General Chat

Before it was compulsory to register deaths I believe some people were put off by the cost of paying the registrar or priest. If someone died in 1841, if they are not apparent in the OPRs would they be buried in the church they attended? What happened to people who died who could not afford the register fees or those who would not attend church (though I know at the time you could be fined and punished heavily in Scotland for this). Could they be buried and though in a churchyard not in the OPRs? I don't understand how you could have one without the other but I can't imagine them digging a hole in the back yard. Could anyone help? Regards Abigail

HI WENDY; I will attempt to answer you query (as I understand it) It was really only people who were quite affluent that were recorded in the general parish registers and interred in private plots. The majority of people were treated rather like underlings or serfs and were put into paupers graves. Usually these were recorded in another register which was not really considered as a very important document or ledger. Quite often there could be several unrelated persons sharing the same grave; and if you are lucky to find a record then the church warden or cemetery caretaker might know where the plot happens to be. In a lot of cases you may only get an approximation. Unfortunately this practise of using paupers graves still exists although the records are a lot more comprehensive now. I hope that this helps your dilemma. Cheers Ernest

Hi Wendy, All burials should be recorded in parish registers, whether the family had a private plot or not. The parish was responsible for the burial of those with no money. Even those put in a common grave were recorded in the register. Quite often the entry will read "pauper" which means the parish paid for the burial. Workhouses sometimes had their own burial plots and all burials there will also be recorded. It was supposed to be "impossible" to be buried without a death cert but in the early days of registration I imagine this did happen. But it will have been recorded in a register somewhere. It was important to both church and people that all had a "Christian" burial, at that time. Hope this helps, Gwynne

Thank you both, I will keep plugging away and maybe eventually I will be able to fill the gaps! One other thing - were child deaths treated differently to adult deaths? Regards Abigail