Popular Post KivoOwl Posted July 24, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 24, 2020 Might seem a bit morbid and sad to some, but I've recently got round to researching the final resting place of some of our greatest players. There are a few amazing resources available that allow you to pinpoint grave plots - it would take days if not weeks to find specific graves at City Road Cemetery if not for the likes of sheffieldindexers.com I really regret not taking a little memento, a Wednesday pin badge or something, to place on these graves as they have been long forgotten. I'll update this thread with a post dedicated to each I find. 9 4 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KivoOwl Posted July 24, 2020 Author Share Posted July 24, 2020 Alf Wood A player from our very first few seasons, he played in the Cromwell Cup final in 1868, but died aged only 29 in 1875. He was buried at St. Mary's Church on Bramall Lane but over the intervening years more and more of the churchyard has been taken over by the road planners. Bodies were exhumed and moved to other cemeteries - I'm not sure where Alf is now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post KivoOwl Posted July 24, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 24, 2020 John Marsh Our very first captain. Nicknamed the 'Little Wonder', he helped form the club in September 1867 and led the side to the Cromwell Cup victory the following spring. It is believed Marsh is the figure holding the ball in this drawing, of the Sheffield FA team that took on London in 1874. He retired to take over the Crystal Palace pub in Thurlstone, and broke an arm while playing for the village team he had helped form there. The arm never healed properly, and he died in 1880 aged just 37. He is buried in the churchyard at St. James the Baptist in Penistone. His headstone is laid down, with the edges partly buried, under a big tree next to the wall on Church Street. 4 4 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KivoOwl Posted July 24, 2020 Author Share Posted July 24, 2020 George Ulyett Famed more for his career in cricket, George Ulyett did occasionally swap wicket keeping duties for the goalkeeping position on the football field. He played in one FA Cup game for Wednesday, in 1883. He played for Yorkshire in the summer game, and won his first England cap in the first ever test match, against Australia in 1877. This means Wednesday are the only club to have been represented in the first football and cricket international games. A famous incident occured in 1884 at Lord's - "Ulyett sent down a straight half-volley to Bonnor, who drove at it with all his considerable might and got it right out of the middle of the bat. The ball flew back towards the bowler with a resounding crack. It seemed to Ulyett barely to have left his hand—yet already it was flying back to him at what seemed like the speed of light. He had no time to judge it but held out the right hand instinctively, and the leather stuck, right in the middle of his palm. With the sound of Bonnor's stroke still echoing about the ground, many eyes in the gallery were looking for the area near the boundary where they thought that the ball would land. The eyes of George Giffen, the non-striker, were among the wanderers, and he was certain that everyone else must be looking for it, too: indeed, a segment of the crowd, in panic, had even opened up a space in the ring in anticipation of the ball's descent. Giffen reckoned it to have been a very mighty drive indeed—but he could not see where it had gone. When, finally, his and other eyes were diverted back towards the pitch, they noticed Ulyett celebrating and Bonnor was departing. It soon dawned on them that Ulyett had taken the catch. Although Ulyett felt no pain in the centre of his hand, there was definitely a fair amount of it on the outside. Bonnor looked at him disgustedly, thinking it almost immoral to have done such a thing, and he walked off gloomily. The England players gathered around Ulyett in wonderment. They seemed to the Wisden correspondent to be curious as to what kind of man this was—although they were also keen to congratulate him on his evasion of impending danger. The looks on the faces of Allan Steel and Alfred Lyttelton would stay with Wisden's man for a long time. WG Grace and Lord Harris both told Ulyett that he was foolish to have attempted to take the catch: had it hit his wrist or arm instead, that bone would surely have snapped. Giffen believed that this was one of the finest catches that he had ever seen, and, although on the team which it had adversely affected, he definitely appreciated it." Over 4,000 turned out for his funeral when he died of pneumonia aged 46. He is buried at Burngreave Cemetery. 5 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axolotl Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 Think this is brilliant and fascinating. Look forward to more if you're able to find them. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KivoOwl Posted July 24, 2020 Author Share Posted July 24, 2020 William Stacey and Jack Houseley Two former team-mated buried at the old General Cemetery off Ecclesall Road, whose graves I have been unable to find. I have Stacey's grave plot number (died 1903), but it appears he has no headstone - I struggled to get to it anyway it is that overgrown. He was Wednesday's goalkeeper through much of the 1870s and helped us win the Sheffield Challenge Cup in 1877. Houseley was buried in an unmarked grave in 1908. He too played for Wednesday during the 1870s, though appeared more often for the old Heeley club. Both played for Sheffield against London. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@owlstalk Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 Been watching your adventures and have to say it's superb work mate Nicely done 2 Owlstalk Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Worthing_owl Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 Very interesting, Do you intend to look for any post war graves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KivoOwl Posted July 24, 2020 Author Share Posted July 24, 2020 (edited) Teddy Brayshaw This is a really sad one. Teddy joined Wednesday aged 21 and became a commanding centre-back through the 1880s. He was rewarded with an England cap in 1887. He helped Wednesday to the inaugural Football Alliance title in 1890 and played in the FA Cup final defeat the same year. In later life, he struggled with family life and developed mental health problems. He was committed to several mental asylums and attempted suicide at Fir Vale Workhouse in 1907. He survived, but died a year later at Wadsley Asylum. There is no cause of death given in any obituaries. If he successfully committed suicide at Wadsley, it is possible he could not have been allowed to be buried in the family plot on consecrated ground. Maybe the compromise was to bury him without an inscription. Alternatively, when he died he was alone and no there was close relative, who had the inclination or funds to complete the inscription. Either way, he is buried at Burngreave Cemetery with his father (a Sheffield police detective who had died on active duty when Teddy was 4), mother and sister. http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamPlyrsBios/PlayersB/BioBrayshawE.html Edited July 24, 2020 by KivoOwl 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KivoOwl Posted July 24, 2020 Author Share Posted July 24, 2020 3 minutes ago, Worthing_owl said: Very interesting, Do you intend to look for any post war graves? Most people now are cremated, but there are a few I'd love to find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Owl Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 Wonder if we could do anything on the annual anniversary of the club each year to commemorate them, i.e. placing a rosette or some other token of the club on their graves, they deserve to be remembered. Keep up the excellent work Kivo. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KivoOwl Posted July 24, 2020 Author Share Posted July 24, 2020 Robert Gregory I've paid two visits to Ecclesall All Saints' now and still been unable to find the grave of one of Wednesday's earliest goalscorers. Gregory scored a hat-trick in our first ever FA Cup, and was a firm fans favourite. He also played for the Sheffield FA on numerous occasions. His burial plot is M641 if anyone nearby has the time to nip up and search for his headstone - I'm told it is a fairly large vault but I can't find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
31Dec1966 Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 10 minutes ago, KivoOwl said: William Stacey and Jack Houseley Two former team-mated buried at the old General Cemetery off Ecclesall Road, whose graves I have been unable to find. I have Stacey's grave plot number (died 1903), but it appears he has no headstone - I struggled to get to it anyway it is that overgrown. He was Wednesday's goalkeeper through much of the 1870s and helped us win the Sheffield Challenge Cup in 1877. Houseley was buried in an unmarked grave in 1908. He too played for Wednesday during the 1870s, though appeared more often for the old Heeley club. Both played for Sheffield against London. Very interested in this superb research, keep posting, great work. And No, it's not morbid or sad. Many headstones in the General Cemetery are almost impossible to get to. I walk through there once a week, early in the morning (about 6am). Beautiful in the summer but dark and "cold as the grave" in winter. And deserted most of the time. To think that thousands attended the funerals of such as Mark Firth and John Cole (Cole Brothers) and now their graves and monuments are ignored. It's sad how many of our early players died at a very early age, but that's what life was like back then. Carry on looking and please post any results on here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KivoOwl Posted July 24, 2020 Author Share Posted July 24, 2020 Alec Brady Scotsman Alec Brady joined Wednesday in 1892 having won the Scottish Cup with Celtic, and four years later he won the FA Cup for Wednesday at Crystal Palace. He died in 1913 back in Scotland, and is buried in Millburn Churchyard in Renton, His grave has recently been restored by the Celtic Graves Society. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
areNOTwhatTHEYseem Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KivoOwl Posted July 24, 2020 Author Share Posted July 24, 2020 Edwin and Thomas Buttery Brothers who both appeared for Wednesday in our first ever FA Cup tie in 1880. Edwin had won the Sheffield Challenge Cup in 1877. Thomas is buried at Norton Cemetery with his father, Edwin Sr., but there is no headstone. Edwin's burial site is unknown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearwood Owl1 Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 1 hour ago, KivoOwl said: John Marsh Our very first captain. Nicknamed the 'Little Wonder', he helped form the club in September 1867 and led the side to the Cromwell Cup victory the following spring. It is believed Marsh is the figure holding the ball in this drawing, of the Sheffield FA team that took on London in 1874. He retired to take over the Crystal Palace pub in Thurlstone, and broke an arm while playing for the village team he had helped form there. The arm never healed properly, and he died in 1880 aged just 37. He is buried in the churchyard at St. James the Baptist in Penistone. His headstone is laid down, with the edges partly buried, under a big tree next to the wall on Church Street. This is fascinating - Penistone is my home town, I'll have a look next time I'm up. I used to drink a bit in the Crystal at Thurlstone also. Never knew the history. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KivoOwl Posted July 24, 2020 Author Share Posted July 24, 2020 Harry Chapman This is one I have a personal interest in. Harry was born in my home village, Kiveton Park, in 1880, two years after his brother Herbert, who went on to manage Arsenal and Huddersfield to Football League titles. Harry helped Wednesday to the 1903 and 1904 Football League championships and was man of the match in the 1907 FA Cup final. Sadly, he died of tuberculosis in 1916, and was buried at Wales Cemetery. His nephew, Ken, is still alive and I speak with him regularly. He recalls seeing Harry's headstone, in the shape of the FA Cup, but it was stolen and not replaced. Harry currently has no headstone, which I'd love to change. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bulgaria Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 What a lovely thread. Nice one, very interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KivoOwl Posted July 24, 2020 Author Share Posted July 24, 2020 Harry Burton A sturdy centre-back who joined Wednesday aged 21, Harry Burton went on to win the 1904 league title and 1907 FA Cup with Wednesday. He is buried at Tinsley Park Cemetery. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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