Genealogy Chat

Hello everyone, many thanks for taking the time to reply and for all your experiences. I find the whole thing quite horrifying, that our rellies could be buried under someone else with a.n other's headstone there. I am hoping that my g granparents grave is still there - its only been 44 years...fingers crossed ! Simon - thats probably not a bad idea - at least we'd solve the problems!! lol

Most of the family graves my parents have investigated are held for 100 years. They generally seem to have 3 adults and 3 infants as a maximum - burials. In some cases we came across a child who we couldn't connect, and it was only after delving in to some of the branches that we found who they were. It was obviouly cheaper to use an existing plot, but then the parents end up somewher else! This was actually the first thing my parents did when we decided to start doing the family history. Cremations can hold more. One grave has parents and an adult daughter as burials and 4 further adult children cremated. Helen

I have been looking for 3 graves without success, these replies explain what could have happened to them. It's such a shame, the NBI tells me where they were buried but I cannot find them there. When I contacted the church prior to my visit I had a nice reply saying no burial records were available but I was welcome to browse, after my visit I emailed them again, they didn't reply for weeks and were rather dismissive, it is so nice when these people take the time to help us, and very disappointing when they do not. I read somewhere about contacting the crematorium for info too. Sam

We have paid, this week, for ashes to be placed in the town cemetery, and that is for just 50 years. Elisabeth

Simon, dont make me laugh, got broken rib's Shan

Hi all, my daughter was stillborn in 1992, we have a plot for her which is for a hundred year's, after that it has to be renewed, if not then that plot can be taken and used (sold) to somone else,I think after a hundred year's who's going to bother. If we were not all into family history would we.But then again in this day and age who would upkeep a family burial plot that was going to cost that much, (ie Hunderd's). Dont mean to sound bitter(which im not,just being practical), but we are talking about gggrandchildren.

Are there different rules for churchyards as opposed to cemeteries? I have seen them cleared of headstones ,which were then placed against the churchyard wall.

Went to graveyard recently to reseach for hubby's family. Found grave and enquired about who had been buried there. Was told as it hadn't been used for so many years (can't remember) if we could show we were related we could purchase the grave for half the current price of gravesite in that cemetary. Hubby wasn't interested, reckoned he didn't want buried with strangers!!!

Hi As far as one cemetery in B'ham UK is concerned when the grave rights run out it is then used and classed as a common grave which means lots (sometimes up to 15) other people can be buried in the same grave. Sometimes it is "sold" on to someone else but your rellie still remains insitue and as long as the pay they can use the grave. I am not sure if this applies to just this cemetery or all cemeteries. My ggrandad was buried in such a grave and because the family could not afford to pay there is now another person in my grandad's grave with that person's headstone marking it and I technically can't put flowers there as eventhough he is buried there our family has no rights over it. Karen

My grandfathers was only 15 years, but my nana was told she could renew it, they obviously knew they were going to sell the land. When they did sell it, all the graves were just dug up and we were never told anything. Nobody ever knew what happened to my grand dad, we went there on his anniversary and it was a block of flats!! disgusting!!

you have to renew the site if you want to keep it, i have two one is like you said 75yrs and the other is 50yrs and they are side by side, its a money making thing by the council to get more dosh. john.

Quite a few if you bury them upright ! (Sorry, couldn't resist that) Simon

Hallo I've been on a few local council sites. "Grave rights" give a person right of burial for a particular grave. It does not confer ownership of the land which remains with the council. They all appear to be for 75 years. During that period you can convey the rights to someone else, or leave them to someone in your will. I presume that when they expire you lose the right to bury yourself or family members in that grave. Not sure how many bodies you can get in one grave anyway! Helen

Sorry if I appear to be a bit dim, I have been looking for the graves of my g grandparents and on various websites 'grave rights' are mentioned. It appears that these are for 75 years in most cases. Can anyone explain for me please !