We have 2 Images Above Photograph(s)
Copyright of Rosemary Lockie

Friends Burial Ground,
Grove Street,
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

Church History

This Cemetery or Burial Ground was founded in 1700, though it is now closed, but we don't yet know when.

The photograph shows the west wall and (blocked) entrance gateway of the former Cheltenham's Friends Burial Ground. The iron plaque above the gateway reads 'Friends Burial 1700' with the year echoed in the arch of the metal gate.

The Burial Ground was associated with the foundation of the first Quaker Meeting in Cheltenham, which can be traced back to mention in 1658. Early meetings would have been held in secret, and in private premises, until the Religious Toleration Act of 1689 permitted non-conformists to meet in a public place.

The first Meeting House (now demolished) stood in Manchester Place (now Clarence Street), near to the old Shaftesbury Hall. It was erected in 1701-3, and registered for worship at Michaelmas Quarter Sessions in 1703. It was said (by Sarah Fox, a Quaker visiting from Bristol) to be similar to the Old Meeting House at Nailsworth (still in existence).

When this became too small for its congregation, a new Meeting House was built. After the Friends moved to their new premises, their old building continued in use for religious worship, until it was finally demolished around the end of the 19th century. It was occupied by Unitarians until 1844, after which they in turn moved on, to premises in Bayshill; then afterwards by Primitive Methodists.

The wall and entrance gateway to the Burial Ground now have 'Listed Building' status. An old brass plate identifying some of the interments is on display at the present-day Cheltenham Meeting House, in Warwick Place. [Source: Cheltenham Borough Archaeological Assessments, from the Gloucestershire Extensive Urban Survey (EUS) of 1995-8, and the British Listed Buildings website]

Denomination

Now or formerly a Cemetery (Quaker).

In most cases this will be a record of its original consecration.

Maps

This Cemetery was located at OS grid reference SO9441522772. You can see this on various mapping systems. Note all links open in a new window:

• Friends Burial Ground, Cheltenham shown on a Google Map.
• Places of Worship in Cheltenham shown on a Google Map.
• Streetmap.co.uk (arrow on map shows the Place of Worship's location) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Bing (Ordnance Survey option) (verified 2018-10-13)
• Bing Maps ('Bird's Eye' View) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Ordnance Survey "getamap" (NB some of the 'Change Map' options may require a subscription) (verified 2018-10-15)
• OpenStreetMap (Maps © OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA) (verified 2018-10-15)
• A Vision of Britain Through Time - useful for Boundary Changes (verified 2018-10-15)
• www.magic.gov.uk (Modern Maps with various overlays) (verified 2018-10-15)

Resources

I have found many websites of use whilst compiling the information for this database. Here are some which deserve mention as being of special interest for Cheltenham, and perhaps to Local History and Places of Worship as a whole.

• Part of a national programme of surveys of England's historic towns and cities - Gloucestershire Extensive Urban Survey (EUS) (null) (verified 2018-11-11)
• Learn more about Buildings of special or historical interest on the British Listed Buildings (null) (verified 2018-09-19)

The above links were selected and reviewed at the time I prepared the information, but please be aware their content may vary, or disappear entirely. These factors are outside my control.