Reused Graves: What Happens?

[John915]

Good evening,

Graves belong to the people who purchased the plot/s for 100 years. Even after 100 years the family must be traced and permission gained to reuse, reinter, move headstones or any other act which is required to take place. Without that permission nothing can be done to that grave.

John915

[dawnsh]

I believe the date starts from the time of purchase not the last burial.

https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/burials-and-graves

I would check with the cemetery, your time might be up. If so, make sure they have your contact details on file in case of the need for future contact.

My great-grandparents are buried in Hitchin, the 50 years was up before i started doing the family history, but I contacted Hitchin and they have my details on file. As I was not the next of kin, and didn't have the deeds, I couldn't get the date renewed.

Different cemeteries have different lengths of time the plots are exclusively available for. Westminster cemeteries 'purchse of burial rights' are 75 years 

[cemetery friends]

The Burial Rights to a grave are determined by the county or local authority. in the case of Cornwall for example the Rights last 50 years from the time the plot was purchased. Southampton City Council has a 30 year grant. Very few authorities still off a 100 year grant. At the end of the initial period the Burial Rights Owner has an offer made to renew for the next 10 year period and this repeats each ten year period. If the Burial Rights Owner is then himself/herself deceased, if a will was made "leaving the residual of my estate to X" then X can apply to the cemetery authority to take on the rights of the Burial Rights Owner. If the 10 year periods are not renewed, the cemetery authority will after a period of time consider a new burial. At present the regulations only allow London boroughs to re use the graves, the most prominent to do so is the City of London Cemetery where the scheme works successfully. The Ministry of Justice which administers coroners and burial law is considering a national scheme but pressure on parliamentary time has for some time pushed such legistlation back down the queue and it is unlikely to happen in the present Parliament.

[stevew101]

When my Grandfather died, I was his executor.  He had already bought a plot, as my grandmother had passed away before him.

When I went through his papers, I found a certificate stating that he owned the plot for 70 years from the date of purchase. 

Steve

[Redroger]

Thanks Dawnsh, just had a brief look. Back soon

[Highland Dancer]

can anyone say do these same rules apply in Scotland?

[1716]

can anyone say do these same rules apply in Scotland?

I beleive lairs are sold in perpetuity in Scotland (although the report below seems to want to change that rule)

see

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/01/26131024/5

paragraphs 80 and 81

However, I have strangers buried in a family bought lair in Selkirk. In Traquair and Yarrow the lairs are still ours alone.

[Nettie]

Just asking the same questions of Glasnevin. My ggrandfather purchased a plot in 1912 when the first of three of his children passed (his father was also buried there). However, looking at the extended search, there were already two occupants in there. A woman who died in 1898 (just 14 years before my ggrandfather bought it) and a baby girl who died in 1874. The surnames of the earlier two are different, so I don't know whether my ggrandfather was the 2nd or 3rd person to purchase the same plot. The gap of just 14 years between the woman and the first of my family seems very short for 'reusing'. I await with interest their reply.

[a-l]

I hope you will inform us of their reply , that does seem an incredibly short time.