Titheradge Titheridge Tidridge Tytheridge Genealogy: Fareham Cemetery

Tuesday, 5 May 2015

Fareham Cemetery - X marks the spot

View of Fareham Cemetery

I was delighted when I recently found the records of Fareham Cemetery on line. The records were searchable, and gave the exact location of the graves which could be cross referenced with a map of the cemetery. The cemetery was just a mile detour from the route I was driving the next day. What’s more the cemetery contained not one family member but six Titheridge graves and one Titheradge grave.

Fareham is a parish in south east Hampshire. It is situated 12 miles south east of Southampton and 7 miles west of Portsmouth at the north west tip of Portsmouth Harbour on Fareham Creek.

I gathered together a little summary about each of these individuals that I now knew were buried in Fareham, hoping to glean a little more information from the headstones. Research done I set off with my list and map, and travelled my 1 mile detour off the M27. I quickly found the cemetery and began to explore on a glorious day eager to find more information for my research. I can only describe the trip as disappointing as grave after grave revealed no remaining headstone just a grassy spot.

I was quite despondent by the time I came to look for the last grave to be found - a Titheradge grave. This was the grave of Richard Cobby Titheradge who was buried in grave 3023. The search was not easy but just as I was giving up hope I spied the rather unusual grave, not with a headstone but in the form of a stone 5 feet long by 4 inches wide. The inscription read "My dear husband Richard Cobby Titheradge who passed away April 3 1936 aged 58 years"

Richard Cobby was the youngest of six children born to James Walter Titheradge and Mary Ann Blaik on 31 August 1877 in Southsea. In his childhood the family lived in Somers Road and Claremont Terrace Portsea. In July 1898 he joined the navy, but was invalided out in November 1898 while serving on HMS Victory. By 1901 census he was married to Annie Donaldson and was living at 12 Ivy Street Portsmouth and was a riveter in the dockyard. By 1911 he was working as a labourer and living at Ranglegh Road. Richard and Annie had three sons George Augustus born 1901, James Walter born in 1903 and Richard born in 1906. He died in April 1936. I would be interested to hear from anyone who can fill in more detail on Richard.

I photographed each area where I estimated there was a Titheridge grave and marked with a cross on the photo. The Titheridge graves belonged to:

1. John Edwin Titheridge who was buried 3 May 1955 in grave 4992. According to the death records John Edwin was 82 when he died in the Winchester area in 1955. This suggested he was born in 1873 but birth record show he was actually born in 1876 in Swanmore son of William Titheridge and Eliza Merrit and husband of Annie Miles.

2. Ernest Reginald Titheridge who was buried 18 July 1925 in grave 2177. Ernest was just 4 years old when he died. He was born 1921 in Fareham, the youngest son of John Edwin Titheridge and Annie Miles.

3. Peter Albert Titheridge who was buried 2 April 1941 in grave 3574. Peter Albert was 1 when he died. He was born in Gosport in 1939 son of Leonard Titheridge and Doris Plummer.

4. Charles Henry Titheridge who was buried 25 October 1933 in grave 2814. Charles Henry was 57 when he died in Gosport in1933. He was born in 1875 in Shedfield son of Charles Titheridge and Elizabeth Emery and was married to Margaret Moon in 1923.

5. Francis Titheridge who was buried 1 April 1941 in grave 3572. In the death records it shows Francis as aged 94 when he died in Gosport suggesting he was born in 1847. I could find no records to match this date of birth and name.

6. Frank Titheridge who was buried 14 February 1942. Frank Titheridge was 60 when he died in Gosport in 1942 suggesting he was born in 1882. Again I could find no records to match this date of birth and name.

Can anyone tell us about their family graves or their local cemetery in either pictures or words?