St Michael's, Coventry (now the ruined 'Old Cathedral')

dizzyme

dizzyme

Goes out of her way to help
I have ancestors that were buried at St Michael's, Coventry (which from 1918 was given Cathedral status) between 1830 & 1845 but I cannot find information relating to the churchyard!

Was it built over after the church was bombed in WWII & the new Cathedral built to the side of the original? Was it damaged in the bombing and the bodies/bones reinterred elsewhere?
 
This is all I can find, which may or may not help.

Code: 
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2241772/st-michael's-cathedral

The new Cathedral was built to the side of the bombed one and they left the ruins there.
 
Thank you @Sis Looking at Findmygrave website, the graves that have been transcribed are in the Bishops Palace Gardens opposite the Cathedral. Given it's size, assume that these are only a fraction of the graves of what would have been the original churchyard.
 
@dizzyme I've received a reply from Coventry Cathedral. How good is that.

Dear Anne,
Your recent enquiry has been forwarded to me for reply as Archivist for the Cathedral.
After the bombing of the Cathedral on 14 November 1940, it took some time to remove the rubble and begin a programme of conservation and renovation. Work on the new Cathedral began in June, 1954, and it was necessary to remove and re-intern some bodies to enable this to be carried out.
"The human remains in the old disused graveyard were removed to consecrated ground farther away in the graveyard towards Holy Trinity Church. Screens were placed across the windows of the ruins, to prevent people watching. ... it was all done reverently and decently. It took many months to complete."
(Ruined and Rebuilt The Story of Coventry Cathedral 1939 - 1962, by Provost R.T Howard, 1962).
Provost Howard's book is a marvelous account of the devastation, planning and construction of the new Cathedral, and this account of the removal of some of the deceased to a new plot towards Holy Trinity is in his own words.
As a volunteer, I work mainly from home, so I do not have access to the archival files unfortunately. But I do hope this information will be of help to your friend.
with best wishes
Dianne Morris MA
Cathedral Archivist
 
@Sis Thank you very much for the above reply from the Cathedral. Some of the surrounding neighbourhoods appear to have been very poor in the 1800's, my ancestors amongst them so imagine they were in paupers graves & will be part of the reinterred.

Will have to make a journey & visit.
Thanks again for emailing the Cathedral :) I should have thought of that :rolleyes:

Karen
 
dizzyme said:
@Sis Thank you very much for the above reply from the Cathedral. Some of the surrounding neighbourhoods appear to have been very poor in the 1800's, my ancestors amongst them so imagine they were in paupers graves & will be part of the reinterred.

Will have to make a journey & visit.
Thanks again for emailing the Cathedral :) I should have thought of that :rolleyes:

Karen
Click to expand...
You're welcome.
 
What a lovely and prompt reply.

I have to visit Coventry again soon - my relatives were all around Spon End, Earlsdon etc, and still are to this day. My aunt was dug out of the rubble after the bombing where the cathedral took a hit - the air raid shelter she was in caved in.
 
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