I thought the same re his burial place. This chapel at which he was allegedly buried but which apparently has no graveyard --- There will be information somewhere as to where the worshippers there were usually buried. Have you tried ringing the Lincolnshire records office and asking them? It's a straightforward question, they should be able to tell you which local graveyards were in use at the time.
Thank you Annie. I discussed this with the archive staff during one of my visits. I've checked the headstones and burial records and registers of all the nearby cemeteries and church graveyards.
The Methodist records for the period are very patchy and haven't been submitted to Lincolnshire Archives but I located and viewed what does survive. I spoke with the current Methodist Minister for the area and obtained facts about the Chapel and it's location from the old newspapers. I appealed locally for information about the Primitive Methodists and where they would have been buried, I was told where the nearest Methodist burial place is but it is too recent. I know where others from the area were and are still are buried (including other members of the family).
Someone kindly spoke to their elderly father who told them a story of someone being buried in the chapel (or under the alter)! Obviously could be an urban myth. This was before I told anyone of the obituary that mentions interment at the Chapel (because I know how unlikely it was and how mad it sounds, and didn't want to influence anyones memories).
I've been in touch with The University of Manchester Library who have a special collection: The Methodist Archives and Research Centre, also with the Engles ea Brook Chapel and Museum of Primitive Methodism who I was able to share information with.
After the chapel was closed it was briefly a house before being demolished. Later other homes were built nearby and on the land of the chapel (but not on the chapels 'footprint'). I expected there to be records of the change of use of the land, and especially if there were burials on the site now used for housing they'd be records of that even exhumations? so I tried to research the laws and contacted the councils planning. They had no records of this. If there were two unofficial burials and no records made, the council authorities (or anyone) wouldn't even consider the possibility of graves there. I have compared maps.
There are many little chapels built and re-built of many different non-conformist religions in the area. The local people donated the little money they had or land to build the chapels when there became too many of them to fit inside someones home. Larger meetings were conducted in the open air. Earlier chapels were little more than sheds or simple rooms without engraved stones. Many have been lost and not formally recorded, many changed into houses. There could be many different ones in some villages/towns. As I've found information I've reported it to the GENUKI Church Database but there are still many that are not recorded or are known of but dates even locations not always know.
There must be more I can do and haven't thought of yet, but for now searching for a death certificate seems the best option?
I'm happy for any input and suggestions. I WILL find him eventually.
