General Cemetery in Luton - I'm looking for a grave

[eli2]

(sorry for my english, english is not my first language).

Hi. I don't know if this is a good place to ask this question. I'm looking for a grave from one person. His name is STEFAN SWIDER, he died in Luton in March 1956 and was born in 1914. He is a part of my family. I have seen a photo with this grave (probably from 60s or 70s) and based on that I think that this grave is (or was) located in General Cemetery in Luton (I'm not 100% sure, but it looks like this cemetery). Ahead of this grave i have seen monument of St Mary which was in my opinion part of this grave.

My question is: is any chance to find out if this grave is still there? I'm not from UK. It is possible that the grave was removed? (sorry I don't know procedures in UK)

Edit: I'm talking about cemetery on Rothesay Road

[dawnsh]

Hi eli2

Welcome to Rootschat 

The contact details for the local authority who looks after the cemetery are here

http://www.luton.gov.uk/Community_and_living/Luton%20Register%20Office%20%28Registration%20Service%29/Registration_of_deaths/Burial/Pages/Burial_grave%20details.aspx

I would send them an email first with his name and age and birth date and last known address. Do you have his actual date of death or are you quoting the entry from the death index? A death registered in March quarter 1956 could have happened in January, February or March.

Let us know what they tell you.

Dawn

[eli2]

Thank you very much  I sent them an e-mail. Date of death (March 1956) is from the grave, from headstone. We will see if i  get the reply, I wait few days and  if not I think I will call them.

I have another question. I know that this member of my family was a catholic and from what I know after quick research on this forum that this cemetery in Luton is not really a catholic cemetery. It is possible in UK to have a grave with monument with St Mary ahead of the grave if the cemetery is not catholic? As I said before I'm not really sure If this is exactly this cemetery and that is why I asked that question.

[dawnsh]

Most municipal cemeteries have sections for different religions. He may well be in a Catholic section.

Most cemeteries now have regulations as to the maximum size a monument can be. In some cemeteries the older monuments can be huge and dangerous if they fall over because there is no-one to maintain them. St Mary, angels, sleeping cherubs, urns, books; there are many styles of monument in cemeteries here.

[lazydaisy]

Hello Eli2

I do know of this cemetery and have attended burials there of both Catholics and non Catholics.

There are also graves there for those of the Jewish faith and for those who have no faith.

I am not aware of any specific Catholic cemetery in Luton

Please let us know what response you receive.

LD

[lazydaisy]

Hello again

Just to add that the cemetery is not in sections as such in that Catholic graves maybe alongside non Catholic ones and so on.

I think the cemetery was opened in the 1850's in response to a cholera epidemic.

I was last there about 2 years ago and it looked very full.

LD

[eli2]

Thank you very much for all your answers  I'm still waiting for response from the cemetery.

Meanwhile as I'm not sure if this grave is in General Cemetery in Luton, I decided to send  emails to RC parishes in Luton. I sent to:
-RC Parish of The Holy Family and St John the Apostle
-St Martin de Porres Catholic Church
-Holy Ghost RC Parish

I don't know if they can help me...Do you think that parishes can have some data about place of the grave?

Edit: and I sent also to:
-Our Lady Help of Christians
-Sacred Heart of Jesus
-St Joseph
-St Margaret of Scotland

[lazydaisy]

Hello Eli2

Do you have an address for Stefan at the time of his death?

If so, could you PM it to me?

We may then be able to find out at which Church the funeral took place.

LD

[eli2]

Unfortunately we don't know the address. We know literally nothing, only date of death and place of death. He was the only member of our family who was in Luton and this part of our family which may know something more is sadly dead.