Family Research - Graveyards

[Shawy]

How long does a grave last?

My reason for asking is, one of my g-g-grandmothers died in 1913 and was buried in a cemetery near by. Are the graves left for eternity, are is there a limit to how many years it is occupied before being used again?

Thanks

[bookbinder]

You might find something useful on these websites:
http://www.iccm-uk.com/iccm/library/Re-use%20Policy.pdf
http://www.apse.org.uk/presentations/2011/12/cemeteries-and-crematoria/Tim%20Morris.pdf
http://www.kctrust.co.uk/blog/2013/the-re-use-of-graves-solution-to-the-uks-lack-of-space-issue
...although there doesn't seem to be a hard and fast rule about this subject.

[Shawy]

Thanks for the links

[bookbinder]

I hope that I've been of some help.

[DJHawkes]

bascially whether a civic cemetary or a church graveyard it is not common to re-use a grave, unless it is in the city of london or some of it's boroughs. What has happened over this last 50 odd years is that many churches have closed and their graveyards have been cleared of headstones for health and safety or mainetenance reasons. Some graveyeards have been built on and the remains removed but that isn't that common, actual reusing a grave that was purcahsed from a local council is not common as in many cases there is an existing owner of the plot, who has future burial rights in that plot. You should be able to establish the owner of a plot from the cemetary dept at the local council or if it is a church graveyard, who else is in the plot and whether there are any spaces left in there.

[Shawy]

thanks for the info dj

[Trurider]

Well it depends where it is - a lot of graveyards were cleared and re-used by the Victorians after just 100 years. There is no limit on the period but more down to necessity. A country church graveyard may hardly ever become full but in London and many other towns they are overfull already with no land available for new ones.

[Peter Pedant]

yeah - watch Poltergeist for what happens if you re-use a graveyard for domestic housing.

My familial grave plot bought for a forebear, b 1786 died 1869 is still there.