Liverpool’s Great Gothic Anglican Cathedral
This weekend, Ann and I, went on a historical walk, in St. James’s Cemetery, organised by Liverpool historian, and historical author… Steve Horton.
The walk, was to take place, in the old Liverpool Quarry, at the bottom of St. James Mount, which originally supplied stone to many of Liverpool’s old Dock’s in the 1700-1800’s… However, in the early 1820’s the quarry was acquired by the City Fathers, for a new cemetery within the City’s boundaries, as it was needed for the ever expanding population of Liverpool… So in the July of 1827, St. James’s Cemetery was opened…
Original graves hidden in the trees
In the early 1900’s the land above the cemetery, was acquired, and in 1904, the building of the Great Gothic ‘Anglican’ Cathedral, was commenced… In the 1960’s, the cemetery, below the Cathedral, was landscaped, many of the headstones were dropped, or moved to the sides of the cemetery/quarry, and turfed. Obelisk memorials were moved to a boundary position and the whole cemetery became a lot more user friendly, and in fact many people use it today for pick-nicks… and other peaceful pastimes… it was on this fine day, that we found Steve’s group of 20+ waiting at the top of the entrance path… and we made our way down to a group of stones at the top end of the cemetery…
Stones at the top end of St. James cemetery
The cemetery held 57,000+ when it was closed in 1937, and the last burial in the cemetery registers was 1934. Some sections of the registers are lost, through wear & tear, and water damage, so locating some plots at this cemetery, can be problematic… when I’m at the archives, researching… Steve, took us to a few in this area, and one notable one was that of James Ramsay, who at the age of 25, drowned in a tragic rowing accident on the River…
Some of the Obelisk Memorials… and some great explications and stories
The ancient Chalybeate Spring
Steve told another great story when he reached the Chalybeate Spring, in the cemetery… this story was taken from the Liverepool Ghost Stories, by Tom Slemen… supposedly, an Interment at the cemetery wandered into a local pub, and ordered himself a drink (I suppose he was on the spirits…lol), he gave his name to the landlord… then left… subsequently it was discovered that his crypt had been opened the same night…
The Huskisson Memorial