Anyone know anything about Wardsend Cemetery?

[Wardsbitter 10]

Not a war memorial but a memorial to NCO's and privates who died in the Hillsborough Barracks in the 1860's. The reason why it was erected remains obscure unless there was some sort of epidemic. I would have thought the Barracks would have clean drinking water supplies so cholera can be ruled out I suspect.Looks like natural causes as there is nothing on the obelisk to indicate disease.

[old tup 30]

Going back in time to the early 50s as a Young Tup I often visited the gravediggers house in Wardsend Cemetery,our family lived in a cottage at the bottom of Liversey St near where the Sheffield College is now.We were their only supply of fresh water,the youngest son Geoff Gratten had to wheel two full galvanised bins in a barrow half a mile at least.They had no gas or electricity supply,the toilet was an old fashioned earth type"very ripe in summer",I used to love visiting at night the house was lit by oil lamps to play cards and home made board games.At this time the small chapel was still standing but disused we used to play inside it as kids,if my memory serves me well the house became overcrowded as the daughters married over time.They were all rehoused and the house and chapel was demolished,one thing I remember well is how thick I was for continually picking fights with Geoff who as you can imagine was built like an outside toilet,I came a few close seconds never first!.Happy Days!!:hihi:

[alf1956 10]

Been out walking by the river Don today&we walked around Wardsend cemetry&it has become very overgrown again&a lot of the grave stones are broken etc. It is a shame that the place cannot be brought back to its former glory as a matter of respect for the people buried there&their families. I would love to see any pictures/photos of the chapel that looks to have been near the monument at the bottom.

[Kelvinlad 10]

Been out walking by the river Don today&we walked around Wardsend cemetry&it has become very overgrown again&a lot of the grave stones are broken etc. It is a shame that the place cannot be brought back to its former glory as a matter of respect for the people buried there&their families. I would love to see any pictures/photos of the chapel that looks to have been near the monument at the bottom.

 

http://www.friendsofwardsendcemetery.btck.co.uk/

[samssong 10]

Open day with talks and tours around this important part of Sheffield history tomorrow at 2pm.

Plenty of free parking , roll up its free.

[old tup 30]

I remember as a kid there was a lot of suicides in and near Wardsend Cemetry,one inparticular a bloke jumped off the black bridge in front of a train which chopped him up pretty badly!.An ambulance was reversed up the wide steps to the bridge and the body was recovered,a pretty gruesome job one I wouldn,t fancy!.I tried to get a look but was cleared off by a large constable at the time,another favourite method was by drowning!.I refered to one on the Forum a while back,I was around 18 at the time,I was driving out of our yard just after dinnertime when I observed a crowd on the old stone bridge over the Don behind Bassetts!.I walked over and looked down in the river to see what the fuss was about,in the shallow fast flowing water below the weir was a white coloured large object,you couldn,t make out what!.Next a police van turned up and one of them produced a grappling hook on a long rope,he kept trying to hook the object which he managed after a while,he tugged it free and it floated off into deep water!.The white object was a mans back,he was stark naked,this was in early February,he was floating stood up not flat on his back,all the time the policeman tried to catch him with the grapple which he did a hundred yards further on !.He dragged him to the bank and asked for volunteers to pull the body out!.All the tough looking blokes jumped back in unison me included,just then our old boy turned up from the power station and him and the copper pulled him out!.It turned out the man was out of Middlewood they found his clothes in Beeley Woods,it had taken three days to float that distance!.One funny thing about the sad tragedy as everone was preoccupied with the body no one spotted an old girl taking her dog for a walk push her way to the front,she had a look turned away and walked off without batting an eyelid as though she saw one everyday!.

[samssong 10]

Just got back in , a good day lots of folk around and found a family grave.

[-malcolm- 10]

yep dead people are buried there, next question.

[TimeBandit52 10]

I think an American Indian called Paul Engel Star was buried there after an infection in a broken leg ,caused by a horse fall whilst performing for Buffalo Bills Circus at Hillsborough. He was re interned on a n Indian resavation burial ground a hundred or so years later. This was about 10 /15 years ago.

[choogling 14]

very spooky place

[hillsbro 28]

Paul Eagle Star, a Lakota Sioux, died on 24 August 1891 after the accident sustained while performing during the Wild West Show at Owlerton. His horse fell on him, causing a compound dislocation of his ankle. The account of him being buried at Wardsend is actually untrue but it has persisted down the years. He was actually buried in Brompton Cemetery, London. In 1999 his remains were exhumed and returned to the U.S.A., accompanied by two of his grandchildren, to be reburied in the Rosebud Lakota Cemetery, South Dakota. Here is a link to the Wikipedia article.

[TimeBandit52 10]

Thanks Hillsbro for putting me right, the post was interesting and informative.