Queens Road cemetery, Walthamstow

[Retriever]

Thanks to Ancestry, I have found the burial records of my ggrandfather's sister, her husband and daughter.

Grave number 803c contains the daughter who was the first to die, and her mother who was the last to die.

The husband is in grave 804c and his was the second death.

All the graves on the page, except for the last, have other names listed which have been crossed through in red ink, they are all in unconsecrated ground.

The last column on the page gives the name and address of the purchaser and the surnames are the same as the most recent deceased.

Does this mean that the grave space has been sold on with other bodies still there, in one case five previous burials?

[stanmapstone]

In municipal cemeteries there are Purchased Graves where the applicant purchases the Exclusive Right of Burial in this grave, effectively forming a private grave and giving the family of the deceased control of any future burials in that grave. The owner of the Right must give written permission before any burial can take place in a purchased grave. The Exclusive Right has a fixed term - usually 100 years after which time control of the grave is returned to the relevant authority. Un-purchased Graves are also known as 'Common' or 'Public' graves. The relevant authority retains control of the burials in these graves. Burial Law used to require a 14 year interval between successive burials in one of these graves, (unless the deceased were from the same family), but this law has since been repealed.

Stan

[Retriever]

Thank you for that Stan.

That leaves one question, why was the husband/father buried in a separate grave albeit the next one? Seems a bit odd as no-one has been buried in either since 1953.

I doubt I will ever find out.

[Chris Doran]

I came across a similar situation in a section at Greenwich which has both old and modern graves, suggesting re-use going on -- two new identical design headstones next to one another with the same surname, so probably related, but only one or two names on each. A common form of "re-use" is to just fill unused places rather than undertake exhumations. But if you want a "family plot" you're likely to have to go for two side-by side.

Regrettably for genealogists and grave hunters, the names of the earlier interments rarely appear on the new headstones.

[Retriever]

Thank you for that Chris. Do you think that means there might be headstones? There was no mention of that on the records.

With regard to the other names crossed through, I’m considering tracing them on FreeBMD and adding a note as to their burial details.

[Chris Doran]

Unlike many other places, Queen's Road is well populated with gravestones and doesn't have depressing swathes of bare grass where gravestones have been moved aside to ease mowing (mainly because it has gravel rather than grass). So if there were headstones on your graves there's a good chance they're still there. Does the register have a column headed "Monument" or somesuch? See what it says for this one, which has headstone and kerbs: Frederick Vickerman Trenwith, d 2-Jan-1944 a 65, plot 592CA (the nearest to 803/4 I photographed).

I'm happy to go and look, but as I'm the other side of London, I'd prefer to leave it until the spring when lighter evenings will allow me to get more done.

[Retriever]

Sorry for the delay in replying to you Chris.

Yes there is some writing in the right hand side column. Unfortunately it is obscured by the ancient sellotape.

it is very kind of you to offer to take a look for me, and if you are over there I would be very grateful.
Any time to suit you would be fine as there is no rush.

I will let you know the names and plot numbers if and when you plan to go.

Regards

[Linda Marcley]

This is such a helpful discussion and I think it may explain what I notice as well.
The 1905 and 1911 Cemetery Register for Queens Road Walthamstow, indicates the cemetery and graves for my great grandmothers, but on the Queens Rd Cemetery map there is another name on that plot.  Is that because in more recent year, this was reused ?
Grave 1 A 797 should be Annie Young 10/20/1905, (I have OLD picture of tombstone),  but indicates plot map indicates “Boxer” ? Same for 1 B 1930;  Kirkham but plot map shows Allen.  I’m coming from NYC in April to visit the family’s home village, and plan to pay my respects at their resting place. Any insight would be appreciated.  Linda

[Retriever]

I’ve found the record for Annie Young on Ancestry and the grave has been bought by the Boxer family.

I haven’t checked the other name.