Category: Research

Unmarked Grave

Back in November we featured John Charles Shaw, Buried in an unmarked grave in Brandwood End.. We were heartened by the interest this short article  sparked. Little did we know that it was a gift that would keep giving.  The resulting detail is the next phase but we have an idea it wont stop there……..      
                John Charles Shaw – Penistone footballing pioneer – NUMBER THREE
OK, what to say about John Charles Shaw? Let’s just start with a few of his contributions to our beautiful game:
· Founder of the worlds 2nd oldest association football club, Hallam FC
· First captain of the world’s oldest football club, Sheffield FC
· First ever player to lift a football trophy as captain of the winning team. Youdan Cup 1867
· Captain of Hallam FC for the world’s first ever club football match, Hallam FC vs Sheffield FC, 1860
· Established the world’s first ever county FA, Sheffield FA, 1867
· Played in the first ever intercity match, Sheffield vs Nottinghamshire 1865
· Played in the first ever inter association match, Bramall Lane, 1871
· Probably most importantly, President of Sheffield FA when the rules of football were finally unified in 1877.
Shaw was born in Penistone in 1830, the son of a bootmaker. Again, like our other 2 Penistone footballing pioneers (John Ness Dransfield & John Marsh), he was inspired to play football, baptised & educated by the Reverend Samuel Sunderland. Baptised at St John’s Church in Penistone & educated at Penistone Grammer School.
John worked as a clerk at Dransfield’s solicitors in Penistone before moving to Sheffield in the early 1850’s. He married Mary Ann Garnett in 1853, and the couple moved into premises at 19 Norfolk Row. (now Imperial Chambers). John operated a Legal Stationers business from the same address. It was during this period that Shaw developed relationships with like-minded footballing enthusiasts and able to take his Penistone footballing influences to Sheffield FC as their first official captain in 1859 (possibly earlier).
Shaw retained his membership of the Sheffield Club despite forming the world’s second oldest club Hallam in late 1860.
Shaw’s involvement with the development of the game in Sheffield and beyond is hugely impressive.
The Sheffield and Hallam clubs were involved in the first inter-club match in December 1860 with Creswick and Shaw the opposing captains.
John Charles Shaw was a member of the Sheffield team that played against a London representative side at Battersea Park in 1866.
The Hallam club, with John Charles Shaw as captain, were victorious in winning the world’s first adult knock-out football competition, the Youdan Trophy in 1867.
John Charles Shaw was a member of the Youdan organising committee which led to the establishing of the Sheffield Football Association in 1867. In 1868 he was Vice-President and in 1869 he became President of the Association. A position he retained for 14 years.
Shaw was voted to be 12th man in the first inter-association game held at Bramall Lane in 1871 between London and Sheffield. Charles William Alcock had selected a team to represent London but were a man short. John Charles Shaw played in goal for the visiting side.
In 1876, the Sheffield Association Challenge Cup was initiated. John Charles Shaw captained the Thursday Wanderers aged 46, in the first round of the cup, losing 5-4 to the Heeley club.
In 1877, with John Charles Shaw as President, the Sheffield Association, reached an agreement with the London Association regarding the rules of the game. This established a universal code for the playing of association football throughout England.
John Charles Shaw eventually moved to Birmingham due to work commitments, where he remained until his death in 1918.
The two decades between 1857 to 1877 are the most crucial in the making of the modern game of association football, prior to the onset of professionalism and leagues. John Charles Shaw straddled these two decades being at the forefront of this making and was a continuous presence helping to influence and shape the evolvement of the game. The world of football and Sheffield in particular, owe him a huge debt of gratitude.
John Charles Shaw’s grave at Brandwood End Cemetery, Kings Heath, Birmingham. It is the sad empty bit between the other two graves in the photo below.
Thanks to Kevin Neill for source information and photos.

Football Connection to Brandwood End

I am sure we must have some followers who are also interested in Football? This gentleman is buried in Brandwood End in an unmarked grave. Like many, he has a back story and a serious football connection!
 
John Charles Shaw – born 1830 Penistone a market town in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley West Riding of Yorkshire – died on the 23rd November 1918 aged eighty eight. His wife Louise had purchased the burial plot at Brandwood End Cemetery, Kings Heath Birmingham. Full obituaries appeared in the Birmingham and Sheffield press,
Educated at Penistone Gramma School – based on evidence took football played at Penistone to Sheffield in 1853 – First Captain of Sheffield Football Club – the world’s oldest football club founded1857 and Founder of Hallam Football Club 1860. Member of first representative side – London v Sheffield 1866. Captain of winning Hallam Club for Youdan Trophy 1867 – the world’s first organised knockout challenge cup. President of Sheffield Football Association – first provincial association in the country 1869 – oversaw the amalgamation with the Football Association in 1877.
Source kind permission of Hallam Football Club
Penistone History Archive
1866 was the year that saw the first representative soccer match between London and Sheffield and John Charles Shaw was selected to play in this first encounter. 1867 saw the Youdan Cup competition take place, with twelve Sheffield clubs taking part in this, the world’s first knock-out tournament, which was eventually won by Hallam. The Sheffield Football Association was formed shortly after the Youdan Cup.
What is highly significant is that John Charles Shaw is a major contributor in almost all of the initial stages of football development in Sheffield. He is connected not only with the establishment of the Sheffield Football Club, Hallam Club, and Youdan Cup, but also the founding of the Sheffield Football Association with its Players Insurance Fund, and the historic links with London and Birmingham.
http://www.playingpasts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/JCS-part-3-image-4.jpg.png
http://www.playingpasts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/JCS-part-3-image-5.jpg.png-300×169.jpg
The Youdan Trophy. The world’s first knock-out challenge cup competition. Won by the Hallam Club and held aloft in triumph by the captain, John Charles Shaw.
The following year saw the Cromwell Cup, the world’s second oldest competition. Won by the Wednesday Club and held aloft in triumph, by the victorious captain John Marsh, both captains, former pupils of Penistone Grammar School. Source: by permission of Hallam Football Club.
John Charles Shaw’s grave at Brandwood End Cemetery –
Section B2 C/E Grave 1326 – the empty space in the middle plot.

Welcome back Deutsche Bank.

We welcomed Deutsche Bank staff back to the Cemetery today to continue helping us to clear some of the more overgrown areas . Luckily the weather was relatively settled so we were all able to clear a large section in the time they were on site.

FBEC rely on the help of volunteers and corporate groups to be able to continue uncovering graves buried under shrubs and Ivy and clearing self set trees.

We are pleased to say that we still have several groups booked in for the remainder of this year so should be able to make inroads in other sections of the cemetery.

Our thanks to all our volunteers for giving up their time.

Who Lies Beneath?

‘WHO LIES BENEATH? If you recognise any of the unusual surnames below then just maybe one of your family relatives was a victim of the bombing in WW2 and buried within our Civilian Garden of Remembrance. Come along to the Garden between 11am and 2pm on Saturday 14th September to find out more.
Battista, Bramham, Courtnell, Everitt, Granner, Hollyoake, Lovedee, Shamsudi and many more. There are over 50 whose names we know but sadly- quite a few we don’t.
If you know you have family buried in this beautiful Civilian Garden we would love to know more about them if you feel you can share.

HERITAGE OPEN EVENTS- BRANDWOOD END 2023

This year the Friends will be hosting several events at Brandwood End Cemetery. If you would like to reserve a place at any event or have any queries then please contact us by e mail on friendsofbec@gmail.com or phone 07811393259. All events are also listed on the National Heritage Open site and the Birmingham Heritage Open event site.

8th SEPTEMBER – FRIDAY – ZOOM TALK  Ian Binnie – 7.30pm-8.30pm – Gallipoli and Brandwood End (Ian is the Education Officer for the Gallipoli Association) He will also be on site Tuesday.

 12th SEPTEMBER – TUESDAY – GRAVES WALK  Ian Binnie – 11am-12pm – Gallipoli and Brandwood End – Start at the Lodge

 13th SEPTEMBER – WEDNESDAY – STORIES FROM THE STONES  FBEC Memorial / Headstone Inscription Recording – 1000am-1200pm –Assemble at The Lodge. Be part of this larger project to record inscriptions and condition of memorials on to a digital map, for future generations.

 15th SEPTEMBER – FRIDAY – LICHEN STROLL SESSIONS X 2   Shirley Hancock – 10.30am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-1500pm – Start at the Lodge. Learn more about the secret world of Lichen. It is everywhere but do we really know anything about it? (A magnifying device would be helpful but not essential)

 16th SEPTEMBER – SATURDAY – MEET THE FRIENDS (FBEC)1100am-1400pm – The Lodge –Maps of measured routes in the cemetery, children’s painted stones trail – colouring competition etc. Find out what the Friends have been doing and our future plans. Enjoy a chance to look through some of our extensive research. No need to book for this event just come along  and partake in a chat and tea/coffee- provided by ‘Chatty Chatty Brum Brum’.

 

Stories from the Stones

Just a reminder that FBEC will be working with Caring for Gods Acre again on this project throughout 2023. This will be our third year. Unfortunately they had to cancel the March event due to snow and ice ! The next event will be 10th April. This is a fascinating project and a chance for you to take part in recording this information for future generations. Contact Josie to reserve a place at any, or all, of these FREE events.