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 |