A few months ago, on the Graveyard
Rabbit Column, History Hare I talked about the plight of some graves in Australia being
defiled. I commented that whilst it was not metaphorically speaking, in my back
yard, it might be one day.
Well it would appear that that day has come.
Some 205 plots located at one of the biggest cemeteries in
the Country, the City of London Cemetery at Manor Park
The Official notice does not provide the names of the
occupants or the plot owners. It lists plot numbers only. The Burial Registers
are not indexed. In order to establish
if you have an ancestor in one of the plots under threat then a charge of £100
is being made per name per year. If you know the plot details then the charge
is £25.
Is it the cynic in me that indicates that the costs are so
prohibitive that the Officials will get their way?
It would appear that during the 1950 -1960 period the
memorials on these graves were removed and no effort was made to record the
details. The scanning project of the Burial Records only managed to cover from
1856 – 1861 before the project was halted.
The situation is tragic and one that is only going to get
worse, not just across the Capital but across the whole of the United Kingdom
and other parts of the globe.
A few years ago I became aware of a similar plight in my
home town. The official notice was displayed and asked for people who had an
interest in the cemetery to make contact with the cemetery. I made the 200 mile
journey and looked over the grave where my Great Grandparents were buried; my
Great Grandfather in 1931 and my Great Grandmother in 1937. The plot was
purchased with a 75 year ownership. I contacted the council and the plot was
transferred into my ownership. Of course I am now responsible for any repairs
that are needed, but I do that quite willingly and more importantly the graves
are safe from any recycling.
Many of us do not live where our ancestors did. Perhaps
there should be a scheme of “Love Your Cemetery” whereby each individual takes
part in a project at their nearest cemetery in the hope that the ancestral
graves of their family are preserved at another.
On line Journal of Graveyard Rabbit
It seems to be a disease/virus spreading across the world Julie and we have to stop it!!!
ReplyDeleteAt the Cheltenham Cemetery, here in South Australia, I've just spent approx $1000, from my meagre savings, to pay the back fees on my Great Grandmother's gravesite which also ensures that, for a few more years, she won't be dug up, shoved in a little box, put back, have a stranger dumped on top of her and her memorial/ headstone chucked away.
Despite all this money I can't do any repairs etc. to her gravesite because it still belongs to the "grantee" who is long dead. Despite being able to prove my relationship to Eliza Jane I need to get approval from the next "in line" to have it signed over to me. Who are they and how do I find them? ...
Here in Australia we are beginning to honour the "burial places" of our Indigenous people and bringing their bones back from Universities/ Museums across the world... as well we should!!! However, at the same time we're desecrating the "burial places" of our colonists/settlers.
Thanks for the post Julie. We do have to find a way to stop this!!!
Regards, Catherine.