St George's Church

Stalybridge

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Notices

NOTICE OF VANDALISM AFFECTING CHURCHYARD MEMORIAL STONES, 7th NOVEMBER 2025

We have unfortunately had a spate of vandalism in the churchyard, and some 25 memorial stones have been pushed over.  We believe this was done around Wednesday and Thursday night, 29/30th October.  There seems to be no motive for this except perhaps a senseless and destructive celebration of Halloween.  The matter has of course been reported to the police.

St George’s Church cannot fund remedial work to the memorials since they are owned by individual families and not covered as part of the building insurance.

For further information or to advise of work or intended work, please contact the Vicar, Rev'd Denise Owen either by:

The affected graves and last associated names (burial or memorial) are as follows:

  • location R09 G41 (EDITH BRAYSHAW, 2011)
  • location R15 G28 (SARAH JANE CHRISTIAN, 1960)
  • location R16 G14 (ANNIE BENNETT, 1998)
  • location R22 G20 (EDITH HAGUE, 1993)
  • location R22 G42 (BRENDA EDITH NEVILLE, 1999)
  • location RB04 G01A (HANNAH FELICITY ANKER, 2013)
  • location RB04 G05 (JAMES HENRY RUSHTON BOULTON, 1960)
  • location RB08 G04 (DORA LINNEY, 1937)
  • location RB08 G10 (ANNIE SWIFT, 1970)
  • location RB11 G09 (MARY MAY HIRST, 1997)
  • location RB12 G05 (WILFRED HUGHES, 1996)
  • location RB12 G07 (ROBERT HENDRY, 1988)
  • location RB12 G10 (JOAN BOWKER, 2007)
  • location RB12 G11 (MARJORIE QUARMBY, 2011)
  • location RB13 G01A (ALICE DOBSON, 1993)
  • location RB13 G02B (EDWARD MCCARTHY, 2006)
  • location RB14 G03 (MICHAEL WHALLEY, 1991)
  • location RB14 G07 (JOHN DODDS, 1994)
  • location RB16 G07 (JANE MARIE CALLAGHAN, 1993)
  • location RB18 G08 (JAMES COOK, 2004)
  • location RB20 G02 (NADIA PETRENKO, 1999)
  • location RB20 G10 (AGNES SWINDELLS, 2013)
  • location RB20 G12 (DORIS HUNT, 2003)
  • location RB23 G17 (KATHLEEN MARY WILSON, 2002)
  • location RB23 G28 (MARIA ROBINSON, 2008)

(end of list)

Remedial work

The memorials have been pushed over with significant force.  The damage is usually one or more of the following:

  • the memorial is intact and has separated from the concrete base that is still in the ground.  If the concrete base is still secure, the memorial needs bedding back on the base with either cement/sand (not ReadyMixed), cement/granolithic, or a proprietary gun applied adhesive.  This work can be done by the owner or family.  It is a two-person job.
  • the ground concrete base is loose, or has been uprooted and is still attached to the memorial.  It may be possible to excavate, compact the ground to form an enlarged ground base and lay new concrete, whether keeping the old one or not.  Please note the memorial should have an anchor into the concrete.  If in doubt, please seek a local stonemason for the work.  If you do the work yourself, it is a two-person job.
  • the granite or stone material of the memorial is damaged or memorial components have separated or are loose.  This type of repair should be done by a stonemason.

While the church do not offer to carry out repairs as a service, if you are doing the work yourself, it may be possible to meet the groundsman on site who can provide water and electricity to facilitate the work.  This would usually be on a Monday or Friday afternoon.  To arrange this please contact the warden, Val Fallows (email: stgeorge.wardens@yahoo.com) or the vicar as above.

STANDING NOTICE / INVITATION COMMENCING 5th FEBRUARY 2025

The family / owner / representative for each of the following graves are requested to visit the memorial stones and review the security of the bedding and fixing of their memorial.

Many of the following stones have only a mild issue or looseness which should be rectified in order to avoid further deterioration.  The Church currently do not offer to do this as a service; the church recommends approaching a local stonemason unless the family can personally carry out the work.

For further information or to advise of work or intended work, please contact the Vicar, Rev'd Denise Owen either by:

Families should be aware that a number of the identified memorials are considered to be potentially dangerous, by which we mean that the memorial may relatively easily fall over.  All families are reminded that liability for any damage or injury arising from a deteriorated installation rests with the family, not the church.  Those memorials considered to be potentially dangerous will be laid on the ground on 2nd May 2025.

The last associated names (burial or memorial) are as follows:

  • CLAIRE LOUISE BUCKLEY in 2010 (location R4 G38)
  • DAVID RADCLIFFE in 1959 (location R5 G34)
  • BEN HANVEY in 1987 (location R6 G36)
  • MARY TURNER in 1998 (location R6 G40)
  • ANNIE DAWSON in 1939 (location R9 G11)
  • VERA TURNER in 1969 (location R9 G39)
  • EDITH LONGDEN in 2009 (location R11 G38)
  • JANE CUTTLE in 1947 (location R12 G23)
  • LEAH HALL in 1964 (location R12 G40)
  • WALTER SIDDALL in 1940 (location R14 G11)
  • JOHN WILLIAM CHRISTIAN in 1969 (location R15 G28)
  • BRENDA EDITH NEVILLE in 1999 (location R22 G42)
  • ALBERT COOPER in 1953 (location R23 G12)
  • JANE SPORLE in 1904 (location R24 G37)
  • NORMAN COUNCIL in 2014 (location R24 G43)
  • SAMUEL COOKE in 1989 (location R26 G30)
  • HANNAH EDGAR in 1893 (location R28 G32)
  • JAMES REECE HOUGH in 1996 (location R33 G2)
  • ALBERT HOUGH in 1988 (location R34 G2)
  • JAMES HENRY RUSHTON BOULTON in 1960 (location RB4 G5)
  • ELIZA ARMITAGE in 1947 (location RB7 G11)
  • MARY MAY HIRST in 1997 (location RB11 G9)
  • JOHN SCHOFIELD in 2024 (location RB11 G10)
  • WILFRED HUGHES in 1996 (location RB12 G5)
  • ALICE DOBSON in 1993 (location RB13 G1A)
  • MICHAEL WHALLEY in 1991 (location RB14 G3)
  • SARAH KIRK in 2003 (location RB14 G5)
  • JOHN DODDS in 1994 (location RB14 G7)
  • ANIELLO DONATO SERSA in 2022 (location RB14 G2B)
  • SYLVIA LEES in 1999 (location RB20 G5)
  • JOHN BARRATT in 1996 (location RB20 G8)
  • GEORGE WILLIAM WILSON in 1943 (location RB23 G8)
  • QUENTIN MACKENZIE in 1989 (location RB23 G11)
  • ALICE MEADOWCROFT in 1997 (location RB23 G15)
  • ELIZABETH HETHERINGTON in 1980 (location RB23 G16)
  • MARIA ROBINSON in 2008 (location RB23 G28)
  • EMMA ALEXANDER in 1953 (location RB24 G4)
  • KATHLEEN ELLIOTT TURNER in 2001 (location RB24 G15)
  • DOROTHY ALLSOPP in 2017 (location RB24 G19)
  • GEORGE LEE in 1985 (location RB24 G23)
  • JOSEPH ROGERS in 2014 (location RB24 G27)
  • ALICE CARR in 1994 (location RB25 G26)
  • RONALD BESWICK in 1988 (location RB25 G27)
  • MARY PRIESTLEY in 1994 (location RB26 G27)
  • JESSIE BIRCH in 2011 (location RB26 G28)
  • LEONARD YATES SHORROCK in 1989 (location RB26 G29)

EXPIRED NOTICES

 

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