Witton Cermetery view towards Birmingham

Witton Cemetery (), which opened in Witton in 1863 as Birmingham City Cemetery, is the largest

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. Covering an area of , it once had three chapels; however, two of these were demolished in 1980. The cemetery would perform up to 20 burials a day; however, it was declared "full to capacity" in December 2013, allowing burials only in existing family plots, or of babies or cremated remains. Extra capacity was therefore provided at the nearby New Hall Cemetery. The cemetery office was opened in 1999.

History

Started in May 1860 and consecrated by the Bishop of Worcester on 23 May 1863, it was the only cemetery owned by the Corporation of Birmingham until 1911, when an expansion of the city boundary brought in others.''In The Midst of Life - A History of the Burial Grounds of Birmingham'', Joseph McKenna, Birmingham Library Services, 1992, Key Hill and

Warstone Lane Cemetery Warstone Lane Cemetery, (), also called Brookfields Cemetery, Church of England Cemetery, or Mint Cemetery (from the adjacent Birmingham Mint), is a cemetery dating from 1847 in Birmingham, England. It is one of two cemeteries in the city's J ...

were private concerns. It opened in 1863 with an area of . In 1869, were bought by the Jewish community for their interments, forming Birmingham Hebrew Congregation Cemetery, at the north of the site, across College Road. In 1882 an

obelisk An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by An ...

was constructed to replace the monuments that were previously at The Old Meeting House chapel, which itself was demolished to make way for New Street railway station.Nicholson, Jean et al: ''The Obelisks of Warwickshire'', p. 46. Brewin Books, 2013

War graves

The cemetery contains 459 Commonwealth service war graves from

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, over 200 of whom form three denominational war graves plots marked by screen walls bearing names of those buried within the plots and elsewhere in the cemetery whose graves could not be marked by headstones.
CWGC Cemetery report. There are 224 Commonwealth war graves from

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the highest concentration (31 burials) in a small war graves plot in Sections 55 and 56, and the rest are scattered individually in the rest of the cemetery. The names of 12 service personnel of that war whose graves could not be marked by

CWGC The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mi ...

headstones were added to the screen wall at the World War I plots.

Notable burials

* Private

George Ravenhill George Albert Ravenhill VC (21 February 1872 – 14 April 1921) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and other Commonwealth forces. Ravenhi ...

(1872–1921), VC recipient

Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...

. Grave currently (2012) unmarked.
Burial Locations for VC Holders, city of Birmingham. * William Snook, athlete (1861–1916). Died in workhouse hospital, his funeral paid for by former running club

Birchfield Harriers Birchfield Harriers is an athletics club, founded in 1877. Its home is at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium, England. As well as welcoming recreational runners they cater for all levels of experience up to and including Olympic athletes whether a ...

. * Sergeant Arthur Vickers (1882–1944), VC recipient

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. *

John Cadbury John Cadbury (12 August 1801 – 11 May 1889) was a Quaker and English proprietor, tea and coffee trader and founder of Cadbury, the chocolate business based in Birmingham, England. Life John Cadbury was born in Birmingham on 12 August 1801 t ...

(1801–1889) was the proprietor of a small chocolate business in Birmingham, England, that later became Cadbury plc. * James Guidney (1782–1866), former soldier and pedlar

References

External links

Birmingham City Council page
{{Cemeteries in England Cemeteries in Birmingham, West Midlands Anglican cemeteries in the United Kingdom 1863 establishments in the United Kingdom