Now you would think you would easily spot a cemetery on top of a hill, no not this one.
Eventual I saw it, it was only half way up the hill, but surrounded by iron railings hidden by trees and a padlocked gate which looked as if it had not been opened for years.
Guess there must be another entrance around the back, so back down the hill took left turn through a housing estate to the end, then another left turn up a small track, if a bicycle had been coming the other way we could not have passed. Spotted a gap in the bank, there was just enough room to get the car in before I was faced with a five barred wood gate. (At least I could climb over that.) about fifty yards away I could see lines of headstones.
Upon reaching the head stones I noticed that they were all recent ones, the further I walked the earlier years were 1990s 80s 70s this looked promising, 1950s then a small line of trees, just through the trees 1945, I walked till I reached 1939s, then turned around and took this shot.
All the graves in front of the three in the centre and up to the trees are between 1939 -45.
So in theory Phyllis grave should be in this area, several have concrete surrounds but no names on them (wait for it) all the others are local people who have lived full lives.
Now if we know the plot number of Phyllis grave we can determine the exact spot.
As we have the plot number of the CWGC headstone in the centre.
Which is Plot C. Row 8. Grave 5.
But this is another mystery, why was this lad buried here and not in Yorkshire?
224 Sqdn
Son of Fred C Fox and Louisa Fox of Strathfield N.S.W. Australia.
Full story here.
http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/planes/41/n7298.html
Hopefully one day we will see a Headstone for Phyllis here.
Now her name will be in the Roof.
Today I thought I would have a look to see if I could find Phyllis grave, so went round the church yard at St Mary’s at Brancaster, the church was in a bit of a mess and covered with scaffolding as they are reroofing it. The grass in the graveyard is well trimmed and tidy so could walk round with ease, but there were only old graves from pre 1800s, then along the north wall I found about a dozen 2ft square tablets with the names of people who have died in recent years.
The lack of graves made me think that with the size of Brancaster there must be another burial plot somewhere, so wandered into the church to see if any of the workmen knew of anywhere else, inside there were roofing slates everywhere, I was then greeted by a nice couple who said “Have you come to sign a slate.” “Eh No” I said not having a clue what they was talking about.
I then explained what I was enquiring about, and they showed me a brass plaque on the wall, with Phyllis name on it, with all the others that are on the memorial outside.
They then said that across the road, years ago there was a grocery shop ran by people called Duffield. (Had already researched on that aspect and had already found a John Duffield, but his wife was called Eve. Could have been her brother but no Phyllis Mary Duffield in the 1911 census plenty of Phyllis Marys from Norfolk in that census, was Duffield her married name or did she come from another part of the country?)
They then told me that there was a cemetery for the church just up the Docking road on top of the hill. I thanked them for the information and said I would look up there.
(A tip for people doing the same as I, Ask for precise directions on how to accesses cemeteries.)
I was about to leave when they said “How about a Slate?”
How could I refuse, £5 to put a name on a slate. Now Phyllis name will be up in the Roof.
Dog needs walking, next post what I found at the Cemetery.
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