Harry’s father William Gem had twin sisters: Helen Maria and Mary born in 1795. Helen died in January 1873 and Mary in March of the same year.
Helen’s grave may be found in Warstone Lane Cemetery, Jewellery Quarter, Birmngham just uphill from Harry’s grave. (Section: P, Grave No: 1527)
In the above photograph Harry’s grave lies centre left background (shuttering around the new grave architecture construction) and Hellen’s is centre right next to the path.
The York stone plinth is now in position. All that remains now is to build the superstructure, once the original ledger stone has been engraved with Ellen Maria’s details and the side panel with the dedication to Gem and Perera is completed.
Footings in ready for constructuon of the new grave architecure once work is completed in the workshop.
On the morning of Tuesday 9th October the team from Midland Conservation lifted the ledger stone and removed it off site. The details of Ellen Maria, Thomas Henry Gem’s wife, are to be engraved on the stone as she is buried here too but unrecorded on site.
Stone has been ordered for the construction of the new grave architecture. Completeion date awaited.
The ledger stone to the grave of the family Lawson, over which that from Gem’s grave was slid many years ago, is now seeing the daylight once again!
Job done.
At long last, with sufficient monies raised, the restoration work has been commissioned via Midland Conservation Limited. A site meeting was held recently and materials ordered.
The ledger stone should be lifted early in October and taken into the workshop for the engraving of Harry Gem’s wife’s details.
More on the schedule as it is known.
Our appeal for funds to restore Harry’s grave in Warstone Lane Cemetery, Birmingham has reached £8,000 and we send our grateful thanks to all the organisations and individuals who have given so genereously.
We have launched a Crowdfunder campaign to raise the final £2,000. Please help by giving what you can and spreading the word among your friends.
We’ll be launching a Crowdfunder Appeal in June to raise the remainder of the money required to commission the work to restore Harry’s grave. In the meantime, here’s an extended version of our video giving some of the background to the story of Harry Gem and Augurio Perera and details of the restoration plan.
Article from the Birmingham Post of 9th October 1962, the 100th anniversary of Harry Gem’s run from Birmingham to Warwick.
We’ve raised just in excess of £5,500 so far and need another £2,000 – 2,500 in order to commission the work. On top of that we hope to raise £1,000 – 1,500 to hold in trust to cover future maintenance requirements. If you can help please contact us at: theharrygemproject@gmail.com.
Click here to see our video giving a brief introduction to Harry’s story.
The Leamington Tennis Court Club was established in 1846 and Harry Gem joined in 1872. The club is discreetly located at the heart of Royal Leamington Spa and here members may play tennis, squash rackets, rackets and fives. Click here to see a real tennis match at Leamington.
The All England Club adopted the real tennis method of scoring (love, fifteen, thirty, forty) when revising the laws of lawn tennis in 1877, in readiness for the first championships at Wimbledon.
