Why was she buried in East London when she came from South London???

[Relsearcher]

Hi!  My Great Great Grandmother Maria Rickerby (nee Hunwick, ex Hughes) was born, lived and died in the Rotherhithe, Bermondsey, Southwwark areas of South London.  All my family came from South London and all of my deceased relatives are buried in various cemeteries in Greenwich, Deptford, Camberwell, Lewisham, Rotherhithe, Bermondsey and Southwark.

After obtaining Maria's death certificate for 1886 I found that she had died falling down the stairs at her home at 281 Southwark Park Road.  There was an inquest.  BUT the big mystery is her place of burial.  I have tracked her down to Manor Park Cemetery in East London.  I thought at first that she might be in a private grave of the family of her 2nd husband William Rickerby, but found that she had been put in a common grave.  The scan of the burial register also shows other people from Bermondsey and Southwark being interred in Manor Park Cemetery.

I contacted Manor Park Cemetery but they could not shed any light on why Maria would be buried on the other side of London from where she spent her life.

If anyone has any ideas at all as to why someone from South London would end up buried over in East London, please let me know - I really find it very strange!!!

Many thanks, Nina 

[ggrocott]

Funnily enough I have a similar story.   My ggrandparents lived in Ontario Street, near the Elephant and Castle but when one of the children died, as the result of burns sustained when her hair caught fire on the Xmas tree candles, she was buried in an unmarked common grave at Manor Park.  A few years later her mother joined her and the family moved to Willesden and then to Hounslow.  It had never crossed my mind to query this before, but it does seem odd. 

Despite best efforts I have not managed to track down an inquest report for the child Mary Emily Susannah Rose Holloway (aka Rosie) 1892 -1901 although I imagine that, given the circumstances, there probably was one. Or a report of the death of her mother 6 years later of a heart attack.

Gill

[groom]

Hi

The fact that other people from South London were also buried there suggests that there must have been a reason, rather than choice.

I wonder whether local cemeteries were full at that time and that was the nearest one with space for common burials?

[Relsearcher]

Hi - thanks for your info - that's a possibility Groom - when I have the time I will have to look into that angle ...

Gill - I have found this link for you which might be of help (unless you have already seen it!). 

http://217.154.230.218/NR/rdonlyres/0D15B0CF-8A94-44D5-9966-5F3276C5C74F/0/Infono34.pdf

Alternatively, email the LMA directly and tell them exactly what you are searching for and that you are having difficulty searching their catalogues online - they managed to help me when I was totally baffled when trying to find a coroner's report regarding my Great Uncle who drowned in the Thames - no joy though.  Good luck with your search for a report!

Nina 

[ggrocott]

Thanks for the link Nina.