Genealogy Chat

I decided to try and find my grandparents grave today as i was about 12/13 the last time i went, im now 37!! my mum whos parents they were stopped going about 15 yrs ago for various reasons i was in the right cemetary, right area but looking for the wrong names arghhhh they were buried with HER parents who were SMITHS and not BLAKEMAN which was her married name but the good thing that came out of it is i now know where my grt grandparents are buried whereas i didnt before i went. will have another look friday.

Does the cemetery have an office on site? Our local cemetery does and you can go in there and give them a name and approx. date of death and they will find the entry, give you a printed map of the cemetery and mark on it where to find your ancestor's plot, whether or not there is a headstone. If there isn't a headstone they will very kindly tell you what name is on the nearest headstone and tell you that your plot is however many plots to the left or right or behind etc. Kath. x

Hi Kath, no there isnt an office at this one but there is at the main one, my grandads mothers ashes are buried there and they wanted £12.50 to get off their bum look on the map of the cemetary to find where she was, the one i was at today i knew roughly where to look but didnt have a lot of time cos of picking kids up from school plus when i was younger i didnt really pay that much atttention as to what was on the headstone or who was buried next to it, i know now there are 3 graves together and my grandparents are in the middle one so fingers crossed i find it on friday first go

£12.50p !!!! They must be joking. I have to say well done to the lovely lady who works in the cemetery office at the cemetery in Hartlepool. You can give her a family name and she will print you out a list of anyone with that name buried at any of the town's cemeteries (even the ones not used any more), with dates of burial etc. She is really helpful and has a real interest in family history. It hasn't cost me a penny to find out lots of information about family buried at the cemetery. Kath. x

Sorry to jump on your thread Karen, but Kathleen do you have an adress for the nice lady at the cemetries in Hartlepool? As my Aunt by marrage has loads of relies there and I am trying to do her tree, when I get stuck on mine. Best wishes

Hi Everyone Harrogate cemetry office is fantastic too. I called in there the other week on the offchance and not only did they tell me the location of the grave, they gave me a map, explained to me in great detail how to get there, told me who had bought the plot, the fact it was a double plot with only one person in it and that there was only one other person buried in Harrogate with that name - and it didn't cost me a penny. So hats off to them!! Snowdrops

Glenise, I don't know the lady's name at the cemetery, but this is the telephone number:- Stranton Grange Cemetery Office Tanfield Road Hartlepool 01429 274517 (The office is only small, so I think she is the only lady that works there). Kath. x

I think the staff at Preston cemetry are great. I gave them a name and they gave me the grave number. I had a look and took everyones name that was in there. On the way out of the cemetry the lady in the office said that everyone who is burried in a grave are not always on the headstone (I didnt think of this). She offered to have a look in the records, without charge, and we found that my husbands gg grandma ( I didnt know it was her at the time) was burried there but her name wasnt on the headstone. If it wasnt for her help it would have taken me a long time to find her.

Ryecroft Cemetery in Walsall are great too, I emailed them to ask about finding a grave, I had plot number etc, they arranged for the groundsman to meet me and he took me to the plots for my great grandparents, and my great aunt. Emailed a second request my nan was buried there but my mom never picked up deeds for the plot, once again an email back with plot number etc the next day. the groundsman there is VERY helpful. I wish I knew if more of my rellie were buried there. Linda (p.s didn't have to pay for anything!)

Thanks ever so much Kath Best wishes x

Wow, you are lucky! My cemetaries office want £30 per hour!!! I tried walking around the relevant cemetary recently as there are a number of relatives buried there, but its absolutely huge! So much so, that I got completly dis-orientated and lost my gg grandparents - and I knew where they were!!!

Hi After what I've read I feel lucky . I was after my Grans grave in Basford Cementary in Notts. I just telephoned them gave then her approximate death date and this lovely lady gave me all the details over the phone.Including who owned the grave and their address. Cheryl

I went back to cemetary today, i found the grave but the mans name on the headstone is different to the name i have for my nans dad and for her mum i know its the right grave as my dad confirmed the name of the people in the next 2 graves anyway ive taken a pic of it to show my mum and hopefully she will confirm its right, sooo confused now hope i havent been tracing wrong family lol

Hi Kath, Just to let you know I got a load of burial records from 'the nice lady' at Hartlepool today, so I am well chuffed. It is the first time I have written to a cemetry office, so thank you very much. Best wishes