Happy Halloween From Walsall 31/10/2009

On All Hallows Eve, an eerie Walsall location……….

Walsall’s oldest municipal cemetery is in Queen Street, it is the last resting place of the town’s famous Victorian nurse, Sister Dora.

The vast majority of the monuments have sadly now been cleared, and it is very over grown. But there are a few monuments remaining, most notably those of Sister Dora and Walsall’s very own Victorian engineer Henry Boys. His gravestone bears the following inscription:

“In memory of Henry Boys, died 16th March 1894, aged 62 years.

In his prosperity he forgot not the poor or the suffering, but generously gave his wealth for their comfort and benefit. He built and endowed 12 Almshouses for poor old men and women, on the occasion of the jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Victoria and by his will he increased the endowment, and provided in perpetuity, for the education and maintenance of 9 poor orphan children, besides leaving funds for supplying boots, blankets and shoes for poor men, women and children of his native town of Walsall and liberal benefactions to the Walsall Cottage Hospital and other local institutions and charities.”

Sadly this cemetery, the town’s principal monument to its Victorian forbears is being badly neglected, and before long it is doubtful that there will be even a single headstone left standing.

In actual fact Queen St cemetery is not eerie at all, it is very peaceful and very green. But in my opinion it is a poor verdict on our efforts to care for the town’s Victorian generations.