What rights do living relations have regarding headstones

[Guy Etchells]

went to Doncaster Family History Fair yesterday and was talking to the people from Wakefield Family Society, to learn that a Church where quite a few of our ancestors are buried is to be demolished and flats and houses to be built in the graveyard.

Just wondered if we as living relations have any rights has to what happens to the stones?

Jo

This is the first I have heard of this plan, but I have been extremely busy over the last couple of months and am quite out of touch.
Which graveyard is it?

In England it is unlawful to build on land where bodies are buried and there is a requirement of recording and transcribing all headstones involved.
It should also be noted that headstones are heritable property and belong to the beneficiaries of the  person who bought it in the first place.

If the graveyard was consecrated all the remains will have to be removed and re-interred in consecrated land before any development takes place.
Lodge your concerns and ask for the relevant headstones to be removed and re-erected over the new graves.
Cheers
Guy

[JoJoBuggins]

Stanley St Peters, Wakefield.

According to the person we spoke to on Saturday,the plans were put forward within the last week or two and the Church are all for it to go ahead.

Think that is our next plan of attack,contacting the Church or relevant authorities, with regard as what to do next

Jo

[aghadowey]

The Church of Ireland near us disposes of old headstones by throwing them over the wall into the river. My husband's family had 8 headstones there, from 2 different families including one for a man born 1600s in Scotland, about 100 years ago according to a newspaper article- now 3 left. One day he climbed over the wall to see if he could find any legible pieces but it was just like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

[dollylee]

When I went to visit my ggggrandparents  graves (buried 1824 and 1818)  in a church yard in Ontario Canada I was horrified when we drove up and the whole cemetery had been turned into a parking lot.

We did notice some "walls" at the back of the parking lot and when we investigated they were walls of headstones where  I did find her headstone but not his.  We then walked very gingerly across the parking lot, not knowing if we were walking on people below the pavement and went into the church to try to find out how such a terrible thing had happened.

We were told that the land belonged to the church and was theirs to change as they wished.  I tried to regain my composure and  asked where the bodies were as I wanted to pay my respects.  I was told that they had all been moved and placed in a mass grave in the municipal cemetery.  They could not provide me with the exact spot and very coldly told me it wasn't marked.

When I asked why they didn't at least  have the decency to move the bodies with their headstones and rebury them with their proper identification I was told that it would have been a nightmare (most stones broke while being removed) and far to expensive for the church.

They also told me they didn't have the time or resources to try and contact descendants, although in this case it would have been a local phone call as there are many many descendants in the area.

I live 3,000 miles away so I should have asked if it has at least been reported in the newpapers prior to the removal but by this time I was almost in tears and just walked away.

Never in my worst nightmares could I image that they would have such a cavalier attitude towards the remains of their past parishioners.

No need to tell me I over reacted....I think in this situation that would just be a matter of objectivity which I don't have in this case.

dollylee

[Guy Etchells]

Thanks for that, the planning application is
http://tinyurl.com/2woazm

I have not checked out the plans and details properly but from the details given I am almost certain that the application will not encroach on any burials at all.
The site of St Peter's Church is large with the churchyard a little distance from the church itself and plenty of room for the proposed buildings to the north-east of the church see
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~framland/CHURCH/sps.htm
Cheers
Guy

[loo]

I think there are some good stories here that need to be told.

Any investigative reporters in our midst who'd like to take it on??

[JoJoBuggins]

Guy

Thanks for that, from what the person at Wakefield Family History told us, its all going to be redeveloped, but apparently the residents are up in arms about it!!

My two headstones lay flat in the pavement right by the Church Wall, so they will most definitely be lost I would have thought

Jo

[JoJoBuggins]

Dollylee

Thats awful, I must admit when the person told us, I could have sat and cried.

Dont know about you but there are certain ancestors you feel closer to, and these ancestors on these headstones for some strange reason I feel really close to.

Jo

[mahees]

I know what you mean Jo, I feel closer to some ancestors and I just recently found the grave of my Great-Grandfather, who is possibly the most important ancestor to me.
I hate to think of him being dug up and put somewhere else without my knowledge. Does anyone think it is possible/worth people contacting the churches where their ancestors are buried and leaving contact details in case this happens? Do you think the churches would bother letting them know if they had the contact details ?

Erin