Grave - John Cox at Highgate Cemetery, St. James, St. Pancras

[janjim]

Hi,
We have recently found information on our GG Grandfather John Cox who was buried at the Highgate Cemetery on the 9th March, 1855.

We live in Australia, and was wondering whether there was anyone who visits the Cemetery fairly regularly who would be able to assist us, in obtaining a photograph of John's Grave.

We would really appreciate that if you could assist.

Regards
Jan Saunders

[Jolee]

If anyone goes there they will need more info such as the grave number etc.

[Chris Doran]

They also need to be aware that there is a charge for admission and visitors can only "roam freely" in the East Cemetery. See http://highgatecemetery.org/

[Bookbox]

How sure are you that your ancestor had a headstone? The vast majority of people who died in London in the 1800s were buried without a headstone or grave-marker of any kind.

Anyone planning to visit Highgate in person can look up the grave registers first (at Camden Local Studies) to get the plot number and other details before visiting the cemetery. As has been said, there is an admission cost.

For remote researchers, grave-searches at Highgate are best undertaken by the FoHC (the Friends group). They charge a fixed fee for searching the burial registers, locating the grave, and either escorting you to it (if it's accessible) or emailing a photograph of any headstone or monument. So if you already know from the burial register that your ancestor is at Highgate, but there turns out to be no headstone, you can unfortunately end up getting very little for your money.

This page has a link to the Search Form, giving details of the service offered.
http://highgatecemetery.org/visit/searches

[janjim]

Thank you everyone for your replies, well I definitely have records that John Cox was buried there, whether there was a headstone, cannot be sure, but maybe with the wealthy connection he had to his half family in Australia, i.e. William Charles Wentworth, the great explorer and politician, it is possible that the family in Australia could have paid for a grave.   John Cox was the son of Francis Cox who came to Australia as a convict in 1791, leaving behind his wife and family.   Francis set up with another lady after his release, and one of his daughters Sarah Cox married W.C. Wentworth, so much history here in Australia, but the family left behind in England suffered terribly, and this is where our family line comes down.

However, I am not prepared initially to pay a 40 pound fee for a search to find the grave number.  Interesting after reading the Highgate website, such a treasured cemetery.   I don't know of any cemetery in NSW that charges a fee for admission, that is quite unusual, maybe things could have changed around the Sydney area by now.

Regards, Jan

[avm228]

An 1855 burial will have taken place in the West Cemetery (the East Cemetery was not yet open).  It is vast, and for the most part the woodland has taken over other than on the maintained paths. Entry is permitted only as part of a paid-for (and fascinating) guided tour unless you are a registered grave owner or you have booked a grave visit.

I agree with others that your best bet is to contact the Friends of Highgate Cemetery for help on this one.  Very often a path has to be cut through vegetation, and overgrowth cleared from the grave itself, in order for a memorial inscription to be seen, and this delicate conservation work can only be done by or with the approval of the Friends.  They did a wonderful job for me, clearing a completely overgrown family grave in such a way that stone was safely stripped of ivy and the delicate metalled lettering of the inscription was revealed to the outside world for the first time in many generations.

See: http://highgatecemetery.org/visit/searches

[avm228]

Cross posted with you.  It is a bit unfair to say the £40 is just for finding the grave number.  As is stated on the site, the fee covers locating and creating access to the grave itself.  In many cases this involves very significant labour and skilled conservation work.

[janjim]

My apologies about my comment on the costing, I probably didn't read the site correctly, however I will look into it further.
Of course I can imagine the work done by the Friends, I know what is happening with my side of the family in Newbury with the Friends group.

Regards
Jan

[ashanti]

Yes, John Cox is buried in Highgate Cemetery in a remote part of the West which is not accessed on tours. So you'd have to pay the required fee to be taken there or be sent a photo of the grave.