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Family History Documents and Artefacts => Graveyards and Gravestones => Topic started by: toby webb on Thursday 18 June 09 18:19 BST (UK)
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How did a sexton decide where the next grave would be? How did people reserve spaces so that families were often kept together? How did the sexton know what parts had already been used? Did he keep, and pass on to the next sexton, a plan? There are all sorts of similar questions. Does anyone have a site for answers?
Thanks, Toby.
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Hi Toby
I will try and answer some of your questions
How did a sexton decide where the next grave would be?
There should be a plan of every churchyard but sadly most of them are missing or lost in the archives. I have given you part of the Churchyard Plan of St John Sub Castro in Lewes, Image 601 shows you how the plan started off, and image 611 shows what happened to it over a period of time. (those coloured in pink (by myself) still have a monument over the grave, the rest have been flattened out to aid mowing the grass)
So you can see, the sexton knew where people were buried and when.
How did people reserve spaces so that families were often kept together?
Families were able with the help of the plan to reserve several spaces for a family plot or a vault - which on this map are down alongside the pathway in the Stein Grave area.
I think the rest of your questions can be answered from the plans below
Hope that helps
Chris in 1066
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Hi again
The sexton was an official assistant to the Parish Clerk, responsible for grave digging, bell ringing and other jobs in and around the parish church. He was appointed and paid by the parish incumbent or churchwardens.
Many churches also had a 'Burial Committee' to handle delicate matters of "whom should lie where" etc.
Chris in 1066
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Thank you Chris in 1066.
Although I suspected that there had to be one, this is the first time I have seen such a plan. I must redouble my efforts to try to find if there might be one for the churchyard of particular interest to me.
Many thanks, Toby.
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Hi there
I have had a couple of PM's concerning the names on the plan - here is a list I compiled back in 1998 of same - but only the names of those coloured in pink.
These are the only ones that have memorials that were photographed and transcribed
St John Sub Castro, Lewes - Extension to existing Burial Ground (opened 1865)
B – Centre
1st Row
500 Savage 1866
498 Pettett 1885
497 Crowhurst 1885
496 Elphick 1916
2nd Row
493 Lucas 1893
492 Bedford 1893
491 Hussey 1890
490 Parsons 1911
489 Batup 1887
488 Voakes 1875
486 Earl 1889
485 Larwill 1889
484 Gosling 1890
3rd Row
482 Chandler 1892
480 Banks 1899
479 Blackman 1891
478 McPherson 1892
477 Diplock 1893
4th Row
476 Lucas 1946
475 Norman 1891
474 Virgo 1892
473 Bishop 1892
472 Thurtell 1892
471 Bishop 1880
470 Moppett 1893
469 Frost 1894
468 Head 1894
467 Strong 1894
5th Row
466 Evans 1895
465 Bailey 1896
464 Lawson 1896
463 Hutson 1901 (4th Row)
462 Fairs 1895
461 Markwick 1895
460 Morgan 1894
459 World 1894
458 Saxby 1896
457 Lang 1896
6th Row
456 Foster 1896
453 Verrall 1897
452 Fitton 1897
451 Sandles 1898
450 Davies 1897 (Charge of Light Brigade)
448 Watson 1899
7th Row
446 Cox 1884
441 Buckwell 1899
439 Steven 1898 (Iron Cross)
438 Wadey 1897
437 Weston 1897
436 Morris 1896
8th Row
435 Hillman 1899
433 Dyer 1883
431 Pumphrey 1899
430 Relph 1899
429 Teague 1900
428 Grover 1900
427 Coleman 1900
426 West 1901
9th Row
415 Gander 1903
414 Townsend 1903
413 Huggett 1916
411 Weaver 1900
410 Osbon 1900
408 Wright 1900
C – North
1St Row
223 Dunford 1906
224 Rawles 1883
225 Scrase 1884
227 Mason 1884
2nd Row
239 Strong 1892
240 Batup 1881
241 Jeffery 1884
242 Brown 1881
243 Cole 1881
244 Sandals 1881
245 Brake 1882
246 Geal 1882
247 Gladman 1881
3rd Row
248 King 1880
249 Wall 1880
250 Peacock 1880
252 Richardson 1880
253 Welling 1880
254 Salvage 1880
255 Watford 1879
4th Row
264 Hollands 1878
265 Huggett 1878
267 Cokram 1878
268 Shoosmith 1879
5th Row
269 Potter 1879
270 Taylor 1878
271 Carey 1876
272 Mansbridge 1876
273 Beck 1878
274 Hallam 1878
275 Luckings 1877
276 Pettit 1877
277 Hunsley 1876
278 Cox 1876
6th Row
294 James 1876
295 Peacock 1875
296 Mantell 1874
7th Row
303 Markwick 1883
304 Crouch 1874
8th Row
306 Phillips 1873
308 Pettit 1872
309 Gander 1845
310 Crowhurst 1872
311 Trill 1894
312 Foster 1858
313 Wincham 1872
314 Bailey 1874
315 Carter 1877
9th Row
320 Hallam 1871
321 Paris 1871
322 Ware 1871
323 Fowler 1872
324 Birdseye 1871
10th Row
326 Strong 1870
327 Bance 1870
11th Row
333 Gower 1869
334 Stace 1869
335 Cox 1870
336 Lindfield 1866
12th Row
338 Pellett 1867
339 Pelling 1868
341 Ellis 1868
343 Pettett 1868
345 Cox 1871
13th Row
353 Shoulder 1868
354 Bridgman 1867
355 Jenner 1866
Chris in 1066
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Thanks but my interest is in Wiltshire. Too busy raking for the moon to be bothered with such plans?
Toby.
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Sometimes these churchyard plans are kept in the vestry of a parish church. I asked my neighbour when she was the churchwarden if there was one for our parish church. She found it and I was able to borrow it for a couple of hours one afternoon. I copied onto the back of a roll of unused/unwanted wall paper - seemed the quickest option given the time I had available.
As the Local History Recorder for the parish, I keep a copy at home, with the rest of the village paperwork I have collected over the years and it is useful for visitors - as the church although open at all times, is unmanned (a note of who I am and where to find me is in the church).
Pat ...
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Thanks for that idea Pat. Probably a long shot however for this particular churchyard was closed ( full) over a 100 years ago.
Toby.
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Hi Toby,
Our churchyard was also closed a long time ago, as is usually the case. However, we were fortunate to be able to extend our cemetery next to the churchyard. Often extensions, or new cemeteries have to be away from the parish church in another part of the village/town. Our plan covers both sections, the old and the new. Always worth enquiring at the parish church itself also, some churches have lodged the original plans with the local county Record Office.
Pat ...
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Good. I am much encouraged .
Thanks, Toby.