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Hello,
My Gran is 96 years old and has spoken about her aunt Amelia Humphryes who married the Reverend George Neighbour. He eventually became the Reverend of the Ruardean Hill Baptist Chapel in 1895 and remained for nine years. He and his wife both died within a couple of months of each other in 1937 and were buried together within Plot 151 of the Ruardean Hill Baptist Chapel graveyard. I have found their headstone transcription on this very site, but wondered whether anyone local would be kind enough to photograph their grave for me? There are some lovely photos of the graveyard on this site's photo gallery, but none show the grave of my Gran's uncle.
Any help with the grave (or leads to where I may possibly find a photo of the Reverend Neighbour himself), would be really wonderful and hugely appreciated!

My kindest regards
Stuart

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Under Resources - Memorial Inscriptions on this site...

Ruardean Hill Baptist Church

In Loving Memory of Amelia S NEIGHBOUR beloved Wife of the Rev. George F NEIGHBOUR who died on the 27 February 1937 in her 75th year and also of the Rev George F NEIGHBOUR Pastor of this Parish for 8 years who died on the 6th June 1937 in his 75th year. Unreadable Verse.

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Ancestry:

Probate

NEIGHBOUR George Frederick otherwise George of Mousel House Belle Vue-road Cinderford Gloucestershire died 6 June 1937 at 10 Llewellyn-Street Pentre Rhondda Glamorganshire. **

Probate LONDON 8 July to George John NEIGHBOUR law clerk.
Effects: £.......

---
**
George J NEIGHBOUR - born 19 March 1892 and a Municipal Law Clerk, with his Wife, Gwladys M - born 16 November 1908 - are living at No. 11 Llewellyn Street, on the 1939 census

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1911 Cenus, Llanwonno
29 Gorseed St, Mountain Ash, Glamorgan

NEIGHBOUR

George - 48 married 22 years, 2 children born alive, 2 living - Minister (Baptist) born Middx St George E
Amelia - (Humpreys) crossed out - born Middx (City of London)
Jane Amelia - 21 - daughter - Asst at home, born Chester (City)
George John - 19 - son - Clerk (Law) born Ledbury, Herefordshire

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Thank you for going to the effort to find those, though I regret that I did already have all of that information. I'm specifically here in the hope that I may find an image of their grave in the churchyard.

Failing that, if anyone can offer pointers on where I may find an image of the Rev Neighbour himself. Is there one in the church at Ruardean Hill? It seems unlikely as he left in 1903... Or is there a central repository of information on Baptist Ministers? I did email the Ruardean Hill church itself about 5 or 6 years ago but they never even acknowledged my enquiry, which was a bit disheartening. So any suggestions would be very interesting.

Thanks

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The Rev George Neighbour is on a photo in Maurice Bent's books "The Musical Tradition of Dean" and "Highest Point of Dean" (same photo in both) but unfortunately it's a photo of the Baptist Church Fife and Drum Band so you can't see very much of him! I will try to copy it and send it on but please don't expect very much.
The latter book has a section with detail of the church's history and photos of many of the ministers from the founder through into the 1980's but nothing better of Rev Neighbour so presumably nothing better was available when the book was published in 1985.

Unfortunately I do not live close to the Forest and rarely visit these days so I cannot help with a photo of the grave in the near future.

It always interests me that a number of the former ministers of the church chose to be buried there, often many years after the days of their ministry. In one case (Rev William Erskine Rankin) some 55 years after he left to join up in 1915.

Regards,
Colin

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That is wonderful! And extremely helpful of you. Even if the Reverend's no more than a blurred speck in the background, to actually have a photo with him in would be remarkable.

And because of your excellent lead I've just ordered myself a copy of 'Highest Point of Dean' from ebay, which should spare you the effort of trying to scan the photo for me. Thank you so much for your help, Colin!

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Hi Stuart,
thats a shame the Church didn't reply to your email, it can be difficult contacting small churches like this one as they are often only occasionally "staffed" these days, I'm sure they'd have replied if they'd received your mail. In fact I'd be surprised if they're still an active Church, their website is not.

Following Colin's advice re Maurice Bent's excellent book (I have a copy myself), I can add that as well as being a very knowledgable researcher and historian for the whole of the FoD, Maurice is especially expert on the Baptist church in his Ruardean Hill home. When he wrote the book in 1985, he states he was organist & deacon at that time, and "has served the Church for some 30 years." His book understandably gives a lot of pages towards the Church and it's past members. I am sure that Colin is right in saying that if he had a better photograph of Rev Neighbour then it would be in the book. However, that was several years ago, so it's possible he has a better photo now. Alternatively, he might be able to offer you a better quality scan from the original photo if it's his own (it looks like a postcard-sized image and not from an old newspaper - until recently he was a regular visitor to The Forester newspaper offices researching old copies). The book includs a full postal address for Maurice, which judging by recent internet articles is still his home today, I am sure if you wrote to him you could get a favourable outcome.

Good luck !

eg http://www.theforestreview.co.uk/article.cfm?id=105095&headline=Music%20bursary&...

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That is most kind - and most helpful too!

I have to take my hat off to the contributors to this forum, the information is certainly of great benefit. Thank you.

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You're most welcome Stuart, we all try our best.
Re my suggestion to contact Maurice yourself, please note I don't know him personally so I cannot personally promise anything, but if he's in good health and has the time, then I'm confident he'll do his best to help you, he looks like this.
atb J.

http://www.theforestreview.co.uk/article.cfm?id=983&headline=Maurice,%2074,%20is%20...

PS if you do get a better image, then please consider sharing it with this site's gallery pages, thanks.

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Thank you. I have written a letter for him which I shall post tomorrow, Fingers crossed.

I offer these two newspaper cuttings from the 'Gloucester Journal' on 29th June 1935 and 'Gloucester Citizen' on 7th June 1937, regarding the marriage of the Reverend Neighbour's daughter at the Ruardean Hill church and of the Reverend's own burial there.

Sadly, his daughter who married in 1935 died childless in 1942.

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Thanks, and yes fingers crossed.

Lovely clips, thanks. And what a wonderful obituary, clearly a most highly-regarded man.
We all need good Neighbours like George !

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Does anyone know anything about accessibility to the graveyard and/or any indication where this grave is. There's just a slight chance I'll be in the area tomorrow and would be happy to try and get a photo. No promises but the more info I can get in advance the better. From the street view it looks like the graveyard is at the back and there may be a gate to get through so I'm wondering it it might be locked.

--
Peter

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I have never known the gate to be locked. Access is down the left hand side of the chapel and there is plenty of parking opposite.
I don't know exactly where the grave is but the inscription details in the Memorial section of this website may help and the churchyard is not very big.
A tranquil site.

Enjoy your visit!

-Colin

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I did manage to get to the Chapel today and took some pictures. Here's a small one but a HiRes one can be downloaded from (DELETED. Contact me if you want a HiRes version)

[image]

Seems someone got there before me as the turf around the bottom of the stone had been removed to expose the full inscription and put loosely back. Must have been done recently. I made use of the previous persons endeavour and moved the loose turf out of the way for my pictures. I did put it back - rather more firmly than it was before.

Here's the full inscription:

In Loving Memory of
Amelia S, Neighbour.
Beloved wife of the Rev George.F.Neighbour
who died on the 27th February 1937. In her 75th
year. And also of the Rev George.F.Neighbour
pastor of this Church for 8 years,
who died on the 6th June 1937. In his 75th year.
Grant us thy truth to make us free, and kindling hearts that burn for
thee, till all thy living altars claim one Holy Light one Heavenly flame.
Blessed are the dead that in the Lord are sleeping.
Grave! Where is thy sting?

--
Peter

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I am so sorry I am a month late responding to an act of genuine kindness, but I had no notification that there were additional posts and so I hadn't logged-on to the forum. I am so glad, on the off-chance, that I just have because the photograph is utterly brilliant! Thank you so much for taking the time and making the effort to photograph the grave for me. I am sure it will make my Nan cry.

You are very big-hearted and your efforts are hugely appreciated, Peter. Thank you so much for doing this.

I don't know how I am able to accept your offer of a higher res version, but if I can't work it out this will more than suffice. A warm handshake from me and my grandmother x

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I removed the link to the HiRes version after a while, but here it is again.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BEiMryqaK_uUJzPggVcV67wZx2Ulc_IE

Again, I'll remove this later.

Incidentally, I did send you an email. Maybe you should also check your email address registered with this site if you didn't get it.

--
Peter

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