Author Topic: Position of Grave in Graveyard.  (Read 1831 times)

Offline jfchaly

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 53
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Position of Grave in Graveyard.
« on: Sunday 07 April 19 21:20 BST (UK) »
Has anyone noticed how near to church "Well to do" families had their graves.
When I was looking for family graves, I began to notice a pattern of "Well to do" having graves either close to church or beside main pathway to the church.
The graves of poor or less well off which had either no headstones or just markers were further away.

The graves would belong to the period 1800 to about 1920
Roman Catholic in County Kilkenny.

Jfch

Offline Claire64

  • RootsChat Veteran
  • *****
  • Posts: 544
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Position of Grave in Graveyard.
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 07 April 19 21:32 BST (UK) »
Some of my well-off ancestors asked in their wills to be buried in the church, which was a sign of status, way back, when they still did this.  Would be interested in what people think about position in churchyard though.
Pearson (Bradwell Dby & Stocksbridge)
Donkersley
Crawshaw (Bradfield)
Evans (Bradwell Dby and Stocksbridge)
Crossley (Penistone)
Rogers (Nottinghamshire & Stocksbridge)
Poynton / Pointon (Derbyshire)
Day (Barnsley WRY and Iowa USA)
Scargill (Barnsley)

Offline pinefamily

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 3,810
  • Big sister with baby brother
    • View Profile
Re: Position of Grave in Graveyard.
« Reply #2 on: Monday 08 April 19 06:17 BST (UK) »
I would assume it was a "thing" for the well-heeled to buried closer to the church or at least in more prominent locations.
One of my clergy ancestors asked to be buried next to his wife in the chancel, and that was 1726. I'd be curious to hear how late that practice went.
I am Australian, from all the lands I come (my ancestors, at least!)

Pine/Pyne, Dowdeswell, Kempster, Sando/Sandoe/Sandow, Nancarrow, Hounslow, Youatt, Richardson, Jarmyn, Oxlade, Coad, Kelsey, Crampton, Lindner, Pittaway, and too many others to name.
Devon, Dorset, Gloucs, Cornwall, Warwickshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire, Wilts, Germany, Sweden, and of course London, to name a few.

Offline jim1

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 24,428
  • ain't life grand
    • View Profile
Re: Position of Grave in Graveyard.
« Reply #3 on: Monday 08 April 19 12:09 BST (UK) »
My family were keen tomb builders & had 3 at 3 different Churches all close to the Church.
Not only was it a sign of status (close to the Church cost more) but also a case of closer to God.
Warks:Ashford;Cadby;Clarke;Clifford;Cooke Copage;Easthope;
Edmonds;Felton;Colledge;Lutwyche;Mander(s);May;Poole;Withers.
Staffs.Edmonds;Addison;Duffield;Webb;Fisher;Archer
Salop:Easthope,Eddowes,Hoorde,Oteley,Vernon,Talbot,De Neville.
Notts.Clarke;Redfearne;Treece.
Som.May;Perriman;Cox
India Kane;Felton;Cadby
London.Haysom.
Lancs.Gay.
Worcs.Coley;Mander;Sawyer.
Kings of Wessex & Scotland
Census information is Crown copyright,from
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/


Offline Skoosh

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 5,736
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Position of Grave in Graveyard.
« Reply #4 on: Monday 08 April 19 12:13 BST (UK) »
South side good, north side not so good!  ;D

Skoosh.

Offline andrewalston

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,932
  • My granddad
    • View Profile
Re: Position of Grave in Graveyard.
« Reply #5 on: Monday 08 April 19 16:48 BST (UK) »
I believe that higher status graves were closer to the altar. Where burial was allowed inside the building, the Lord of the Manor is likely to be close to the altar rail.

Just outside the chancel was also a posh area. My local church has the stone for a vicar about 2 feet from the wall.

I seem to remember one WDYTYA where the clergyman concerned was buried almost underneath the altar.
Looking at ALSTON in south Ribble area, ALSTEAD and DONBAVAND/DUNBABIN etc. everywhere, HOWCROFT and MARSH in Bolton and Westhoughton, PICKERING in the Whitehaven area.

Census information is Crown Copyright. See www.nationalarchives.gov.uk for details.

Offline ThrelfallYorky

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 3,582
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Position of Grave in Graveyard.
« Reply #6 on: Monday 08 April 19 16:52 BST (UK) »
I've found clergy buried very  close in to the important bits of the church, even comparatively recently.
Threlfall (Southport), Isherwood (lancs & Canada), Newbould + Topliss(Derby), Keating & Cummins (Ireland + lancs), Fisher, Strong& Casson (all Cumberland) & Downie & Bowie, Linlithgow area Scotland . Also interested in Leigh& Burrows,(Lancashire) Griffiths (Shropshire & lancs), Leaver (Lancs/Yorks) & Anderson(Cumberland and very elusive)

Offline Skoosh

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 5,736
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Position of Grave in Graveyard.
« Reply #7 on: Monday 08 April 19 21:14 BST (UK) »
The Church of Scotland banned burials inside parish churches in 1581. The lairds grannie rotting away under the floor must have stank the kirk to high heaven.  ;D
They got round this ban by adding burial-aisles to the outside of the kirk.                                                                 

Skoosh.

Offline hallmark

  • ~
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • ****
  • Posts: 17,525
    • View Profile
Re: Position of Grave in Graveyard.
« Reply #8 on: Monday 08 April 19 21:24 BST (UK) »



Graves nearer the Church are more expensive too.....





Give a man a record and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to research, and you feed him for a lifetime.