Common grave

[oldfashionedgirl]

I have found the burial of my mothers uncle on Deceased Online.
He died in Staffordshire in December 1969 and was buried on 24th December.

Under the 'mode of burial' column it states 'common' as opposed to 'purchased' as all the others on the page.  The lair had three other people in it before him who were buried in 1937, 1915 and 1897.

The names of the three other people do not ring any bells re my family tree.

My mother had moved hundreds of miles away from her home town by then and doesn't remember being told of his death. Infact it being at Christmas time she would have returned to her home town to visit her family.

Her recollection is that he wasn't married, had no children and may have been estranged from his family.

My questions are it being a 'common grave' does that mean he was buried 'by the state'?, not sure if that is the correct term ?.

I have downloaded a scan if the 'Register of Burials in the General Ground' but it doesn't say who arranged the burial, would this information still be available ?

Grateful for any ideas as this is not a subject or country I am familiar with.

[CaroleW]

If nobody claimed his body then his burial would be arranged by the local council hence the common grave

[oldfashionedgirl]

Thank you Carole, I think I will have to apply for his death certificate to see who registered his death.
Annoying The British Newspapers online don’t have the papers for that timescale to look for an intimation.
I suppose I could try the local library if it’s reopened to see.
Can’t think what else to do.
All ideas appreciated.

One thought though was that if he was ‘buried on the parish’ would it not have been a cremation it being cheaper ?

[Rhododendron]

Was most interested in this thread because when my Mum died we wanted her buried in her parent's grave.  Imagine our surprise when we were told there may not be enough "room" as there was another body in the grave.   As it happened there was room and she was buried with her parents but when  I enquired who the first person in the grave was, it was someone who had absolutely no connection to our family.

[oldfashionedgirl]

How interesting Rhododendron.
From what I have discovered so far, re the burial register of 1969, I am assuming a lair/grave could either be purchased completely (probably to hold four?) or ‘part of’ i.e. for one burial it being less expensive.
Therefore maybe your remaining Grandparent bought one or possibly two spaces at the time ?
With a third unconnected burial taking place before you Mother was laid to rest ?

[CaroleW]

Difficult to give an opinion on burial v cremation without knowing the full circumstances.  Have you thought about ringing the Staffs records office and asking what records are available?   You may possibly be wasting money on his death cert if it was reported by an official (coroner??) rather than a family member.

As you have his burial date it may be easier to get the info over the phone

[oldfashionedgirl]

Good point Carole, thanks I will do that first.

[Rhododendron]

Thanks for that, Oldfashioned.  My grandfather purchased the grave for (I think) a 50 year period.  But whether he knew it was already occupied by someone else I really don't know.  And never will!
What is particularly sad is that if anyone is tracing their ancestor, they may never know where he is buried.  And if they do, there is no headstone or marker for him and I don't think they would be able to erect one if they wished!

[Skoosh]

In old cemeteries only a minority of the folk have a stone at all, many had wooden markers which vanished over time and in older kirkyards where many of the graves had fallen out of use, population pressure often saw the entire kirkyard cleared and remeasured and the new lairs sold off, digging a full depth grave inevitably disturbed layers of bones unconnected to the new occupant.
 Cemeteries in Glasgow often have areas of unmarked graves which were paid for by the Poor Inspector for the disposal of paupers (terrible word).
 It was the scandal of entrepreneurs packing victims of the cholera epidemics into pits which saw the opening of municipal cemeteries in the mid 1800's.

Bests,
Skoosh.