What rights do living relations have regarding headstones

[newbie]

Thanks for the replies, 
Apparently the cemetery issues a permit for the mason to carry out the work on cemetery grounds, and I think she said gives the grave reference and map. The cemetery also wondered why the other family hadn't queried it, but maybe they live far away?

Dolllylee   

The Headstone has the inscription for  Grandmother, in front of the stone is a (large) urn with an inscription to  grandfather, whose death I had been unable to find, despite sending for various death certs.

Yes it's grandfather.
newbie

added: It is so upsetting I agree.

[dollylee]

Sorry newbie....I really should ge new glasses.

dollylee

[newbie]

I've just ordered my new ones!
newbie

[MarieC]

I feel quite depressed reading these posts!  Dollylee and Newbie, what horror stories you told!  I am in Oz and have not found any of my ancestors' graves in the UK, and goodness knows what has happened to them after reading all this.  I feel powerless!

Have just been watching Time Team which we get here - I'm addicted to it! - and the crew has been excavating near the abbey of St Hilda of Whitby and found a skeleton which has been carbondated to her era and is probably one of her nuns.  With some of these tactics that churches are engaging in, there will be nothing left for future archaeologists to find!!  

The better news is that where I live, the municipal cemetery is extremely well maintained and cemetery authorities are happy for people to come and do up their family graves (which I have done).  A local historian leads tours of the cemetery, so there are important links to the early history of my town.  My earliest ancestor buried here is a gggrandmother, so I do have some important family graves!  And on her large gravestone, where various family members are buried, one branch of the family has added plaques, so it is becoming like a record of the family...  Very interesting, and shows how people value well-maintained graves!

MarieC

[newbie]

It is so sad to see these uncared for cemeteries, this large one is quite well maintained overall, but many of the graves are in a state of disrepair, falling over etc.

The staff at this one are trying to be helpful and were as shocked as me I think.
But it's good to hear about some of the well kept ones, I found some others in Wales last year, again a large cemetery but well kept and it was a moving experience to find my 2xggrandfather's.
newbie

[JoJoBuggins]

Like Marie C, I feel quite depressed and tearful reading your posts.

As I said earlier my headstones are from 1847, I felt the need to lay some flowers just to show them that somebody still cares and is thinking about them, soft aren't I, but to me they are part of what I am

Makes me more determined to try and do something about it

Jo

[mahees]

I know which cemetery most of my ancestors on my Mum's side are in, and it's only a couple of miles from my house, but I have no plans to go and look because the place is a jungle, half the headstones are fallen, vandalised or missing and it is littered with rubbish and hyperdermic needles. It's such a shame when people let the resting place of our ancestors get into such a state of disrepair.  

Erin

[JoJoBuggins]

and its not just the young people, think Councils have alot to answer for!!!

Jo

[MarieC]

Tonniemags,

 

MarieC