Genealogy Chat

Does anyone know the reason that people were buried in graves with others who were not related? I have an example with my great grandfather who is buried in a grave with 4 children who are not related. Also in that grave are his son and son's wife. There is no headstone on the grave and I only gleaned this info from records at the cemetery. The information was given as a free look because they said no one owned the grave. I wouldn't have thought that they were 'Paupers'. Margaret

Not 100% sure on this but I think grave rights were only for a certain time, after which they became available to use again by anyone.

I wouldn't have thought that that was the case here as the cemetery only openened in 1881 and my buriels are from 1918-1924. I wouldn't have thought that enough time had elapsed to make 'rights' elapsed as you suggest. But thanks for your thoughts on that Gwyneth. Margaret

If you put----- Grave rights---- into the exact word section on an advanced Google search, you will see that even nowadays rights in some places are for 21 years, with option of extension. It is only a 'right', not ownership which is bought.

If the grave has no headstones then it is a communial grave,what used to be known as a paupers grave. Have recently found my grt grans grave in Se london & she is interrted with seven others in a communial grave . no relation to any of the others interred. they didnt neccesarily have to be 'paupers', just couldnt afford a private grave Shirley

I found this with part of my family, and after speaking to someone at the cemetery dept, they told me that in the 1880's people could purchase just half a grave. A grave containing 6 people 2 were my family and the other 4 were strangers. Gem:))))

Ithink 'paupers grave' is most likely, My Nan was in one, burried in 1926 ish, by the time I came to look for it about 1980ish, it no longer existed, no records as to it's site, and therefore no way to find it. I don't know for sure if after a certain time ie 50yrs it's a case of up they come or not! Suex

Sue Are you sure there is no record? I ask ,because I found my grt gran was living in the same area I was brought up in, when she died,so i reasoned she could have been burried in th local council cemetary. I rang the parks & cemetries dept of Greenwich borough council,giving her death date in 1907,& they rang me back the next day with her burial details. Row & plot no,s Told me was a common grave ie 'paupers' so no markings,but I was able to view the plot later with the help of the cemetary supervisor. They had all the plot details in a large handwritten ledger. Shirley

Thanks everyone for your interesting thoughts on this. My folks are still in the grave, that much I do know, but who the children are I have no idea, except that I was told they are not related to my family. Looks like they couldn't afford a plot of their own. I believe you had to be 'well off' to own your own grave in those days. Margaret

Hi Shirley, I can find the record of Nan's buriel on line, but when I checked 20 yrs or so ago, I was told It wasn't traceable. Perhaps it was just an unhelpful person, which would have been a shame as the reason I was looking was for my Mum, Nan died when Mum was only 3, and Mum had found the grave when she was a child, as an Adult she had been back and couldn't remember where it was, so I went on the case for her, but no luck! Mum died 15 yrs ago! Suex

Margaret, Babies were put into 'open graves' one about to be used. My mother's first born son died aged 2months in 1932 and was put into an 'open grave'. I have been lucky enough to visit his grave in Efford cemetery Plymouth. I think economics had a lot to do with it. Mo from Bath

Yes Grt Grans grave was just a grassed area surrounded by graves that had headstones. It was quite a large area but all the graves had been kept in line with the private graves so the supervisor was able to count down & across & point out the actual site. I found it very emotional & put some flowers on it from the family she never knew. My dad her grandson was born just two weeks after she died in 1907, & her son , my grandad, was lost at sea in 1911. Felt it must have been many years since any family had paid their respects Shirley

I to have had no luck finding where my ggrandmother was buried, she died in Battersea in 1944,i have the date she died so i rang all the local cem but with no luck i have her husbands death he died a year later i still could'nt find him, his son died a year after that and i know where he is buried so thay were'nt in a family grave. It's so hard when you keep hitting a brick wall. good luck

Even though I have the date and churchyard of the burials for a few of my ancestors, there are no markers and it is a very small graveyard - so we are now under the impression that if they are there then they will be buried on top of each other with no markers. The villages in question are Little Ryburgh and Great Ryburgh who both used to have their own churches. Little Ryburgh is a ruin, but if you are brave enough to walk through the woods and brambles you are still lucky enough to find the odd headstone dotted about. Next to this plot is what is known as the new joint cemetry where graves seem to start about 1920s but very little of them and lots of gaps in the rows. Then you have the churchyard of Great Ryburgh, where most of my relatives are buried but it is very small and only about 20 gravestones exist. But hey I know they are there from the records just a shame no markers.