'It's a privilege to work for the dead'

Mick Martin and Phill Barnes-Warden are volunteers with the Friends of Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries

For almost 20 years dedicated volunteers have been dutifully maintaining two of south-east London's Victorian cemeteries - a task that has unexpectedly led them to help families identify their long-lost relatives.

The Friends of Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries (FOBLC) formed in July 2007 and now has about 300 volunteers.

Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries, formerly known as Deptford and Lewisham Cemeteries, both opened in 1858 and are the resting places of thousands of people.

'Back to life'

Two of the FOBLC volunteers, Phill Barnes-Warden and Mick Martin, have been meeting every Tuesday for seven years, working to find out more about the lives of those who are buried there.

Phill, who during his research discovered that one of his great-great-grandfathers is buried in a common grave nearby, explains: "We are bringing them back to life."

"It's a privilege to work for the dead," Mick adds.

Phill and Mick, who has been the Friends' Great War co-ordinator for the past 18 years, do research that enables them to be able to paint a colourful picture of a person's life.

This has included such things as learning details about the final poignant moments of a soldier's life, and uncovering knowledge about a detective who was part of the Jack the Ripper investigation team.

Once he takes a photo of a grave, Phill will upload the details to an online database

"I like telling stories and trying to build pictures in people's minds so they've actually got an idea of what I'm saying," Mick says. "If they can remember 40% of what I've said, then that's job done."

Since joining the FOBLC seven years ago, Phill has been reconnecting families with their long-dead relatives through his dedicated ancestry research. Once he takes a photo of a grave, he will upload the details to a database he has created on Ancestry, and to other genealogy sites accessible to the public.

"I came in and started research seven years ago and I haven't stopped; Mick constantly goes round looking for war graves and he'll come across some good ones," explains Phill.

Mick adds: "We just want the public to know we're here, we're here all year round. It's so pleasant to walk round during the winter with the snow, and the summer; it's fantastic."

Mick is the Friends' Great War co-ordinator

Phill's work involves sharing the details of those who are buried here with other people, through Deceased Online - a national database containing burial and cremation records.

Dozens of families who are based locally and abroad have got in touch with Phill to thank him for his work and for "reuniting" them with relatives they did not know were buried at the cemeteries.

"At the end of the month, we've got an Australian family coming over for a grave which I only just found when I was here last.

"It's been on Ancestry for a little while but they're so chuffed to come over, they'll be making their way round to take us and we'll take them to the grave.

"These people are not forgotten, you can see it from all the thank-you notices we get from so many people."