The National Archives, Removal of graves and tombstones

The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Removal of graves and tombstones from disused and closed burial grounds and cemeteries.

The National Archives (TNA) is a government department and an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice. It incorporates the Office of Public Sector Information and HM Stationery and also performs the Historical Manuscripts Commission's functions in relation to private records.

As the government's national archive for England, Wales and the United Kingdom, it holds over 1,000 years of the nation's records for everyone to discover and use.

Deceased Online has undertaken various scanning and digitisation projects within TNA's offices at Kew in Southwest London and is adding them, over a period of time, to the website enabling far easier access for researchers.

This collection from TNA (reference RG37) comprises a total of approximately 175,000 records from over 200 cemeteries across many parts of England and Wales. The records are digital scans of original transcriptions from local authorities and the Church Commissioners relating to burial ground removals. The list records each site by location and title, followed by the years covered by inscription on the tombs and gravestones. The detail of each record varies in content and range.

The burials recorded in the transcriptions date back to 17th Century although most are from the 19th and early 20th Centuries.

(The transcriptions were recorded by the different authorities over the period 1923-2007)

On their website, The National Archives describes the administration and biographical background to this collection of records in the following way:

The origin of official custody of records of burial ground removals dates back to 1911 and arose initially out of a recommendation made by the Attorney General that such records be made and deposited with the local registrar of births and deaths. The Home Secretary agreed to the suggestion made by the Registrar General that they should be deposited instead with the miscellaneous records held by the General Register Office.

The provision was incorporated into various private bills under which the removal of graves was authorised, and subsequently in the Town and Country Planning (Churches, Places of Religious Worship and Burial Grounds) Regulations 1950 (SI 1950 No 792), the Disused Burial Grounds (Amendment) Act 1981 and schemes under the Pastoral Measures 1968, although it was omitted from the Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977 (SI 1977 No 204).All records indicated below are now available on the Deceased Online and are searchable using our 'Advance search' option; i.e., names, dates, regions, counties and, if known, individual cemeteries/burial grounds.

Please note: As the death date or burial date is not always included in these records, they are indexed on the date the records were created, which bears no relation to the deceased. Therefore it is not worth searching by date, only by name and location with advanced search.

The range of records in the collection currently available (listed alphabetically by English region and county, then by Welsh counties) is as follows:

Site Name/Location	County	Region	Known range of dates of death
Church of The Holy Trinity, Bedford	Bedfordshire	East of England	1837 to 1939
Old Plague Cemetery, Chatteris	Cambridgeshire	East of England	1800 to 1861
St Andrews Street Baptist Church, Cambridge	Cambridgeshire	East of England	1818 to 1859
Chapel Burial Ground, Harwich	Essex	East of England	1802 to 1857
Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Mistley Heath	Essex	East of England	1765 to 1916
North Road Burial Ground, Southend-on-Sea	Essex	East of England	1841 to 1951
St John the Baptist, Harlow	Essex	East of England	1856 to 1946
St Michael and All Angels Churchyard, Manningtree	Essex	East of England	1722 to 1876
St Michael's Cemetery, Pitsea	Essex	East of England	1926 to 1944
St Thomas Churchyard, Brentwood	Essex	East of England	1836 to 1875
Sutton Road Cemetery, Southend-on-Sea	Essex	East of England	1888 to 1956
Beechen Grove Baptist Burial Ground, Watford	Hertfordshire	East of England	1801 to 1935
Boxmoor Baptist Church, Boxmoor	Hertfordshire	East of England	1840 to 1885
St Benedict's Church and Churchyard, Norwich	Norfolk	East of England
St Paul's Church and Churchyard, Norwich	Norfolk	East of England
Derwent Churchyard, Derwent	Derbyshire	East Midlands	1825 to 1937
Elder Yard Chapel, Chesterfield	Derbyshire	East Midlands	1786 to 1915
Society of Friends, Saltergate, Chesterfield	Derbyshire	East Midlands
St Marys Churchyard, Derby	Derbyshire	East Midlands	1722 to 1946
Staveley Cemetery, Chesterfield	Derbyshire	East Midlands	1977 to 1977
Baptist Chapel Burial Ground, Shepshed	Leicestershire	East Midlands	1728 to 1882
Congregational Burial Ground, Market Harborough	Leicestershire	East Midlands	1782 to 1944
St Michael's Church, Stamford	Lincolnshire	East Midlands	1703 to 1857
St. Mark's Church, Lincoln	Lincolnshire	East Midlands	1707 to 1886
Billing Road Cemetery, Northampton	Northamptonshire	East Midlands	1808 to 1968
Thrapston Baptist Church Burial Ground, Thrapston	Northamptonshire	East Midlands	1796 to 1932
Broad Marsh Burial Ground, Nottingham	Nottinghamshire	East Midlands
Holy Trinity Church, Nottingham	Nottinghamshire	East Midlands
The Festival Gardens, Mansfield	Nottinghamshire	East Midlands	1824 to 1886
St Matthews Church, Normanton	Rutland	East Midlands	1710 to 1966
Hendon Cemetery, Hendon	Barnet	London	1827 to 1961
St Pancras Old Burial Ground, Camden	Camden	London	1702 to 1905
Queens Road Cemetery, Croydon	Croydon	London
Salem Chapel Burial Ground, Croydon	Croydon	London	1801 to 1843
St Bernards Hospital Burial Ground, Southall	Ealing	London	1885 to 1885
St Benet Sherehog Church, London	London	London
Church of St Mary, Plaistow	Newham	London
London Cemetery, Manor Park	Newham	London
St Georges Church Graveyard, Camberwell	Southwark	London	1824 to 1882
City of London & Tower Hamlets Cemetery, Tower Hamlets	Tower Hamlets	London	1939 to 1964
St Georges Churchyard, Battersea	Wandsworth	London	1829 to 1858
Bishop AucklandCemetery, Bishop Auckland	County Durham	North East	1831 to 1988
Dans Castle Cemetery, Tow Law	County Durham	North East	1814 to 1968
Newgate Street Graveyard, Bishop Auckland	County Durham	North East	1849 to 1891
Jesmond Old Cemetery, Newcastle Upon Tyne	Northumberland	North East	1837 to 1967
St Cuthberts RC Burial Ground, Blyth	Northumberland	North East	1912 to 1951
Parish Churchyard, Middlewich	Cheshire	North West	1807 to 1892
St Michael's Church Burial Ground, Chester	Cheshire	North West	1801 to 1819
Church of Holy Trinity, Mardale	Cumbria	North West	1750 to 1915
Ardwick Cemetery, Ardwick	Greater Manchester	North West	1750 to 1963
Burial Ground of St James Church, Birch in Rusholme	Greater Manchester	North West	1681 to 1980
Chorlton Green Graveyard, Chorlton-cum-Hardy	Greater Manchester	North West	1708 to 1963
Dob Lane Chapel, Failsworth	Greater Manchester	North West
Platt Chapel Graveyard, Rusholme	Greater Manchester	North West	1746 to 1885
Rusholme Road Cemetery, Chorlton Upon Medlock	Greater Manchester	North West	1806 to 1949
Southern Cemetery, Chorlton-cum-Hardy	Greater Manchester	North West	1868 to 1917
St Marys Graveyard, Leigh	Greater Manchester	North West	1770 to 1965
St Peters Church Yard, Oldham	Greater Manchester	North West	1768 to 1876
Weaste Cemetery, City of Salford	Greater Manchester	North West	1508 to 1969
Bethesda Congregational Churchyard, Blackpool	Lancashire	North West	1844 to 1917
Congregational Church, Southport	Lancashire	North West	1828 to 1885
Mount Street Burial Ground, Blackburn	Lancashire	North West	1813 to 1867
Old Church of St John, Bury	Lancashire	North West	1753 to 1880
Preston St Paul Churchyard, Preston	Lancashire	North West	1810 to 1951
Redundant Church of St Johns, Silverdale, Blackburn	Lancashire	North West	1838 to 1915
Salford Northern Cemetery, Salford	Lancashire	North West	1904 to 1973
St Bartholomew (Ewood), Blackburn	Lancashire	North West	1958 to 2003
Christ Church Burial Ground, Hunter St, Liverpool	Merseyside	North West	1784 to 1877
Holy Trinity Churchyard, St Anne St, Liverpool	Merseyside	North West	1790 to 1887
St James Cemetery, Liverpool	Merseyside	North West	1756 to 1926
Wallasey Cemetery, Wallasey	Merseyside	North West	1892 to 1955
Independant Chapel, Reading	Berkshire	South East	1806 to 1875
St Nicholas Churchyard, Newbury	Berkshire	South East	1809 to 1819
The Chapel of St Mary, Speenhamland	Berkshire	South East
Windsor Baptist Churchyard, Windsor	Berkshire	South East
Oakley Hall, High Wycombe	Buckinghamshire	South East	1788 to 1884
Sutcliff Baptist Church Graveyard, Olney	Buckinghamshire	South East	1822 to 1906
Quaker Burial Ground, Riflebutt Road, Brighton	East Sussex	South East	1855 to 1964
St Andrews Churchyard, Hove	East Sussex	South East	1835 to 1936
All Saints Burial Ground, Southampton	Hampshire	South East	1811 to 1861
All Saints Parish Churchyard, Eastleigh	Hampshire	South East	1801 to 1967
Church of The Last Resurrection, Eastleigh	Hampshire	South East	1881 to 1907
Dr Watts Memorial Hall, Southampton	Hampshire	South East	1821 to 1855
Eastleigh Holy Trinity Churchyard, Eastleigh	Hampshire	South East	1967 to 1967
Mile End Gardens, Portsmouth	Hampshire	South East	1844 to 1959
Millbrook Old Cemetery, Millbrook	Hampshire	South East	1683 to 1933
Quaker Meeting House Burial Ground, Basingstoke	Hampshire	South East	1839 to 1854
Saint Martin's Church, Winnall	Hampshire	South East	1756 to 1884
St Marys Burial Ground, Alverstoke	Hampshire	South East	1800 to 1907
United Reformed Church, Basingstoke	Hampshire	South East	1837 to 1850
West Hill Cemetery, Winchester	Hampshire	South East	1826 to 1970
Ebenezer Chapel Ground, Ramsgate	Kent	South East	1825 to 1919
Emmanuel Churchyard, Tunbridge Wells	Kent	South East	1811 to 1888
Holy Trinity Churchyard, Maidstone	Kent	South East	1830 to 1948
St Lawrence Church, Allington	Kent	South East	1709 to 1961
St. Maragrets, Rochester	Kent	South East	1836 to 1891
Saints Nuneham Courtenay, Oxford	Oxfordshire	South East	1960 to 1960
Summertown Old Churchyard, Summertown	Oxfordshire	South East	1822 to 1982
Winckworth and Pemberton Churchyard, Hinksey	Oxfordshire	South East	1804 to 1852
Baptist Burial Ground, Horley	Surrey	South East	1852 to 1956
Baptist Chapel, Guildford	Surrey	South East	1761 to 1859
Horton Hospital Estate Cemetery, Epsom	Surrey	South East	1910 to 1945
Merton Congregational Chapel, Merton	Surrey	South East	1816 to 1851
Reigate Congregational Church Site, Reigate	Surrey	South East	1834 to 1856
Staines Burial Ground, Staines	Surrey	South East	1833 to 1949
Western Road, Mitcham	Surrey	South East	1833 to 1879
Burial Grounds of United Reformed Church, Horsham	West Sussex	South East	1792 to 1946
Baptist Chapel, Old King St, Bristol	Bristol	South West	1827 to 1855
Jewish Burial Ground, Rose St, Temple, Bristol	Bristol	South West	1820 to 1880
St Andrews Churchyard, Montpelier, Bristol	Bristol	South West	1816 to 1944
St John's Church, Bristol	Bristol	South West	1838 to 1922
The Former Friends BG, Redcliffe Way, Bristol	Bristol	South West
The Friends Meeting House, Bedminster, Bristol	Bristol	South West	1837 to 1859
Central Methodist Hall Graveyard, Plymouth	Devon	South West	1802 to 1902
Holy Trinity Church, Exeter	Devon	South West	1831 to 1903
Quaker Burial Ground, Plymouth	Devon	South West	1762 to 1925
St Mary Magdalene Churchyard, Barnstaple	Devon	South West
St Peters Church, Stoke Fleming	Devon	South West	1842 to 1856
Bury Street Cemetery, Weymouth	Dorset	South West	1815 to 1851
Unitarian Church, Poole	Dorset	South West	1776 to 1852
United Reformed Church, Skinner St, Poole	Dorset	South West	1804 to 1836
Old Cemetery, Gloucester	Gloucestershire	South West	1800 to 1973
St Georges Church Graveyard, Stonehouse	Gloucestershire	South West	1700 to 1925
Bradford on Tone Chapel Burial Ground, Taunton	Somerset	South West	1860 to 1887
St Marys Cemetery, Somerset	Somerset	South West	1836 to 1904
St Michael's Burial Ground, Walcot, Bath	Somerset	South West	1795 to 1952
Walcot Methodist Chapel Burial Ground, Bath	Somerset	South West	1810 to 1928
Walcot St Swithins Burial Ground, Walcot	Somerset	South West	1792 to 1880
Church of St Edmund, Salisbury	Wiltshire	South West	1832 to 1888
Manningford Bohune Church, Manningford Bohune	Wiltshire	South West	1862 to 1967
Shaftesbury Holy Trinity, Salisbury	Wiltshire	South West	1745 to 1970
Convent of Poor Clares Burial Ground, Lower Bullingham	Herefordshire	West Midlands	1897 to 1994
Whitchurch United Reformed Church, Whitchurch	Herefordshire	West Midlands	1821 to 1984
Zion Baptist Church, Hereford	Herefordshire	West Midlands	1839 to 1898
St Michael Church Graveyard, Shrewsbury	Shropshire	West Midlands	1809 to 1891
Alexandra Road Cemetery, Tipton	Staffordshire	West Midlands	1867 to 1953
Church of Christ Churchyard, Stafford	Staffordshire	West Midlands	1759 to 1935
Church of Holy Trinity, Burton-upon-Trent	Staffordshire	West Midlands	1826 to 1891
Former Graveyard, Rugeley	Staffordshire	West Midlands
Edward Street Methodist Church, Nuneaton	Warwickshire	West Midlands	1839 to 1848
St Scholasticas Priory Burial Ground, Atherstone	Warwickshire	West Midlands	1847 to 1966
Bath Street Burial Ground, Walsall	West Midlands	West Midlands	1756 to 1941
Brandwood End Cemetery, Birmingham	West Midlands	West Midlands	1900 to 1951
Handsworth Cemetery, Birmingham	West Midlands	West Midlands
Lodge Hill Cemetery, Birmingham	West Midlands	West Midlands	1897 to 1951
Mayers Green Congregational Church, West Bromwich	West Midlands	West Midlands	1818 to 1899
Sandwell Road, West Bromwich	West Midlands	West Midlands	1875 to 1890
Society of Friends Burial Ground, Birmingham	West Midlands	West Midlands	1811 to 1925
St Mary's Burial Ground, Birmingham	West Midlands	West Midlands	1778 to 1874
St Thomas Churchyard, Birmingham	West Midlands	West Midlands	1830 to 1878
Witton Cemetery, Birmingham	West Midlands	West Midlands	1829 to 1951
Yardley Cemetery, Birmingham	West Midlands	West Midlands	1887 to 1947
Cathedral Churchyard, Sheffield	South Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1837 to 1846
East Lane Burial Ground, Stainford	South Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1830 to 1854
Howard Street Congregational Chapel, Sheffield	South Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1795 to 1872
Owlerton Methodist Church, Sheffield	South Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1830 to 1896
Queen Street Burial Ground, Sheffield	South Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1787 to 1852
Rotherham General Cemetery, Rotherham	South Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1768 to 1864
St Johns Churchyard, Sheffield	South Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1844 to 1871
St Marys Churchyard, Sheffield	South Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1833 to 1915
St Philips Churchyard, Sheffield	South Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1832 to 1881
Wesleyan Methodist Burial Ground, Attercliffe	South Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1836 to 1854
Bagley Lane Burial Ground, Leeds	West Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1775 to 1892
Banktop Methodist Church, Halifax	West Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1897 to 1941
Cragg Hill Baptist Church, Rawdon	West Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1850 to 1894
Ebeneezer Methodist Burial Ground, Soyland Town Ripponden	West Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1810 to 1958
Methodist Burial Ground, Holmfirth	West Yorkshire	Yorkshire
Midgley Methodist Church Graveyard, Midgley	West Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1822 to 1965
Mount Zion Methodist Church Graveyard, Ogden	West Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1819 to 1968
Paddock All Saints, Wakefield	West Yorkshire	Yorkshire
The Vicars Croft Closed Burial Ground, Wakefield	West Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1741 to 1956
Unitarian Burial Ground, Westgate End, Wakefield	West Yorkshire	Yorkshire	1709 to 1833
Methodist Cemetery, Capel Celyn	Gwynedd	Wales	1896 to 1954
Former Soar Scotch Baptist Chapel, Aberderfyn Ponciau	Clwyd	Wales	1839 to 1888
St Berres Churchyard, Llanferres Village	Clwyd	Wales	1774 to 1930
Blaenffos Baptist Chapel Burial Ground, Narberth	Dyfed	Wales	1805 to 1954
Horeb Baptist Church, Haverfordwest	Dyfed	Wales
Gilwern, Gilwern	Gwent	Wales	1841 to 1870
Mission Room, Blackrock	Gwent	Wales	1846 to 1858
Old Cemetery, Clifton Road, Newport	Gwent	Wales	1849 to 1870
Siloam Chapel, Clydach	Gwent	Wales	1813 to 1958
Bethlehem Chapel, Vaynor	Mid Glamorgan	Wales	1836 to 1911
Capel Taf Fechan Churchyard, Llanddetty	Powys	Wales	1768 to 1924
Cathays Cemetery, Cardiff	South Glamorgan	Wales	1828 to 1992
Presbyterian Chapel Graveyard, Craig Penllyn Cowbridge	South Glamorgan	Wales	1811 to 1970
St Margarets Churchyard, Roath	South Glamorgan	Wales	1802 to 1962
Moriah Burial Ground, Port Talbot	West Glamorgan	Wales	1826 to 1890