St Lawrence development Brentford

[Ray T]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/brentfordtoday/permalink/530435651051535/

 

Brentford TV

PRESERVE THE MEMORY OF BRENTFORD'S BOAT PEOPLE IN ST LAWRENCE'S REDEVELOPMENT, SAYS JEANNETTE SMITH.

JEANETTE'S FAMILY WORKED THE CANALS AND SOME ARE BURIED IN ST LAWRENCE'S GRAVEYARD.

SHE WANTS THEIR REMAINS RESPECTED, AND THE BOAT PEOPLE MEMORIALISED, AS BALLYMORE TURN THE BRENTFORD HIGH STREET CHURCH INTO A LEISURE CENTRE AND GARDENS.

Jeanette explains: "My main concern is over the way the graves have been treated and discarded not just for the boat people but the many others that rest there .

"Brentford once centred around the canal and the Thames and over the years of redevelopment it has lost lots of its history.

"In the development I hope there will be a way to remember the once thriving boating community."

Jeannette is related to Ann Stokes and Robert Harrison, who featured on the Brentford postcards shown here.

She adds: "They don't even have to pay for a memorial as they have them in the front of the church grounds. Many people visit the area in search of their Brentford family links with Kew archives being so close. It could be something dedicated to the people of Brentford who rest there so visitors in search of their family roots have a place to see."

Jeanette explains that St Lawrence's was known as the "boat people's church" favoured for baptisms and burials by those who worked the canals leading down the Brentford and the Thames.

Amongst her relatives buried at the church are:

Thresa Harrison born 1900 in Brentford & died 4 April 1901 in the Hams, Brentford, & buried in St Lawrence.

Violet Harrison born 1912 on a canal boat at Brentford. Buried in the extended grave area of St Lawrence on 8 December 1913.

Robert Harrison born 1903 on a boat at Kidsgrove & drowned, aged five, in at Rotherhithe. His body was brought back to Brentford on a canal boat and he was buried next to his siblings at St Lawrence on 20 August 1908.

James Harrison born 1900 on a canal boat and died in The Hams, Brentford, on 25 July 1901 and buried next to Thresa Harrison in St Lawrence. (James died 4 weeks before Jeannette's great-grandmother gave birth to her grandfather.)

Mary Harrison born 1899 on the canal boat, Leighton, in Brentford and died at Jeannette's other great grandmother's on Brentford High Street, and buried at St Lawrence.

 

Edited October 6, 2019 by Ray T

[magnetman]

All the hoardings up in the high street have pictures of boats (including a forum member's boat). But you can bet your bottom dollar the very thing they are advertising will be wiped away like chalk from a blackboard. 

 

It always happens.