Layston Church-Buntingford

[beedan]

Could anyone advise me if there are there any MI's available for the cemetery at Layston Church,Buntingford? My grandfather Sydney George Thomas Daniels, who I never met, was buried there in 1932. I have good information that a headstone marked his grave and would like to gather info from it and at some time obtain a photo.

Also,he was managing the shop of W.B. Moss & Sons in Buntingford at the time of his death.Any info on that company would also be helpfull as I can't find a listing of them and apparently they had a few shops around Hertforshire.

Keith Daniells. Australia

[Lady Di]

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but unfortunately all the headstones have been removed from St Bartholomew's, Layston Church yard. Very few of the headstones were saved sadly.

There is a Film available from LDS which shows the MI's for Layston but that only goes up to 1900
(FHL 91733 Item 2)

This site may be useful if you want any other information about the church and what happened to the headstones:
http://www.layston-church.org.uk/default.htm

Good luck with your research.

Di

[beedan]

Hi Lady Di
Was checking Google Earth and it looked like there were a lot of visiable grave plots still on site. I take it that it is a cemetery I am looking at. Why would they have removed the headstones?
Keith.

[Lady Di]

Hi Keith,

I haven't seen the pics from Google Earth but I was told that the headstones were removed due to orders issued by the Cof E Church heirachy.

I have also found (on the 'net) what appears to be a recent picture of the graveyard around the church and it doesn't look that old (the pic, not the graveyard  ). There are headstones still in place at that time. Unfortunately there was no date on the picture.

Maybe contacting the new owners of the church will provide an answer or two.

Di

[beedan]

Thanks for that. I will try and find out who the owners are and contact them.
Keith.

[Lady Di]

The owners are on this site...

http://www.layston-church.org.uk/default.htm

Good Luck

Di

[beedan]

Thank you,I will give them a try.

Keith

[Church123]

Hi Keith,

two cemetery's to play with here ... the one around the church is all pre 1900 burials - post 1900 is in the new cemetery which is very much alive so to speak. Your Grandfather would be in the new cemetery with all the other 1930's burials.

These people ...

http://www.hertsfhs.org.uk/hfphs30.html

list all the instriptions in the new and the old church yards ...

don't get to excited - I've had a look over my copy and can't see any Daniels ... sorry

The headstones were cleared from the Old Churchyard for some mad reason, a fair number were recovered by a chap who lives next door and they are now all round the edge - your Grandad will DEFINATLY be in the new church yard.

top right picture here

http://www.layston-church.org.uk/archive.html

new graveyard is to the left of the picture.

happy hunting and hope this lot helps ...

Martin

[beedan]

Thanks Martin that does help.Will just have to keep hunting.
Keith.