares for almost 1.7 million graves and memorials.

All of the 202 WWII burials at Ford Park are scattered throughout the cemetery, including an unidentified Royal Air Force airman. Lieutenant Albert John Guest was 69 when he died as a result of active service in Nov 1947. Czechoslovakian Leading Aircraftman Josef Pavlat served with 312 (Czech) Squadron RAF at WWII 1945 Portland Stone grave marker WWII 1942 Czech Grave Harrowbeer when he died in Sep 1942.

Poster written and created by Vivien Warne Sources: Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Free Czechoslovak Air Force, www.britishempire.co.uk Final design by Ian Hodgins

The Blitz and Ford Park Cemetery Given the tonnage of High Explosive bombs dropped on Plymouth it will come as no surprise that the 34.5 acre cemetery did not escape their wrath. Obvious signs are found in the vaults to the north-west of the chapels, the existence of a rebuilt chapel and widespread shrapnel damage, particularly centred on the path furthest from the rear of the rebuilt chapel close to Gifford Place. Anecdotal evidence suggests that more bombs fell in the cemetery than were officially recorded; add anti-aircraft shells and explosive incendiary bombs and the picture becomes less clear.

Anecdotally, craters had been observed to the north-west and the headstone damage near Gifford Place could well be attributed to a non-recorded landmine that fell through a tree lining the back lane.

Shrapnel entry hole

Gap in the vaults caused by bomb

Shrapnel exit hole

Remains of non-conformist chapel

Gould Memorial

Ford Park Cemetery Bomb Map

Gould Memorial showing six shrapnel marks

Poster written and created by Tony Rees and Shirley Stapley Final design by Ian Hodgins

Decline 1970 - 1990s In 1975 the Company’s balance sheet showed a loss, probably due to the reduction in the number of burials. Twenty members of the ground staff were laid off leaving only five, which started a downward spiral in the state of the cemetery grounds.

For the next few years several local people battled with the cemetery chairman, Gerald Dudman, over the state of the cemetery. Chief amongst these were Mr. and Mrs. Lamey who wrote letters to Janet Fookes, the Lord Mayor, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Duke of Kent.

They organised petitions, the first in 1977, and were also helped by the local newspapers.

Mr. Dudman blamed overgrown graves on negligent families and inflation, but the paths were so overgrown that relatives were unable to reach graves, and maintenance contracts were not honoured. He did not answer their letters and refused to talk to them.

In 1977 Mr. Dudman said that the Company was solvent, although there wasn’t a vast sum. By 1980 he said that they could not afford to keep the cemetery tidy, but money was still found to pay fees to 7 directors and to give twice yearly dividends to the 81 holders of its 600 shares, Mr. Dudman and his wife held 101 shares.

In February 1980 the solicitor for Plymouth City Council wrote to the Company asking them to take prompt action to clean up the graveyard, drawing their attention to the Public Health Act of 1961 and the Town and Country Planning Act.

Cemetery Foreman - John Walker

As a last ditch attempt to get something done, Rose Lamey and Iris Windeatt led a campaign, in 1983, to have the cemetery cleaned up. They organised a petition and over 1100 people said they would refuse to vote in the City Council election as a massive protest.

City Councillor Tom Savery said it wasn’t a council problem as they were a private company, but he would see Mr. Dudman and suggest a couple of ways of improving things.

Discussions with the Manpower Services Commission in 1984 came to Police and Royal Marines searching for a missing person in 1977 nothing.

In 1990 the Duke of Kent was asked to intervene over the state of the war graves.

Although the War Graves Commission made repeated visits to the cemetery and pressed the Company to improve its standard of care, they had no authority to compel them to take action.

Alfred Lamey, who worked for Plymouth City Council, started tidying up the area around his family graves in the 1960s and continued voluntarily clearing graves every weekend, people asked for his help to clear a way into their relatives’ graves.

He and his wife were our first researchers, whenever Alf discovered an unusual headstone they tried to find out more about it. Some of the graves found were Constable William Bennett, Peter Garielkow, Henry VC and Hinckley VC. They contacted Hinckley’s family who weren’t interested at that time, although things are very different today. In 1977 they contacted the Inkerman Battery in Germany and arranged for a ceremony for Henry, which has now become an annual commemoration.

Poster written and created by Margery Payne Source: Rose Southworth, daughter of Alf and Rose Lamey Final design by Ian Hodgins

A New Beginning In April 1999 the Plymouth Devonport and Stonehouse Cemetery Company went into administration, 153 years after its establishment. The Liquidator's legal duty was to the creditors of the failed business and was therefore required to sell its assets at the market price before returning the cemetery land to the Crown Estates. The assets to be sold included the chapel and the war memorial.

After a summer of campaigns and petitions, a group of volunteers drawn together by Plymouth's Evening Herald and Plymouth City Council formed an informal committee, Guardians of Ford Park Cemetery, to rescue the overgrown site as part of a campaign to save the cemetery. The committee included Jim Futer, a Texan millionaire, John Clamp, a local businessman and Jean Northey and was guided by Les Netherton, head of the city council's environmental services.

In December 1999 Ford Park Cemetery Trust was established with 8 directors preparing a business plan and seeking financial backing.

The directors were: Dr Henry Will (Chairman) – consultant solicitor (retired) with extensive experience of working with charities John Clamp – experienced in project management and construction industry Jon Andrewes – chief executive of Groundwork Trust Plymouth Ted Northmore – chairman of Plymouth branch of Royal British Legion Robin Tatum – chairman of Barbican Theatre Jack Rogers – engineer and health and safety consultant Jean Northey – leading member of Guardians of Ford Park John Kingdom – businessman with expertise in working with charitable groups The following month the company were awarded charitable status and in early February Crown Estates confirmed that, once disclaimed by the liquidators, the land would be transferred to the Trust. In March, the liquidator accepted a £20,000 bid from the Trust to purchase the assets and the city council approved the award of a £10,000 grant. And so, as the local paper reported, “Ford Park Cemetery is returning to the hands of the people of Plymouth, thanks to months of hard work.”

In April 2000 an editorial in the Evening Herald made it clear that this was just the beginning with the headline “Ford Park battle is still to be won”. It went on to say: “This … represents a spectacular victory for people power. But – and it is a very big 'but' – that is not the end of the matter. Far from it. The trust will have control of the cemetery but the real work in maintaining and running it for generations to come is now about to begin.

Chairman of the trustees, Dr Henry Will, and his colleagues have worked selflessly to make the trust a going concern. They have toiled behind the scenes to ensure that the cemetery remains open to the people of Plymouth. But it cannot be left to a small band of trustees to do it all.

They need the sustained help and support of the people of Plymouth. Without this, the cemetery is lost.”

A public meeting, sponsored by the Evening Herald, was called for May 8th at the Guildhall. In publicising the event, Dr Henry Will stated: “Getting the cemetery is proving to be the simplest part of the whole thing. Now we have to run it.”

Poster written and created by Alan Bricknell Final design by Ian Hodgins

The Hard Work Begins Nearly 300 people attended the public meeting held on 8th May 2000 at the Guildhall where they heard the Trust chairman, Dr Henry Will, unveil a series of action points for the cemetery including visiting every one of the 30,000 plus graves over the first five years, refurbishing the two chapels and setting up a garden of remembrance.

But it was stressed that help was needed and a partnership between the Trust and the people of the city was vital to the future of the cemetery.

For example, volunteers were sought to help clear overgrown areas and record tombstone inscriptions. Also financial support was essential, either through donations, becoming a member of the trust or organising fund raising events.

The initial response was very encouraging and during the first summer volunteers from Groundwork Trust, Tamar Lions and HMS Raleigh and many members of the public with relatives buried in the cemetery began the task of clearing the weeds, cutting the grass and improving the uneven pathways. By the end of 2000, another milestone was achieved with the opening of an on-site office situated in the newer of the two chapels.

The Trust made a positive start to 2001 with the award of a contract to maintain more than 900 Commonwealth War graves at the cemetery and by the end of the first year of operations about one quarter of the 34.5 acre site had been cleared.

Progress over the next two years was considerable as additional volunteer groups gave their time to the clearance of the site.

These included students from the Plymouth Maritime Training Centre, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Dove project, Plymouth College, Probation Service, members of Plymouth masonic lodges and members of the Royal Logistics Corps. The clearance project which had been expected to take 5 years was completed in 3 years and the cemetery was now ready to host its first open day to celebrate its emergence into the light.

Grave Restoration - before and after

Ford Park Cemetery Year 2000

Ford Park Cemetery 2004 (same view as before)

Poster written and created by Alan Bricknell Final design by Ian Hodgins

The Victorian Chapel The Victorian Chapel has been restored by the Trust.

This Chapel had, for many years, been used as a machine store, the windows having been blocked up, the floor concreted over and the entrance widened for vehicles by cutting away the Caen stone facings. As early as 2001 the Trust commissioned a Condition of Building Survey, and to help the case for restoration successfully applied for the Chapel to be Grade II listed. The obvious source of funding was the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Trust first made contact in late 2004.

Victorian Chapel 2006

The work of clearance begins

It took three and a half years to prepare the bid and negotiate a successful outcome. In addition to HLF funding, the Trust received assistance from Plymouth City Council through the Landfill Communities Fund, with the balance coming from two charitable grants, and donations from local businesses and individuals. The support from the community was a demonstration of its affection for this historic place.

The most challenging parts of the restoration were to reinstate badly weathered and cracked stonework on the SW elevation and to stabilise the left hand front pinnacle. Major work was also needed to the roof of the porte-cochere, the timbers of which had been badly damaged by water penetration. Other works required included the repair of entrance doors, reinstatement of slate floor and internal repair and redecoration.

Bell Turret

Doors

The one element of the restoration which remains outstanding is the replacement of the bell turret. The stonework had deteriorated so badly that the whole structure had to be removed. The costs for the work are high and the Trust has set up a fund to raise the necessary money.

Tiling the roof

Inside new porte-cochere

Inside the Victorian Chapel before memorial.

Victorian Chapel 2008 Poster written and created by Alan Bricknell Final design by Ian Hodgins

New stonework at the entrance

Planning & Opening the Visitor Centre The Ford Park Cemetery Trust (FPCT) undertook a significant project in restoring the Cemetery’s Victorian Chapel and to convert the adjacent 1960s Chapel into a Heritage Centre.

The aim of FPCT was to create a high quality, inspiring, uplifting and distinctive space which would have a memorable impact on visitors. It was intended that the new Heritage Centre would function as a flexible exhibition space, educational facility for local schools and clubs and as a modern community meeting space.

The restoration of the Victorian Chapel would release the existing Chapel for an exhibition area. The Trust planned to mount in this area a series of rotation exhibitions themed on aspects of Victorian life as exemplified in the lives and achievements of those buried at Ford Park e.g. Victorian entrepreneurs, scientists, shipbuilders and repairer, artists, entertainers, service men and medical men.

The opportunity for the Trust to realise these plans was greatly helped by a generous £200,000 bequest left to the cemetery in the will of Sydney Potter who died in 2003 aged 93. Sydney had been a regular visitor to five family graves in the cemetery and is now buried in Ford Park Cemetery with his wife.

Inspiring the living, honouring the dead.

Exhibitions including aspects of Victorian Plymouth would include Victorian religious beliefs and practices, emigration and immigration, medical advances and public health, Victorian philanthropy and education, the Victorian Celebration of Death and the cultural life of Victorian Plymouth generally.

The work was planned to be carried out in two phases.

Phase 1. The Heritage Centre project focused on reorganising the Office complex to serve the Heritage Centre and adapting the existing Chapel to an exhibition area.

Phase 2. Involved inserting a suspended floor which would increase the exhibition area from approximately 54sq metres to 123sq metres, including a library / archive / computer / study area. In addition the first floor would provide an area of approximately 28sq metres which would be built above the present office.

The planned work would also include cafe facilities.

The frequency with which the café/refreshment facilities will be used will depend on the availability of staff/volunteers, but it was hoped that a modest menu of refreshments would be available to visitors during exhibitions and special evening events would be catered for by the kitchen.

Poster written and created by Anne Willingale Final design by Ian Hodgins

War Memorial In the ‘Plan for Plymouth’ drawn up after the Blitz, town planning consultant, Professor Patrick Abercrombie proposed a civilian memorial in the ruins of bombed Charles Church. It was hoped that the site would be a place of pilgrimage but its position on what became a busy roundabout made this impossible.

In February 2010, led by our first Chairman, Dr Henry Will MBE, the Cemetery Trust launched a public appeal to finance a memorial here at Ford Park. More than a quarter of the civilians who died in Second World War are buried here with the remainder interred in a mass grave in Efford Cemetery.

An earlier appeal had raised £80,000 to restore this Chapel. The WWII memorial would cost £34,000 and the second appeal was needed to meet a shortfall of £15,000. The contractor was H G Stacey Ltd, a local firm of monumental masons.

The memorial comprises twenty-two inscribed Welsh slate plaques, which have been mounted on the Chapel’s eastern wall. They list in chronological order the names, ages and dates of death of the 1,250 civilians, grouping families together where possible.

A team of Cemetery volunteers led by Dr Ian Hodgins, the late Tony Rees and Tony Dean had spent three years carrying out this detailed research, scouring the Cemetery’s own burial records, those at the local Record Office, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and using information supplied by the general public.

The dates range from 6 July 1940 to 26 September 1946.

The most significant losses occurred on 20 and 21 March 1941 and on 21 to 23 April 1941. On 20 March the City Hospital at Freedom Fields was bombed, killing 6 nurses, 2 mothers and 19 babies. On 23 April 1941 the Portland Square air raid shelter was hit with the loss of 76 lives and the Inverdene air raid shelter in Peverell also suffered a direct hit. On a more personal level, on 4 July 1941 Mr and Mrs Horrell and their six children perished when a bomb hit their home at 3 Windsor Street.

After a successful appeal, the dedication ceremony took place on 23 June 2010.

Dr Will said: "These civilians made exactly the same sacrifice as the servicemen and women fighting on land and sea and in the air. Many of those who died did so in heroic circumstances. They should be remembered and honoured for their bravery and courage. There is no other city in Britain which has got such a memorial as this, so it is something quite special."

Poster written and created by Karen Moore Original research by Ford Park Heritage Team Photographs courtesy of Ford Park Heritage Team and Plymouth Herald Final design by Ian Hodgins

Friends of Ford Park Cemetery Setting Up the Friends of Ford Park Cemetery By 2006 the Trust had been in operation for six years and Dr Henry Will, the Chairman, felt that it was time to start a Friends organization which it was hoped would promote the interests of the cemetery and help to ensure its long term survival. The inaugural meeting was held on 28th March 2006 when Clive Easter gave an introduction into the aims of the Friends and a draft Constitution was then agreed.

The first officers to be appointed were Pat Luxford (Chairman), Clive Easter (Vice Chairman), Ruth Self (Secretary), Jane Aitchison (Treasurer) and Committee members Jean Northey, Janet Cobbledick and Dennis Pidsley.

Fund Raising Clive Easter stressed the importance of both the fund raising and social side of the Friends. Fundraising was vital for the Friends in order to support the work of the Trust. He proposed an annual membership of £10. Membership of the Friends would carry no formal obligation beyond the payment of the subscription.

Supporting the Trust From the start, the Friends along with other volunteers, began organizing some events in order to raise money. In the early days the main aim was to find enough money for the restoration of the Victorian Chapel. The Heritage Fund agreed to pay the bulk of the money on condition that the Trust found £60,000 and this was raised by a variety of means from different sources. Raffles are held at some of the events and some of the Committee members go to various organisations to talk about the cemetery for which a fee is paid. Private walks in the cemetery are another source of income. A Christmas Fayre is organized each year and there have also been ones in the summer and more recently at Easter as well. The Carol Service is another event organized primarily by the Friends. Over the years the Friends have raised money towards the Blitz Memorial plaque, ongoing repairs to the cemetery, the renovation of the old machine store, wet weather gear for staff, a second hand vehicle and many more items too numerous to mention.

Rows of Rose Bushes

Wreath Making and the Xmas Draw Jeannie Northey first got a team together and began making wreaths at Christmas for sale which became the biggest money earner for the Friends. Later Vanessa Jewell took over and since she left Plymouth, Maggie Heath is in charge.

The Xmas Draw is another good source of income for the Friends. Sue Rapson, Vanessa Jewell and Maggie Heath have organized it over the years. Jackie Bruce, the Office Manager, also contacts a lot of Companies who donate prizes and this resulted in £1000 being raised in 2016.

National Federation of Cemetery Friends The Friends were the hosts for the Annual General Meeting of the National Federation of Cemetery Friends in 2011 which Dr Henry Will organized.

Night time heritage walk

Friends Committee There have been several Chairman over the years including Rod Pickles who has served twice in this capacity, Vivien Warne and Shirley Stapley. Jenny Homeyard has served as secretary for many years and she sends out Newsletters to members of the Friends twice a year. The present Treasurer is Stephanie Ackland and other Committee members are Sue Rapson, Vivien Warne, Maggie Heath, Jeannie Northey, Ruth Self and Shirley Stapley.

Future Projects in 2017 The Trust need a number of projects to be carried out for the upkeep of the Cemetery and the Friends will be raising money for them. These include money towards getting rid of Japanese knotweed, an upgrade to the alarm system, the renovation of the Memorial Garden and a new strimmer.

Gardening

Poster written and created by Shirley Stapley Final design by Ian Hodgins

Heritage of Ford Park Cemetery During the early years of the Trust's existence, volunteers worked to clear the 34.5 acre site of undergrowth which had covered large areas of the site to a depth of 4 feet. The first public Open Day was held in June 2003 when over 600 people visited the cemetery to view the progress and hear about the history and heritage on guided tours.

The task of researching the cemetery's history and the lives of those buried there fell initially to two volunteers, Pat Luxford and Pat Maynard and the Trust chairman, Dr Henry Will. The newspaper archives at the library provided one source of information, with obituaries being checked against the cemetery's burial records. The epitaphs on recently uncovered headstones provided another line of enquiry and local people contacted the cemetery with their own family histories and so a database of notable people began to take shape.

During 2004 guided tours were being offered on the first Sunday of each month where visitors learned about the history of the cemetery and its inhabitants.

The following year saw the publication of a Heritage Trail booklet, enabling visitors to read about the lives of some of those buried, as they followed a marked path through the cemetery. In addition, the Victorian chapel, before its restoration, was used to host a permanent display of the Trust's work on returning the cemetery to its former glory.

The First Heritage Trail Booklet

Once funds were secured for the restoration of the Victorian chapel, plans were drawn up to turn the other building into a permanent visitor centre with cafe and exhibition space. Pat Luxford instigated the Heritage team and sought volunteers who, in addition to carrying out research on the lives of those buried in the cemetery, would also begin the process of preparing exhibitions on various themes to complement the cemetery's history and heritage.

Early Exhibition in 2003

Initial exhibition themes, when the Visitor Centre opened in 2010, included “Plymouth at War” and “Devonport Heritage”. Since then the Heritage volunteer team have produced three or four exhibitions each year, consisting typically of 14 – 16 posters plus items displayed in cabinets. Each exhibition is complemented with a public walk around the cemetery, visiting the graves of those linked to the exhibition theme and providing a brief history of each of those lives. The team also regularly provide guided walks and illustrated talks to local interest groups.

Other projects which members of the Heritage team have participated in include: i) a photographic record of every grave plot in the cemetery with the resultant photos being linked to the burial database ii) the production of a comprehensive portfolio which contains the family history and service record of every individual who is buried in a World War I Commonwealth War Grave in Ford Park Cemetery iii) the production of additional Heritage Trail booklets

Recent Exhibition – Crime and Punishment

Poster written and created by Alan Bricknell Final design by Ian Hodgins

The most recent Heritage Trail Booklet