Disappearing Coventry: Lost gravestones, vandalism and neglect!
These pages are devoted to Historic Buildings and areas of Coventry that are suffering from neglect or ill treatment.
If you have any interesting facts and photos to share about historic local buildingse, please email me at info@familyresearcher.co.uk and I shall be happy to add them to my site. (legal stuff: by sending me content to publish you are confirming that you hold copyright of all material and are authorising me to reproduce it on this site.)
The fire extensively damaged the Chapel roof and I expect it will now be left to decay as it seems unlikely that funds will be made available for repair.
Over the following years their descendants have always known of the existence of the grave stone. When they heard of the excavations at St Mary’s that took place in 1999 they followed them with interest. Now it would appear that the gravestone has been lost, even though it is of considerable weight and size. Many of the stones removed from the graveyard have since been moved to London Road Cemetery but unfortunately Mr and Mrs Luckman’s tribute was not one of them and no trace of it has been found.
Sadly neglected grave of
James Starley (1830-1881) was an inventor and manufacturer, often called The Father of the Bicycle Industry.
It was his inventions and improvements which made bicycles practical and popular, which made bicycles much comfier to use and therefore very popular. James Starley also invented the tricycle and improved the sewing machine. The Rover car company can be traced to the Starley family
James Starley is buried in London Road Cemetery, Coventry. As you can see from my photograph, his grave has been sadly neglected. For a man who played such an important part of Coventry's local history, it is saddening to see that his grave has not been maintained.
If you have any interesting facts and photos to share about historic local buildingse, please email me at info@familyresearcher.co.uk and I shall be happy to add them to my site. (legal stuff: by sending me content to publish you are confirming that you hold copyright of all material and are authorising me to reproduce it on this site.)
Non-Conformist Chapel, London Road Cemetery, Coventry
Tragic Fire at Non-Conformist Chapel
The beautiful but sadly abandoned non-conformist Chapel at London Road cemetery was badly damaged by fire on the afternoon of 29 August 2006. Shockingly, the blaze appears to have been arson possibly caused by a group of Goths who later filmed the fire being extinguished. This is the second fire at the chapel and unless security at the cemetery is improved I doubt it will be the last.The fire extensively damaged the Chapel roof and I expect it will now be left to decay as it seems unlikely that funds will be made available for repair.
Lost Gravestone of a former Coventry Mayor!
Thomas Luckman was Mayor of Coventry 1782-83.
Thomas married Mary Parry at Holy Trinity Coventry on the 7th May 1763. He was buried on the 14th June 1784 in part of Holy Trinity’s graveyard which once belonged to St Mary’s Priory, Coventry’s first Cathedral. His wife joined him on the 6th July 1813.Over the following years their descendants have always known of the existence of the grave stone. When they heard of the excavations at St Mary’s that took place in 1999 they followed them with interest. Now it would appear that the gravestone has been lost, even though it is of considerable weight and size. Many of the stones removed from the graveyard have since been moved to London Road Cemetery but unfortunately Mr and Mrs Luckman’s tribute was not one of them and no trace of it has been found.
Update August 2005
The gravestone of Thomas Luckman is still missing and the council have admitted they have no idea of its fate, although they have apologised for its loss. The Council also confessed that no records of the stone were kept so they have no way to trace its movements at the site, or its removal. The Luckman families' stone may not have been the only stone to go missing, but it seems that only the larger stones were affected. Could they have been stolen? Perhaps skimmed to be used again by unscrupulous stone masons? If anyone should catch sight of this elusive stone I am sure Mr Luckmam's relatives would be delighted.Update October 2005
It has now come to light that as many as 50 grave stones could be missing from the historic graveyard! Apparently there were plans to use some of our ancestor's gravestones as paving slabs as part of the Phoenix initiative! This plan however was abandoned and the stones were subsequently lost. The staff responsible no longer work for the Council so there is no way to discover how or where these gravestones are now.
Sadly neglected grave of
James Starley
The grave of James Starley
Even the grave of James Starley is in need of repair!James Starley (1830-1881) was an inventor and manufacturer, often called The Father of the Bicycle Industry.
It was his inventions and improvements which made bicycles practical and popular, which made bicycles much comfier to use and therefore very popular. James Starley also invented the tricycle and improved the sewing machine. The Rover car company can be traced to the Starley family
James Starley is buried in London Road Cemetery, Coventry. As you can see from my photograph, his grave has been sadly neglected. For a man who played such an important part of Coventry's local history, it is saddening to see that his grave has not been maintained.
