Reading Cemetery is known for its historic gatehouse at what is now called Cemetery Junction where King's Road meets Wokingham Road. It was set up by a private act of Parliament in 1842, establishing the Reading Cemetery Company. It was one of many cemeteries built by the Victorians in response to rapid population increase that meant church burial grounds, including St Mary's Butts, were overflowing. Reading Cemetery was built on farm land outside the existing borough boundaries at a site called Hattons Platt which was owned by a Mr Cholmeley.
The first interment took place in 1843.
The cemetery originally included two chapels, one for Anglicans and one for so-called Dissenters who refused to support Anglican rites. Burials were also divided between the Anglican consecrated ground and the Dissenters' non-consecrated ground and a small wall marked the boundary between the two.
The cemetery was extended at its far end in the early 20th Century and taken over by Reading Borough Council in 1959. Occasional burials still take place there in plots purchased by families years ago. There are 18,327 grave spaces covering 11.5 acres.
The cemetery is described by Sarah Rutherford on the conservationists website.
Reading Borough Council maintains the cemetery on a conservation basis. The grass is cut, by strimmer, on four occasions per year and is raked off only if excess growth makes it necessary. The Council also carry out interments in existing graves, there being no new graves available on this site. These burials, including those of cremated remains, are currently in single figures per year.
The cemetery contains the graves of most of the historically noteworthy occupants of the town. The site is of great local historical interest with many large memorials, two of which are Grade 2 listed. The arched lodge gateway is also Grade 2 listed.
The cemetery is a haven for wildlife locally and also contains some wonderful specimen trees.
The Muntjac Deer is, for many, the most important resident.
5 May 2005
I met the Cemeteries and Crematorium Manager in the cemetery,
which is probably reasonable, and learned a bit more about this patch of ground. The two
listed memorials are
1) the memorial to Bernard Laurence Hieatt, and others, occupies a plot at the eastern end.
The memorial stands head and shoulders over most except the adjacent cross.
2) the cast-iron urns on the site of the Dissenters chapel. The westernmost urn is
dedicated to members of the Andrewes family and the easternmost urn to members
of the Barratt family. This paved area is at present obscured by a huddling Beech (possibly) tree.
6 May 2005
I've just found a
footballing reference
which is of at least local interest. I've only seen the internet bits. I'll look out for the physical
evidence when I re-visit the place.
There are many other notable memorials, with intriguing inscriptions. I wonder why only two are honoured with listed status.
I also found the third of the 'Old Contemptibles' after many days of searching. (The final
resting place of the mortal remains of William Marshall MM and Philip Knightley are quite easy to find.)
These soldiers served in the British Expeditionary Force and survived the Great War
From 1870 a conflict between France and Germany had been expected. Our treaty obligations
with France suggested that divisions of the British Army should be trained prior to deployment
in the theatre of the coming war. The army's reforms in 1908 (Haldane's reforms) provided for
the creation of an 'expeditionary force' to rapidly reinforce the French Army's left flank in the event
of an attack by Germany. Four Infantry divisions and one Cavalry were despatched on the
outbreak of the Great War in 1914. They were deployed from Aug 5 (when the ring fortress
of Liège was first attacked) to Nov 22 when the crises of the battle of Ypres finally developed
into the stagnation and horror of trench warfare.
The British Expeditionary Force in France was called 'this contemptible army'
by the Kaiser, Wilhelm II, in the "Order of the Day", at his headquarters,
Aix-la-Chappelle, on the 19th August, 1914:-
"It is my Royal and Imperial Command that you concentrate your energies, for the immediate
present upon one single purpose, and that is that you address all your skill and all the valour
of my soldiers, to exterminate first, the treacherous English, walk over General French's
contemptible little Army."
On 9 Nov 1918 the German Chancellor, Prince Maximillian of Baden, announced the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II.
The 'Old Contemptible' graves are in Divisions 12, 21 and 46 - see the cemetery notes page 6.
21 Nov 2005
I have been searching for the grave of 'Willie Woomera' for many months. I had been
given a vague clue a few weeks ago but it didn't help. Later someone spoke of 'Willie'
but mis-pronounced (I thought) his surname. On Sunday I met Liz and mentioned my
search and she led me to the grave of '
William Wimmera'.
A mis-spelling had been perpetuated in written documents elsewhere and I had been
led astray - even with the correct name I probably would have failed to find the grave and
I am indebted to Liz for her help. Liz also has a wealth of knowledge regarding the
War Graves and Memorials and she remembers them at
www.readingremembrancetrust.co.uk
The Cemeteries and Crematorium Manager
Henley Road Cemetery
All Hallows Road
Caversham
Reading
RG4 5LP
Reading Borough Council has records of burials dating back to the mid 1840's and cremation records dating back to 1932. If you're searching for a record of someone who died in Reading or the surrounding areas, they may have a record of when and where they were either cremated or buried.
For enquiries about burial and cremation records please contact the Cemetery Office. To help speed up the search process ensure you have the name(s) at death and an approximate date of burial or cremation.
Please note if the death occurred prior to 1993 it may take a while to search the records, if this is the case they may have to call you back. For searches that may take some time to complete a fee may be charged.
Contact the cemetery office on 0118 947 2433 or fax 0118 946 4935
Last updated Tuesday, 18-Nov-2008 19:22:15 GMT
|
|
|
