Author Topic: No Head Stones  (Read 1561 times)

Offline essexalan

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No Head Stones
« on: Thursday 07 May 15 11:21 BST (UK) »
Anyone know how to find burial plots of family at St Stephens Church,Great Wigborough,Essex,
That do not have Head Stones.
I was born in the village and told as a child that my Grandfather and Great Grandparents are buried there.I have recently visited the church and met the church warden.Who was very helpful but only has a plan of plots that have head stones.Has not so far been able to find any records or plans of old plots that are unmarked.
Tibbald ,Theobald,Sheppard,Gale,Mumford,Game.

Offline LizzieL

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Re: No Head Stones
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 07 May 15 13:38 BST (UK) »
It seems strange that the church should only have a plan of the plots with headstones. It might suggest that this was a plan made more recently by a local history enthusiast and not an original record. The church should have burial records or they may have been deposited with the local record office.
Some years ago we were looking for OH's grandparents grave in a different Essex churchyard, but no headstone. They were buried in the 1950s and the church was still using the register book from that time, so we were able to find the burial details and the plot number from that.
Berks / Oxon: Eltham, Annetts, Wiltshire (surname not county), Hawkins, Pembroke, Partridge
Dorset / Hants: Derham, Stride, Purkiss, Sibley
Yorkshire: Pottage, Carr, Blackburn, Depledge
Sussex: Goodyer, Christopher, Trevatt
Lanark: Scott (soldier went to Jersey CI)
Jersey: Fowler, Huelin, Scott

Offline LizzieL

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Re: No Head Stones
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 07 May 15 13:49 BST (UK) »
The SEAX catalogue has Great Wigborough burial records from 1813 to 1997.
Older records may just have the burial details without plot number.
This is a pay site to view records on line. If you can get to the record office in Chelmsford or one of the access points around Essex, I think you can view microfilm and fiche records free

http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/GetPage.aspx?ID=39

You might get more responses if you ask a moderator to move this thread to the Essex board.
Berks / Oxon: Eltham, Annetts, Wiltshire (surname not county), Hawkins, Pembroke, Partridge
Dorset / Hants: Derham, Stride, Purkiss, Sibley
Yorkshire: Pottage, Carr, Blackburn, Depledge
Sussex: Goodyer, Christopher, Trevatt
Lanark: Scott (soldier went to Jersey CI)
Jersey: Fowler, Huelin, Scott

Offline lizdb

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Re: No Head Stones
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 07 May 15 13:51 BST (UK) »
Parish records, including burials, should be at the Essex Record Office, Wharf Rd , Chelmsford. Or can be viewed online at the SEAX  site ( subscription required)


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Offline LizzieL

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Re: No Head Stones
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 07 May 15 14:16 BST (UK) »
Is you grandfather Arthur William Theobald? If so, I think I've just seen your tree on line and you already have the burial entry. And no plot reference. If it was more recent, contacting local undertakers might have been a possibility. That's what we did in Saffron Walden, before we managed to locate the correct person with access to burial records for Hempstead.
We were fortunate that burials in the 1950s were done consecutively and with death certs giving us dates of death we could guess burials would only be a few days later and had located the grave (both buried together) by the gap in headstones corresponding to date of burial of the first of the couple, and the church records confirmed.
Berks / Oxon: Eltham, Annetts, Wiltshire (surname not county), Hawkins, Pembroke, Partridge
Dorset / Hants: Derham, Stride, Purkiss, Sibley
Yorkshire: Pottage, Carr, Blackburn, Depledge
Sussex: Goodyer, Christopher, Trevatt
Lanark: Scott (soldier went to Jersey CI)
Jersey: Fowler, Huelin, Scott

Offline essexalan

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Re: No Head Stones
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 07 May 15 15:01 BST (UK) »
Yes Hello all.Thanks for your replies.
Yes my Grandfather was Arthur William Theobald and I had rough idea of position of his grave.
Was told that no headstone was erected, and yes I have SEAX records of burials of all that I am searching for.I do remember the Rev Hall had all the unmarked grave flattened when I was a teenager.
I have an up to date plan of gravestones that are in the churchyard as met the churchwarden on a recent visit.But she has be unable to find any other plans or info so far.It's a shame that they did not put plot numbers on burial records,as that would have been a great help.
Tibbald ,Theobald,Sheppard,Gale,Mumford,Game.

Offline LizzieL

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Re: No Head Stones
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 07 May 15 16:07 BST (UK) »
That's terrible that all the unmarked graves were flattened. We were lucky that we were able to locate the grave of my husband's grandparents and we had a headstone put up. I think there had been a falling out among the siblings (my father in law and his sisters - all passed away now so we'll never know exactly) and no-one did anything about marking the grave.
The slightly annoying thing was that since the 1950's the church authorities had changed the rules about the style of memorial allowed, so instead of one more in keeping with those in the 1950's area it was in, we had to have one like the 21st century ones. It does rather stick out.
Berks / Oxon: Eltham, Annetts, Wiltshire (surname not county), Hawkins, Pembroke, Partridge
Dorset / Hants: Derham, Stride, Purkiss, Sibley
Yorkshire: Pottage, Carr, Blackburn, Depledge
Sussex: Goodyer, Christopher, Trevatt
Lanark: Scott (soldier went to Jersey CI)
Jersey: Fowler, Huelin, Scott

Offline essexalan

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Re: No Head Stones
« Reply #7 on: Friday 08 May 15 14:44 BST (UK) »
Hi Lizzie,Yes it was about the early 1960s as I was an alter boy at the Church at the time and my father used to cut the grass.The Rev thought it would make it easy for my father if it was flat.
My Grandmother is buried there in 1981 as well,but her her children my uncles and aunts did not erect a head stone.Lucky I had an idea where she was as that is now flat as well.Also I did have an idea of the area in the churchyard of my Grandfathers plot.That is a bit naf about having to have a headstone in keeping with the time.Yes I think it was a falling out with silings as to why my Grandmother did not get a headstone.As for as my Grandfather and Grandparents I think it was just unafordable in there time.
Tibbald ,Theobald,Sheppard,Gale,Mumford,Game.