public & private graves

[Gordon Beaney]

Hi,

Can someone please clarify the difference between a 'public' grave & a 'private' grave?

many thanks

[casalguidi]

Hi Gordon

A private grave has been purchased by somebody ie. the family whilst a public grave is a polite way of saying "pauper's grave".

Casalguidi

[Gordon Beaney]

hi

Thanks for that, would or could a public grave contain more than 1 person and could you add a headstone to a public grave?

thanks
serena

[Biker]

There's much on Google, this is one link that may help ...

http://www.towerhamletscemetery.org/cep/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=28

I have also seen a various notations of the following:

"Public grave
A grave where no exclusive right of burial has been granted. The gravesite is selected by the Manager and no permanent memorial or marker can be erected."


Biker

[ricky1]

Hi Gordon
Found this while googling around

Exclusive rights of burial

Most of our graves are private graves, known as "purchased graves", where the exclusive right of burial can be bought for a period of 50 years for a burial or 25 years for a cremated remains plot. The grave remains the property of the Council, but the registered owner of the grave is the only person who can decide who will be buried in the grave, and can choose and maintain a memorial in line with our cemetery regulations. At the end of the time you can buy the rights for another ten years.

We can open a grave for the burial of the owner. In all other cases we must receive written permission from the owner. If the owner has died a new owner must be registered before we can open a grave or any work is done on a memorial. Changing the grave owner is easier when there is a Will or probate has been granted. If you want more information on registering a new owner, please ask the Cemeteries Office for advice.

When you buy a grave we will send you a Deed of Grant. This deed is not a request for payment, but is your official record of the grave. You should keep it in a safe place because you may be asked for it when any work takes place on the grave. We can add details of later burials to the Deed. If you move you should let us know your new address because we may need to contact you.

Some cemeteries also have graves that cannot be privately owned. These are "un-purchased" graves, sometimes known as public or common graves. The Council has total control over these graves, and decides who will be buried in them. This might not be members of the same family. Next of kin can place a small memorial on the grave, with our permission, for 14 years. After this time we have the right to remove the memorial.

ricky

[Taidquest]

public grave  also known as common grave,formerly known as
paupers grave.I had a brother born in september 1945 who died on 5th of december the same year,he was buried in a common grave in mount jerome cemetary dublin,my mother always said it was'nt possible to buy out a grave for a baby then.recently making enquiries about  the grave we were told it could be bought out now and could then have a gravestone erected but as yet I'm not sure what would happen about the other remains buried there,I would like to do this but will have to enquire further if the grave could be left as is without disturbing anything or if we would have to try to find out if the other people buried there had living relatives who could object.it is only possible because the company which owns the cemetary still owns this 'plot'.
                                                                          regards.anne

[Cell]

Hi,
As mentioned , you do need permission from the relevant council.
 I would tend to think each council probably have different rules regarding their cemeteries;  so  I would phone the cemetery department in the relevant council and inquire about the grave that you want to put the headstone on . They should be able to tell you if you can or cannot put a stone on it, and what steps need to be taken if you can.

My mum-in-law has very recently ( about 4 months ago) put a tablet/plaque on her unmarked grandmothers grave in Swansea who died in 1912 (which is not a privately owned grave, but there are no non family members who are buried in there with her - we have a list of who are buried in there from the council)

But I must add that my mum in law was told when she asked in the church on the grounds that  she needed to apply for  permission from the council, but she never did apply for permission from them .
She just ordered the tablet/plaque  and what she wanted engraved on it  . She  then drove to the graveyard with her daughter and the plaque in the boot. Then she got the poor daughter to lug this stone plaque (which looks around about 2ft  by 2 ft looking at the picture my mum in law has sent to me)  to the grave and plonked it down on top of the grave without asking anyone's permission - That's my mum-in-law for you!!    

They will probably remove it if anyone  does notice that it should not be there( which is probably  doubtful that anyone will notice it though as it's a big graveyard )
Why she didn't seek permission is beyond me, as If they do spot it and remove it I bet   she'll have a good old whinge about it.

  

[acorngen]

Public graves can have as many as 20 people buried in them.  I was interested to hear that you could buy out public graves.  When I enquired in Doncaster about this I was told you couldn't and that was in a grave where only my 3 x great grandfather lies as the cemetery stopped filling the ground not long after his burial.  Interesting

Rob

[plimmerian]

while looking in Anfield Cemetery records, I discovered three types - public, private & purchased - this has confused me - why have three types of burial plots?