Genealogy Chat

I read the thread below where people are visiting Graveyards in their area for others. Please excuse my ignorance on this but I would like to share what I did. I was looking for a grave so I contacted the Church directly and the Council to find out if they had the graves I was looking for. The Council phoned me back after 24 hours and the church emailed me. They both hold lists of all the people burried there, so there is no need to walk around the graveyard trying to read headstones. If the grave is in a church yard they will show you the place as some headstones can't be read anymore. Then photos can be taken and they will let you copy the record the church holds. Was I just very lucky? I thought they all did this.

No, most cemeteries will be able to give a list of anyone with a particular surname buried in their cemetery with grave and plot numbers. My local cemetery will give you a printed map of the cemetery and mark on it any graves that you want to visit. There is usually a churchyard plan (sometimes held at the county records office) for church graveyards. Kath. x

I thought that must be the case. It looks as though a lot of people don't know that though reading through the other thread - they are all talking about searching graveyards for names on headstones which is a very difficult way to find a grave and not very accurate. Much better to ask the church first or the Council office if it's a council graveyard.

On the other hand, I went to a graveyard to search for just one particular grave, whilst wondering around I found three other family members, I had no idea they were buried there too. Had I got a map and gone straight to the first grave I would have missed the others!!!

Just for anyone who requires the information of those buried in Dilhorne Parish Church,Dilhorne,Staffordshire. I visited the church and graveyard and spoke to the church warden and Staffordshire records office who tell me that the records of internment have been lost for their burial ground. I spent several hours looking around the graves and the conditions were dangerous with deep holes appearing as one treads on the long grass. I found a long branch and used it as a prodding stick,so searchers be made aware as you could end up underground sooner than you think. I did find my g.g.grandfathers grave with inscription.