Locating Ancestors' Graves

[Graeme]

I've searched the forum but so far haven't found the answer I was looking for. I am interested in visiting and photographing the final resting places of my ancestors, many of whom were lifelong residents of the Liverpool area; some, like my grandparents, may have been cremated. My problem is how to find them (I have an old photo of one grave but have no idea where in Liverpool it is).

I have reasonably complete BMD info for my direct ancestors going back a few generations, and am working hard to fill in any blanks. It may be a long shot, but are there any (preferably free) local indexes online? I'm on the wrong side of the ocean at the moment so unfortunately, attending records offices, libraries, and churches to do research in person is not really an option. Any and all advice is welcome.

Graeme

[MaryA]

We have collected quite a number of links to online records for Burials, Graves and MI's. http://forum.liverpool-genealogy.org.uk ... lit=graves

There are a multitude of cemeteries and church graveyards in Liverpool, so obviously there is a lot which is not available online. If you are looking down that list some of the sites may take some time to search through, such as the Old Mersey Times site which contains a lot of links itself.

This list is obviously an ongoing collection but since it began Ancestry also has a lot online for both C of E and RC burials.

If you could let us know the details of who you are looking for, especially if you have the death certificates, alternatively the last known addresses, perhaps from the census, and religion, we will try to suggest the nearest cemetery to check.

[VicMar1]

Have you tried using 'find-a-grave' or 'deceased online' ?
Neither of them were of any use to me personally but you just never know ?
As Mary A points out, the first information needed in order to try and help point you in the right direction would be each ancestors religion,area of residence and date(s)of their existence and their deaths,even approximately.
If they were not of independent wealth and means,the chances are you may be looking at them being dependants of 'the workhouse' and that raises the possibility of unmarked 'common' graves.
May I respectfully suggest you read a little about the history of this city since Victorian times and the all pervasive spectre of 'poor law' in nearly every citizens past ? It may help you get a real perspective of the task you have set yourself and provide an insight into your ancestors day to day lives.
There are many posts on this site reflecting exactly the conditions prevalent in this city from the Irish potato famine of the mid 1800's,through the Victorian Era and Great War to the post WW2 forced emigrations and final demise of the workhouse culture in the late 1960's.
With the right questions and revealing the information you already possess you will likely get some considerable help from the people of this society in finding some of the answers at least.
In most cases those answers will just lead to even more questions ! Your search could last many years ? Good Luck and Welcome aboard!
Post your photo and someone just might be able to identify it for you ?
Vic

[MaryA]

What a lovely welcome there Vic I suspect Graeme won't know how to post a photograph on this board, so here are instructions.
http://forum.liverpool-genealogy.org.uk ... =16&t=9817

[Blue70]

The older burial records are based at the Liverpool Record Office. More recent records are available through a look-up service via the cemeteries office in Allerton. For recent look-ups you may be able to get a free look-up if you have the date of death and know which cemetery the person was buried in otherwise there is a search charge. Unfortunately at the moment this office say their registers are away for re-binding for 1 month so they can't do look-ups at the moment.

Some older burial records are online. Records for Toxteth Cemetery are online, the same site has started putting the records for Anfield Cemetery online. Roman Catholic cemetery records are on the Ancestry website. Some records for other cemeteries appear on Liverpool History Projects website. Some burial records also appear on Lancs OPC and Family Search.


Blue

[VicMar1]

What a lovely welcome there Vic I suspect Graeme won't know how to post a photograph on this board, so here are instructions.
http://forum.liverpool-genealogy.org.uk ... =16&t=9817

Never even occurred to me that !!
I'm guessing that Graeme's previous posting re: "Edward Stackhouse"? may have some bearing on his quest ?
Hi Mary, I'm still digging away.

[Graeme]

Thanks for the excellent suggestions and advice everyone - this project could take a while! I'm essentially starting on the ground floor; I have basic BMD index and some other information for many relatives, a good number of them were from the Liverpool area. However, I don't have many copies of the actual certificates - perhaps it would be better to begin with those and see where it leads me. The big search sites with a global scope unfortunately have not been helpful so far.

Incidentally, the photograph I mentioned is the grave of one of my Great Grandmothers who died in 1944. Quite by accident earlier today I stumbled across an old photpcopy of the same picture with a handwritten inscription that reads Ford Cemetary Lancashire along with the plot number, so I'm delighted to say that is the first one done!

No doubt many will recognize the Ford Cemetary as as the Liverpool Catholic Cemetary (I didn't know this until today), but my family is not Catholic. Perhaps this quick anecdote will explain why: years ago my grandmother (daughter of the above-mentioned GGM) told me she was barred from attending church for a time for daring to wear a sleeveless dress to service - she said it was summertime and the church was very hot and stuffy so she removed her cardigan or whatever she was wearing over her dress. Not long afterwards she would ultimately be excommunicated for marrying (or becoming engaged to be married) outside the faith.

Anyway, I have to begin somewhere -- journey of a thousand miles and all that - thanks again for the directions. Cheers all...

Graeme

[Blue70]

Most of the RC cemetery burial records are on Ancestry:-

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=2183

When looking for Liverpool City Council burial records you need to know the part of Liverpool where the family lived. Did they live in north or south Liverpool? If north then the Liverpool north cemeteries are places such as Anfield, Everton, Kirkdale and West Derby.

If they lived in the south it's an easier search. Initially people were buried at Toxteth and all these records are available on a free website. Later people were buried at Allerton but these records are not online. It is easier to get a look-up from Liverpool City Council for the south as Allerton is usually the only option if they are not at Ford Cemetery.


Blue

[MaryA]

Quite right thinking about the dress code at church, back in the '50s we were not allowed to go without hats either, a new Easter bonnet being a must every year, then later when things became laxer arms still had to be covered.

If you have details of the deaths, especially if you know their addresses, post on here and we will try to advise where to check for burials.