The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-05-23 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

to provide one bnrial ground for their common
ussetn n Haen d A
pointed
mktbocuotte had burialhattheha hamlets of
grounds of
own. We had no right to use the church-
yards in those parishes. The townships of
Upper Swiuford and Stourbridge had long had
a burial ground for their common use. The Lye
also had a burial ground for its own use. Such
being the case they had met together to consider
the desirability of having a burial ground for
their joint use, and it was for the meeting to
say whether they would have one or not. If they
were not to have one, let those who were opposed
to it show how they were to manage without one.
The time would come before long when there
would be no burial room at all in the existing
I churchyard. He therefore moved that resolu-
tion, and it would be for any one to second
it.
Mr. McEwen said he begged to second the
resolution that had just been proposed. He
thought he had some interest in that parish and
in the township of Stourbridge. He had to pay
rates there and in Stourbridge, and if there was
any great expense connected with having a ceme-
tery, lie, for one, should be one of the greatest
stilfirr re, as he should have to pay the rates
I in both places. If he saw no necessity for u
1 burial ground, his policy would be to object to
1 tile motion. He thought, however, that as the
ground at Oldswinford was nearly filled up they
J had no alternative but to provide a fresh place
fir interring their dead. When the question
wan discussed two or three years ago, he was
j then of opinion that a cemetery would be the
' hest way of meeting the difficulty. The neces-
sity for that was, however, staved off for a time
j by purchasing the remaining portion of Mr.
1 Craufurd's laud and enclosing it in the present
churchyard. They were then told that this
would afford hut temporary relief, and that in the
' course of a few years additional burial room
would be required. tie, therefore, thought that
I the time had now come when something shonld
be done to provide is burial ground for the united
p•trishes. He was sure it would be to the ad-
vantage of Upper Swiuford to have Stourbridge
with it, because the population of the latter would
pay a large proportion of the rates. With refer-
mice to the Lye they should do better without
them, seeing that they must have a burial
ground ; for he Was not aware that any one pre.
sent at that meeting could tell them how to do
without it. He fearlessly challenged any one in
the loom to say how they could do without it.
Stoarbridge Was the only town in the kingdom
that had not a burial ground. Besides if the
present ground could be extended the parishion-
ers would have to pay for it. He concluded by
urging upon those present the importence of
the resolution.
Mr. Prescott said as regarded the merits of
that question, it was usual at all meetings for
those who supported the affirmative to show their
resons for doing so; but he did not think that
Were had been adduced one tittle of evidence to
show that there was anything dangerous to
health iucurred by burying at Oldswinford. The
only one who was really anxious to haves ceme-
tery was the person most interested, because hie
property was so near the churchyard—tlaughter
and cheers). That question had been discussed
before, and it was only those who were interested
ia getting the churchyard removed, who kept up
tie agitation; and they go round the pari4h say-
ing, '• Where are you to bury the dead ' The
rev, gentleman who was in the chair, had chal-
lenged him, and said the burial grountti at Am-
blecote and Wollaston were filled up.
The Chairman said he named Amblecote in a
mistake, but he did not say Wollaston.
Mr. Prescott said he would take Aniblecote.
his sexton of that place had told bin, there
were two or three acres of ground attached to
it hit were not yet filled up. That was as central
a position as they can possibly get in which to
oury their dead. It was no use for one or two
gebt ernen who bad smart houses to say they did
not want to have the burial ground near thew
—(laughter and cheers). IA hen Mr. McEwen
houg:it that property he, doubtless,got it cheaper
on account of the nuisance of having the burial
grouuti so near to it ; mid so had others, and
the was the reasou,these parishes were to be put
to the expense of a cemetery ; and that was the
reason that meeting was called at that hour of
the day, when they thought the working people
could not come. They themselves were about going
to dinner, and they thought they might as well on
their road there arrange to haves cemetery—thear,
hear). He asked, was that a fair way a dealing
with people, whose pockets had got to be touched
—t" no, no"). The gentleman who seconded the
resolution said, I am a large ratepayer." He
would tell him that there were others there who
were as large ratepayers as him, although, perhaps,
they had not such good coats on their hawk. There
would not only be the cost of purchasing the
ground for the cemetery, but there were so many
other things connected with it. There was a nu-
merous staff of officials to be kept with it. The
inhabitants of the Lye and Wollaston had too much
good sense to join them in such an expensive
scheme as a cemetery. They would not go there
(Wolitiston). lie challenged them to go to Wollas-
ton. As an amendment he should move that it
was not necessary at that moment that a burial
grouiel should be purchased. He did not care for
what Dr. Ballard had said with reference to it
being unhealthy. Dr. Ballard must go according
to law. Mr. McEwen bought the house subject to
these conditions—
Mr. tihermrd: You have already said that.
Mr. Prescott And if I say it another time you
can't stop me.
Mr. John Fletcher said he would second Mr.
' Prescott's proposition.
' Mr. Shemin' sail Mr. Fletcher was not a rate-
payer according to the books.
Seine confusion ensued, and
Mr. Chamberlain said he was a ratepayer of
Upper Swinford, and he had a demand against hint
. on his books lit the present time.
• Mr. Dallow, the rate-collector, said his name did
I not appear in his books.
Mr. Prescott said the rate collector did not know
his business.
j Mr. Sherrard said his name was not in the rate
books for Upper Su inford.
j Several of those present said Mr. Fletcher paid
' for the Waterloo Inn.
• Mx. Prescott: I dare say he pays for more pro-
perty than all the rest of theuf put together.
Mr. Shenard suggested that some one should
' second the proposition about whom there was no
• dispute.
Mr. Prescott said he could not allow that to go
. on, as Mr. Fletcher was the owner of Holderft's
Farm, and he was also the owner of the Waterloo
. Inn.
, Eventually, Mr. Llewellyn Hill seconded the
amendment.
, The Rev. J. Richards then rose and said he wan-
ted them to look at that matter in a plain, unvar-
eialaed way, without coupling with it any personali-
ties. He presumed they were met there torus pur-
pose in which they all must have a similar sym-
' pathy, namely, the providing of a suitable place
for burial. For his own part, he did not think he
should be here very long, and when the end came
• he supposed he should be interred at Oldswieford.
j So, individually, the matter concerned him very
' little. But the fact was Stourbridge occupied a
' singular position in that respect. Only the other
t day he (the speaker) attended a funeral at West
• Bromwich, and as other gentleman had observed
there were two large cemeteries there, where the
dead of till sects might be buried with a service in
aecnalance with their own convictions. Some years
ago he (the speaker) could recollect that two chil-
i dren who had died of fever were refused Christian
j burial at Oldswinford, because they had not been
previously baptised. And he could tell them that
whenever a Church of England clergyman buried
a person that was not baptised he was acting in
direct opposition to the law, as get forth in the
rubrics of the Church. He thought that alone
was a strong argument in favour of having a place
where all sects could meet on an equal footing.
The Roman Catholics had established a most
ble and beautiful place for the burial of their dead
just out of the town. The question lay between
the enlargement of the present churchyard and
the purchasing of new ground for a cemetery. He
thought even if the present churchyard could be j
enlarged the balance would be decidedly in favour '
of a cemetery. Reference had been made to the
Lye, Amblecote, and Wollaston. He was rather
surprised at what had been said about the Lye. It
was one of the worst kinds of soil or clay rather,
that could be used for that purpose. If they
j looked at the bank clay it was the very worst that
could be found. Amblecote was under some res-
trictions. It was under such restrict ionsthat either
they would have to keep adding to that large
churchyard, or they must have acemetery. Some
of the sights he had witnessed when they were ex-
cavating in Oldswinford churchyard in days gone
by. were revolting in the eatreme. They were po-
sitively indecent. If thaf was the case years ago
how much worse must it be at the present time.
He ccncluded by expressing himself as strongly in
favour of a cemetery, where persons of all deno-
minations could be buried in accordance with their
religious convictions.
The amendment was then put, and afterwards
the resolution, when the proposition to have a
cemetery wag negatived by a large majority, amid

much clapping oflhands, cheering, and other de-
monstrations of joy from Mr. Prescott's suppor-
ter's.

A poll was then demanded, and Mr. Shenurd
decided that a poll should be taken on Wednesday
next.