Ros, You have raised a very interesting point and one that Angela and I have been working on from some time, it seems that the local borough are also having the same problem! The question is who owns and maintains it now and who has the key? Angela has established contact with the Board of Deputies and is awaiting further developments. We have on our site a very brief history and a few photos (general and headstones) see www.genpals.com The information we have is only from headstones visible from outside the grounds - through the railings with a sharp eye! I believe there are some inscriptions recorded and visible on the web but no indication of which headstones still remain and what condition they are all in. Gaby Laws London UK > I was intrigued to see that Tower Hamlets Council had pinned a notice to > the > railings asking the owner of the ground to contact them!< > Ros > >

Visit this web-site to obtain more information concerning this cemetery, with photos and names. <http://olamgadol.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/maidenlane.html> Regards, David Liss

Thank you Keira and Gaby I'm the sort of person who can't pass a burial ground without peering at the names on the stones and wondering about what sort of people they were and how they lived But I have never seen a burial ground in such a bad state as this one. It looks just as though someone has taken a sledgehammer to the stones - I don't suppose that is what's happened but that's how it looks. It is a completely desolate scene. Presumably the Proprietorship Register at H. M Land Registry has been checked but the owner is untraceable if the Local Authority have to pin notices to the railings. Some years back I read of certain London Authorities (I forget which) divesting themselves of cemeteries for a completely nominal sum (I think a pound or something like that) in order to avoid their responsibilities for maintenance and upkeep. The purchasers then let the cemeteries deteriorate without any thought for the relatives of the deceased and their feelings. I don't specifically recall any Jewish cemeteries being mentioned or, indeed, the Borough of Tower Hamlets but I wonder whether something like this hasn't happened here? Ros -----Original Message----- From: british-jewry-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:british-jewry-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Gaby Laws Sent: 08 February 2008 09:52 To: british-jewry@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [BRITISH-JEWRY] Disused Cemetery in Bancroft Road, Mile End Ros, You have raised a very interesting point and one that Angela and I have been working on from some time, it seems that the local borough are also having the same problem! The question is who owns and maintains it now and who has the key? Angela has established contact with the Board of Deputies and is awaiting further developments. We have on our site a very brief history and a few photos (general and headstones) see www.genpals.com The information we have is only from headstones visible from outside the grounds - through the railings with a sharp eye! I believe there are some inscriptions recorded and visible on the web but no indication of which headstones still remain and what condition they are all in. Gaby Laws London UK > I was intrigued to see that Tower Hamlets Council had pinned a notice to > the > railings asking the owner of the ground to contact them!< > Ros > > Our website is at www.british-jewry.org.uk We update regularly. Let us know if you have ideas to offer. British-Jewry-admin@rootsweb.com is the address to use for help. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BRITISH-JEWRY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message