Selling the right to Burial

Blantyre Documents
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Selling Right to Burial
HIgh Blantyre Cemetery

This transcribed document notifies of the right to sell burial plots to people in Blantyre during the 19th Century and what those fees were. The poster was shared to me from Blantyre Heritage Chairman, Gordon Cook along with a plan of the Cemetery at High Blantyre.

Parish of Blantyre – Notice is hereby given that the Parochial Board of the Parish of Blantyre have applied to the Sheriff of Lanarkshire under the powers conferred by the “Burial Grounds (Scotland) Act, 1855” for his Lordship’s sanction to Sell the right to Burial in perpetuity in certain portions of the Burial Ground in the said Parish, provided under the said Act, which portions of Ground are marked B, C, D and E on the plan of the Ground produced with the said application, and do not extend to a space greater than one half of the said Burial Ground, and also for his Lordship’s approval of the following Fees proposed to be charged in respect of Interment, in the said Burial Ground, viz:-

First – To those who have no Lairs
For Children under 10 years of Age – 8 shillings
For Persons above 10 years of Age – 12 shillings

Second – To those who have Purchased Lairs
For Children under 10 years of Age – 3 shillings
For Persons above 10 years of Age – 5 shillings

Third – Paupers
For children under 10 years of age – 3 shillings
For Persons above 10 years of age – 5 shillings

On social media:

Alan Reardon While doing some research Paul I came across a grave that was originally used for the burial of a child from and immigrant family in the late1800s, then later used for the burial of someone else totally unrelated in the 1930s. I tried to find out if graves that had lain dormant over a certain period were resold to other families and couldn’t find an explanation. Have you heard of anything like this.
The Blantyre Project Sorry Alan, I haven’t. Lairs when bought were almost always kept in the family and not usually given up. I suppose there could be an occasion where the family never needed one and gave permission or gave it to others, though I haven’t seen that happen myself.

 

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