Letters under name in burial register

[Joy Dean]

Does anyone know the reason for letters under a person's name in a burial register, please? - such as here http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec?htx=View&r=5538&dbid=1559&iid=31547_213341-00423&fn=Robert&ln=Brooks&st=r&ssrc=&pid=10303737
Thank you.

[Roobarb]

The link just takes us to the Ancestry sign on page Joy. Could you perhaps post a jpeg?


(I see those pesky Santas are back) 

[AngelaR]

If you log into Ancestry first, then the link takes you straight to a register image.

It's an odd one - I've not come across this before. Underneath each name in the register is, usually, N or D but there is also an HD and a DD.

Looking for common patterns, the N seems mainly to refer to stillborn or neonatal children    Isn't that very unusual in itself in 1830? I've not seen stillborn children in burial records before at all.....

[nanny jan]

Unfortunately the link is only available to those with a subscription. 


Nanny Jan

[PrueM]

I wonder if it's a code relating to the area of the churchyard in which the burial took place?

[AngelaR]

Looks like the priest here always coded the entries.

eg

a still-born of Sarah Bicknells - N -

Hannah Meredith - D -     age 15

William Meredith - HD -    age 6

etc

could be coded on age?

Added: Sorry Prue - cross posted with yours! The codes always seem to be N, D, HD or DD  and neonatals are always N, but this could be, as you say, an area of the churchyard

[Joy Dean]

Sorry, I didn't think to scan the image, thank you for doing that.

The actual person in my family is Robert Brooks who died in 1830 and he has the letters D D under his name.

[Joy Dean]

I hoped I might be able to find a plan online of the original churchyard in case the letters do relate to where people are buried but all I have found, so far, is this
http://www.burial.magic-nation.co.uk/bgwestminster.htm
which is in itself interesting but I can't see a plan, yet.

[AngelaR]

N is mainly neo-natal but there are a few adults, all from the workhouse. It does look like it's either burial area or something around social status (or both)