Wednesday 21 April 2021

A to Z April Challenge: R is for John Radcliffe

Genealogists always want to know where their ancestors are buried. It’s not just to see what else they might learn from their gravesites. It’s more than that. It’s a need to connect with them, to know they’re ‘at peace’. Many countless hours are spent seeking out their final resting place, so to help ensure they're not forgotten again, I'm creating a virtual graveyard, incorporating a memorial for each one. R is for Radcliffe - John Radcliffe, my maternal third-great-grandfather.

John Radcliffe
Birth: 15 June 1827

Yellow Walls, Malahide, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Death:30 October 1866, (aged 39 years)

Bay Street, Sandridge, Victoria, Australia
Burial: 1 November 1866
Melbourne General Cemetery

Carlton North, Melbourne City, Victoria, Australia
Plot: Roman Catholic, Monumental, Compartment Q 807, Grave 240
Link to:     Memorial at Find A Grave

Headstone:
John was buried in a double grave, near the Catholic Chapel. There is a photograph of it on Find A Grave. The grave is now in poor repair. The headstone has fallen over and it is covered with dirt.

John is buried with his second wife Bridget and his mother-in-law Bridget Flannagan, who died on 15 July 1870.

Funeral notice:
Argus, 1 November 1866, p. 8

The Friends of the late Mr. JOHN RADCLIFFE, builder, are respectfully invited to follow his remains to the place of interment, Melbourne General Cemetery. The funeral to move from his late residence, Bay-street, Sandridge, near the President Lincoln Hotel, THIS DAY (Thursday), November 1, at 2 o'clock p.m. JOHN DALEY, undertaker, Labrobe and Spring streets, Melbourne.

Links to memorials of immediate family members:
Spouse 1:Mary Leonard (Abt. 1825-1853, m. 1848)
Spouse 2:Bridget Flanagan (Abt. 1842-1869, m. 1861)
Daughter:Anne (Radcliffe) Carroll (1849-1918)
Father: Peter Radcliffe (1798-1887)
Mother:Anne (Sarsfield) Radcliffe (Abt. 1799-1866)
Brother: Thomas Radcliffe (1829-1905)
Brother:Peter Radcliffe (1833-1891)
Brother: Joseph Radcliffe (1835-1918)
Brother:  Christopher Radcliffe (1844-1872)

My intention is to create a virtual graveyard with a memorial for each of my ancestors. The category 'Theme: Virtual Graveyard', seen on the right, is the graveyard gate. Clicking here, you enter my graveyard. You can visit each grave, irrespective of where in the world they are physically located.

Links for my direct ancestors above are, or will be, to their memorial in the 'virtual graveyard' at Black Raven Genealogy. Links for members of their immediate family are to a memorial at Find A Grave, if one has been created. Find A Grave is an online collection of gravesites and memorials from around the world.



The 'A to Z April Challenge' - 26 blog posts, in 26 days, with 26 letters of the alphabet, and one post dedicated to each letter.

8 comments:

  1. Your virtual graveyard is looking great Dara. There’s quite a bit of info in that obituary to follow up

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    1. Yes, I believe I have followed it all up Jennifer, hope I'm not missing anything that would be obvious to a local!

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  2. Dara, I have to admit that I am not sure what a Virtual Graveyard is.

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    1. Really, it's just a place to include memorials for my ancestors, Colleen, and linking them with a category tag. Some day I hope to include photographs of each of their gravesites too, and as much about their funeral and grave as possible.

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  3. You are going great guns with this virtual graveyard Dara. :)

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    1. Thanks Alex, doing it in 26 days is a bigger challenge than I imagined, but I'll have covered the vast majority by the time April is up.

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  4. Good to see Australia in your collection.

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    1. ...if only he'd survived a few more years I might have been Australian, Jill. :-)))

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!