Bishopwearmouth cemetery

[Tickettyboo]

Got quite excited when Jon mentioned two others in the same plot as Christopher.  Assumed that meant relatives, but they are not related at all.  Must be the way the plots are worked out.

This what I meant by public and private graves.
If the right of burial in a plot is purchased then you are more likely to find other family members buried in the same plot and purchased graves were allowed to have gravestones erected.

A public grave, where the right to burial wasn't purchased, will not have a gravestone and most often other burials were of people not related.

I just can't tell from these burial registers which type of graves these were at the time of burial, but its not impossible that the grave was purchased at a later date.

Boo

[Spelk]

Looking at the years when the graves were used most nearby seem to have been used 1891 then 1913 then 1947 so looks like they were just working their way around the cemetery.
A few graves do not fit this pattern and often have the same surnames buried so these are presumably private graves.
A comparison of the names buried and wording on gravestone, if any, might be an interesting study for someone.

Edit - I see some Ancestry trees have the marriage of Christopher and Elizabeth as July 1848. I guess they mean 3rd qtr in 1848.
Durham Chronicle of 29 Sep 1848 says the marriage was in Sunderland and took place on 24th September.

[Mofamily]

Yes Spelk - They were married on the 24 September 1948 as I have a copy of the marriage record.  They were married at The Parish Church in the Parish of Sunderland, but don't know which Church that would be.

Mo

[River Tyne Lass]

https://www.sunderlandparish1719.org

I think it will be Holy Trinity.

[Mofamily]

Cheers.
Mo