Grave Depths (into which I've sunk)

[Guy Etchells]

Many graveyards had soil brought in from outlying areas in the early 19th century by which time it was common for gravediggers to cut through earlier burials and for bones to be exposed to the surface.
It was also common in the past for bones from earlier burials to be collected and stored in charnel houses.

When cemeteries became commonplace public grave plots were dug to a depth of around 14ft and held up to 8 bodies in 1837 but by 1839 24 bodies was the usual figure for a public grave.
It was also common for public plots to be interspersed between private plots to give a less crowded appearance as public plots did not normally have gravestones.

The 1847 Act required at least thirty inches from the lid of the coffin to the surface, though from 1908 the normal practice has been three feet.
Cheers
Guy

[Darcy]

I think this is a fascinating subject and have enjoyed reading the responses - maybe I'm just morbid.

The only reason I knew anything about it was because, many moons ago, my family had a problem getting permission to bury a maiden aunt with her parents and sibling.

The rule in Ireland is 4 to a grave and there hadn't been enough subsidence for a fourth coffin to be interred. Eventually the burial was permitted - I think she made it by a couple of inches!

Keith: I didn't realise I had won the French Derby. No wonder I'm feeling a bit tired...

Darcy

[Su]

Keith: I didn't realise I had won the French Derby. No wonder I'm feeling a bit tired...

Darcy, the mind simply boggles, you never cease to amaze me.  If you're not mountain climbing and camping, you're thundering round the French race course. 

Take it easy girl, or you might find yourself 6 foot under through sheer exhaustion 

Lots of Love
Su xxx

[AngelFish]

My Great Uncle had always expected to be buried with his parents, the grave had been bought for the three of them.  When he died, we were told the grave had not originally been dug deep enough so we were not allowed to bury him there.  The cemetery had since been closed so he had to been buried miles away! 

I think in some areas there are rules as to how many you can bury in a grave, maybe only one, think its something to do with water levels? Does anyone know?

Anglefish

[Guy Etchells]

There is very little restriction on human burials though they should not be closer than 10 ft from a water course.

Animal burials are a different matter MAFF Code of Good Agricultural Practice.

  The above points have not yet been incorporated into the Agency's policy. The Agency's groundwater protection policy and guidelines are currently under review and we are considering the incorporation of the following guidance in the revision of the policy document:

      —  no burials within Zone 1 Groundwater Source Protection Zones around a spring, well and borehole;

      —  a minimum distance of 250 metres from graves to wells, boreholes or springs used for water supply;

      —  a minimum distance of 30 metres from graves to other springs or watercourses;

      —  a minimum distance of 10 metres from graves to field drains;

      —  no burial into standing water and the base of the grave should be above the local water table.

  Adoption of these practices should avoid the need for site-specific assessments for the lower risk proposals (low burial rates and low groundwater vulnerability). Site-specific risk assessments are needed for higher burial rates and in areas where groundwater is inherently more vulnerable, in addition to the good practice measures noted above.
Cheers
Guy

[D ap D]

Does anyone know when it became common practice to use coffins? Surely with older burials, if the family could afford a grave, it is possible that the finances would not have run to affording a coffin as well, so would they not have simply been buried in a shroud, as is still common practice for males in several muslim countries?

If no coffin was used, then either they would have been able to fit more people into the grave, or else they wouldn't have to dig as deep.

D

[Guy Etchells]

The practice of burials in a coffin was a progression from the use of a parish coffin, the body being transported in the coffin to the graveside, where the body was removed and lowered into the grave.
It was in Victorian times that private coffins became the standard.
Cheers
Guy

[Keith Sherwood]

Guy,
I'm always impressed about your depth of knowledge, especially about standard practice with burials... May I ask whether this comes from a present/past occupation of yours?
Keith

[Guy Etchells]

I have always found burial grounds to be tranquil places where one can think rather than frightening places haunted by spirits. As a result I have researched many aspects of burial custom and practice.

I have never restricted my family history research to finding ancestors but spread it through all aspects of social history to enable me to try to understand why their lives developed the way they did.
Cheers
Guy