chrisharley9 Posted 4 January , 2012 Share Posted 4 January , 2012 IFCP has just found proof that this officer is buried here Name: BAGGALLAY, GEOFFREY THOMAS Initials: G T Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Captain Regiment/Service: Reserve of Officers Date of Death: 21/11/1920 N.B.: This casualty has recently been accepted for commemoration by the Commission. However, it will not be possible to add his name to this Memorial immediately. Please contact the Commission before planning a visit, for more information. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Memorial: BROOKWOOD (UNITED KINGDOM 1914-1918) MEMORIAL A high profile casualty in that he was one of the victims of Bloody Sunday in 1920 when he was murdered by the IRA Is there anyone local who would be prepared to walk the church yard in search of his grave & take a photo if necessary please Cheers Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Tiger Posted 4 January , 2012 Share Posted 4 January , 2012 Chris I take it you mean Merton Surrey, not Merton Norfolk If it's Surrey & no one comes forward PM me. I may be able to do it for you next week Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 5 January , 2012 Share Posted 5 January , 2012 Hi Chris. St Mary's, Merton, is about half a mile from me, so I will pop along one day soon (when it's not blowing a gale and lashing with rain) and have a look for this chap. As a 'high-profile' casualty, it seems almost certain that he will have a memorial (unlike a couple of others I've looked for in this area on your behalf in the past). Do you have any clues as to where in the churchyard I might find him? Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 5 January , 2012 Author Share Posted 5 January , 2012 Andy thanks for the offer but looks like Mick is best placed Mick Thanks for your offer The burial register gives no idea at all where the grave is in the churchyard. To make the grave even higher profile he was engaged to the rectors daughter. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 5 January , 2012 Share Posted 5 January , 2012 Sorry, Andy — but if you could get up here to photograph a grave, you could also come up some time for a drink with moi and TonyE ... If you've seen the burial register, Chris, do I take it that you've already been in communication with the vicar or the church warden? No point, then, in me seeking them out and asking if they happen to know where the grave is. It's an ancient church http://www.stmarysmerton.org.uk/history.htm and I shall just have to hope that the churchyard is laid out in some sort of date order, as this isn't the best time of year for looking at every single grave in the cemetery. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Tiger Posted 5 January , 2012 Share Posted 5 January , 2012 Mick, you only have to ask. Have you ever known me refuse a pint or 3 Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 6 January , 2012 Author Share Posted 6 January , 2012 Mick Burial register came courtesy of Surrey Records Office so I have not spoken to the church wardens Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 6 January , 2012 Share Posted 6 January , 2012 Well, I went up there this afternoon and spent an hour or more wandering round in ever-decreasing circles, as there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the layout of the churchyard as far as dates are concerned. I found Dan Maskell's wife, the horticulturalist John Innes, and a chap who was killed when the monitor HMS Glatton blew up in Dover Harbour, but no sign of Captain Baggallay, I fear. I shall get in touch with the vicar/churchwarden/verger and then go back and have another look. I shall enlist the assistance of TonyE and perhaps Andy would like to join us ... Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Tiger Posted 7 January , 2012 Share Posted 7 January , 2012 .....I shall enlist the assistance of TonyE and perhaps Andy would like to join us ... No problem; as long as it includes that drink you mentioned? I have previously found that seaching for graves is such thirsty work Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAW Posted 7 January , 2012 Share Posted 7 January , 2012 London Borough of Merton burials are recorded on the internet database Deceased Online: www.deceasedonline.com A search for the surname Baggallay revealed no burials in Merton, although this database may not include military personnel. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Underdown Posted 7 January , 2012 Share Posted 7 January , 2012 Mark, Chris has confirmed the location via the burial registers - I suspect Deceased Online only has the burials in municipal cemeteries, not churchyards as we are looking at here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGM Posted 7 January , 2012 Share Posted 7 January , 2012 Hello Mark, I can explain why Baggallay is not listed by DoL. Their records are of burials in the London Borough cemeteries, (and, incidentally, will contain details of all military personnel buried in these local authority cemeteries.) However, Parish records (i.e. of Christenings, Banns, Marriages and Churchyard burials) are the property of the individual churches and in the main are deposited in County Record Offices for safe keeping. Individual County Record Offices have individual ways of making this information available. Regards CGM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 7 January , 2012 Share Posted 7 January , 2012 I have now e-mailed the vicar of St Mary's and hope for an early and informative response. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 8 January , 2012 Share Posted 8 January , 2012 Quick and helpful response now received from the Vicar. He has passed my enquiry to the Parish archivist and historian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 10 January , 2012 Author Share Posted 10 January , 2012 Thanks very much Mick for your help on this one Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 12 January , 2012 Share Posted 12 January , 2012 Okay, I've got him and will e-mail photos to you shortly, Chris. Thanks are due to the Vicar of St Mary's, Merton Park and the parish archivists. I only just missed him last Friday, in the gathering gloom, as his inscription faces away from the path. It's difficult to make narrative directions more concise than "South of the church on the left side of the right-hand boundary path, 19 graves before the tomb of John Innes", but fortunately the archivist is going to send me a plot reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 13 January , 2012 Author Share Posted 13 January , 2012 Mick & Andy my thanks for your help on this case whick will in the passage of time ensure the Captain Baggallay will no longer be listed as having no known grave also my thanks to Bootneck for finding the burial register in the first place Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now