Rookwood back

[franh1946]

As Cando observed in another thread Rookwood General, Anglican, Independent and Jewish grave search is again available, but sadly, both given and surnames are needed, so we are still unable to search for a family rather than an individual, a facility that enabled me to find many family members in the past.

[sparrett]

I agree, that requirement makes it a less than perfect search tool.

If you are a very keen searcher, you can use just a single letter in the first name box and the full surname. For example A. Johnson.

This brings up all the Johnsons with first name starting with A.

Very tedious going through the alphabet

Sue

[franh1946]

Well they do say

"While we are finalising our new burial system and database select the appropriate button below to access data from the various databases we have available."

which upon reflection does sound vaguely hopeful!

Fran

[majm]

Yes, and keep looking, ..... perhaps once it is fully functioning, if you know the plot ref. then you could click further and see who else is found at that plot (it used to be so, back ummm.... several versions ago)

And if there were several interred in a double plot, then you need to already know to keep looking.... My Grandparents are with her parents and her infant brother and infant sister and a foster brother in a double plot (five burials, two cremations in the one double plot).  All mentioned on the one headstone and the two cremations are there with the authority of the trustees from back in the 'old' era.  The burials are all in the late 1800s.  The cremations are within my lifetime, and I was the one who obtained the written authority to have the ashes interred in the double grave.  (Not sure if that can be 'done' anymore).   

So Gran's surname matches her husband's.  "A"
So Gran's foster brother's surname matches HIS mum's "B"
So Gran's parents surname is different from both these "C".
So Gran's infant brother and sister's surname matches their parents and is "C"

So the database has some flawed data.   Each time that website has been 'fixed'  I send email, and advise them of a particular flaw, which they then organise to check, and have the displayed data amended.  And the amendments appear after about six months or so.

So they have five burials dated 1938.    Two of those digits are correct and one is in the 'correct' position it is the 1.  All five were buried in the 1880s.  The HEADSTONE was RE-erected in 1938 after it had fallen over.  The date of burial for all five exactly matches the date on the Stone Mason's 1938 receipt.  (£9/18/3d).

So if you were looking for a lad who was born in the 1870s, in Parramatta, to an unmarried mum, unless you knew that he had been fostered and that his surname had been retained but mis-spelt at NSW BDM online index, and slightly different spelling in the SMH notice, and slightly different spelling again on the headstone .... and hugely different dates (forty years plus) between the actual burial and the Rookwood recorded date for burial .... well any opportunity to find him... well he would be difficult to find. 

I will wait until May 2016 and I will again take all the photocopies of the NSW dcs, family private papers, photos of the headstone back in the 1890s, and when it was found fallen in 1938, and restored in 1938, and again in 1995, and again in 2005, and ask them to fix the database again.

       Those Primitive Methodists likely would expect no less. 

Cheers,  JM