Remembered Today: William Corby, buried at Whalley (Queen Mary Hospital) Cemetery

[Mark Hone]

I never fail to be amazed at the things I find out on this Forum. Today's 'Remembered' serviceman, Private William Corby, is buried in a cemetery not that far away from me, which I had no idea existed and only has limited access via an arrangement with the owners of the adjoining site. I shall try to gain access to this cemetery in the near future to pay.my respects to those buried within. Has anyone else by any chance visited this cemetery? 

Edited 5 January , 2020 by Mark Hone

[BereniceUK]

Not the cemetery,but I once walked from Whalley up to the hospital site, and managed to get access to what used to be the chapel. Inside is a memorial board of those who died at the hospital between 1914-1919. Is William Corby the same man as W.B. Corbey, right-hand column, close to the bottom?

 

[Mark Hone]

Yes-he was William Benjamin Corby , who was 53 when he died. Thanks very much for posting this.  Is the memorial accessible? I'm currently looking into the story of CSM Matthew Rathborne, also commemorated there, who died in February 1920, aged 47. A tramway manager from Stalybridge in civilian life, he went out to the Western Front in 1915 as a member of 10th Kings Royal Rifle Corps. Several men buried there, and commemorated on the plaque, died in 1920. 

Edited 24 January , 2020 by Mark Hone

[BereniceUK]

From what I can see online, it's intended to close Calderstones Hospital, but at present there's no fixed date. The Wikipedia page has a photo of a plaque in the hospital grounds which I wasn't aware of.

 

As for access to the Pendleton Centre (the former chapel), I turned up at Calderstones on spec, and it took a bit of wheedling before someone took me there. My working for the NHS might have helped. Give 'em a ring and ask.

[Mark Hone]

I hope to visit the cemetery in the near future. I have tried to contact some relatives of CSM Rathborne via a genealogy website, so far without success. One of the family trees on which he is recorded includes a newspaper article based on one of his letters home, describing his unit's baptism of fire in mid-1915.  It was from clues within this article ( notably that their first officer fatality was a Lieutenant Maude) that I was able to deduce that he was originally a member of 10th KRRC. Unfortunately, I haven't located an obituary for him indicating why he was still in a military hospital in early 1920. 

The officer involved was 2nd Lt. John William Achley Maude, 10th Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps, aged 29, from Englefield Green, Surrey who was killed on 23rd August 1915. He is buried at Rue-Du-Bacquerot Cemetery, Laventie.

Edited 24 January , 2020 by Mark Hone

[Mark Hone]

I am planning to visit the cemetery in the near future. Echoing a comment on another, unrelated, thread, are there any other CWGC cemeteries where you have to ask permission from a third party to visit? 

[BereniceUK]

The cemetery at Lancaster R.C. Cathedral, where there's one WW2 burial, is surrounded by a high wall, and normally kept locked. The relatives of those buried there have a key for access, so you either have to know a keyholder to get in, or try and find work going on inside - ground maintenance or a grave being dug - for access. You could also try asking the cathedral authorities.

 

The reason for there being a high wall seems to be that the cemetery predates the cathedral, and originally was for the use of a convent.

 

I had a conversation with someone at a Liverpool synagogue, and I think he said that Long Lane Jewish Cemetery, Kirkdale, Liverpool, is normally kept locked. Five German, one Polish, and one UK WW2 burials; Brian Epstein is also buried there Can't remember if Broad Green Jewish Cemetery, Liverpool, is also kept locked.

https://www.jewsfww.uk/broadgreen-jewish-cemetery-3157.php

Edited 7 February , 2020 by BereniceUK

[Mark Hone]

I was planning to pay a visit over the next few days but Whalley is once again under flood risk as a result of successive storms. 

[Mark Hone]

I'm hoping to make my delayed visit in a few weeks' time, all being well. I've started to look at a few of the other men buried there, including CSM Matthew Rathborne and Corporal Robert John Forgrave, RE, who died the day before him, aged 44. He was a pre-war Regular, who joined the Royal Artillery in 1902. I need to look at his Pension record, using my WFA membership.  

Edited 23 February , 2020 by Mark Hone

[BereniceUK]

So have you had to get permission to visit there? I'd be interested to know if it's kept locked, as I wouldn't mind going to see if there are any Boer War-related graves.

[BIFFO]

[William Robin Benham]

BereniceUK.   I've just noticed that the memorial board does indeed say to 1919.  CSM Matthew Rathborne died in hospital in 1920.  It leads one to think that his demise was the result of an illness started in 1919.  But perhaps he was allowed a little leeway. 

I've found an old post on PPRuNe dot org the professional pilot's rumour network.   \Jet Blast.  The chaps are not just pilots, but from all walks of life.  They have been astonishingly helpful over the years I've been a member - and it does mean I can put something on here without burdening this site for those not interested. 

 

https://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/588407-finding-granddad.html

I'm now very unaware of the services of WGC.  Very proud and appreciative.  What my post includes as AKA Loose rivets, is the letter and the idea that the graveyard owner wants the land for housing. 

I see today also that I'd got the Lt's name wrong in a PM  Maude is correct.

Between this site and PPRuNe, I'd say I'd got enough evidence to convince a court to allow a birth certificate. 

Edited 17 June , 2020 by William Robin Benham

[Mark Hone]

A few of the men buried at the Queen Mary Cemetery and named on the plaque actually died in 1920. As I mention on another thread, my plans to visit the cemetery earlier this year were overtaken by events (firstly flood and then the coronavirus pandemic). I hope to visit in the not too distant future.