Genealogy Chat

Just been looking at some Parish records for a village in Suffolk, and found two different entries, for buriels in 1877..and 1857..two different Ladies age 77 and 84.....besides their name and details, it is written .....' Interned in brick grave in the church yard by order of the Home Secretary'......most odd...whats that all about....anyone have any ideas lol......I might also add that they didn't belong to my family lol.....to late to be witches, I would have thought.....Lilly

Ooo-err Lilly, Sounds like they had some awful plague-like ailment ... and didn't have any lead coffins in those days! Regs Jane

This is taken from a council site giving interment options (along with traditional methods):- Brick Graves Brick graves, providing totally sealed 'containers' to house the coffins, are available in certain sections of the cemetery. Each grave is constructed out of brick entirely below ground and sealed with a concrete slab once the coffin has been interred. You may chose to have brick graves constructed to a maximum size of nine feet long by four feet wide (each) with the option of installing a suitably sized memorial on the ground level. These graves will be located together in a special section of the cemetery. You may also choose to construct an underground brick grave with a standard sized memorial at ground level. These types of brick graves will be located in the conventional grave section of the cemetery. Extra fees are payable for the right to construct brick graves. There will also be an additional cost for the construction of the grave. This is the address of the site:- http://www.broxbourne.gov.uk/Internet/0x0a14c85a_0x0000a57f/0x0a14c85a_0x0000a58e/0x0a14c85a_0x00018331 Kath. x

Why I wonder was it 'by order of the Home Secretary'?? J

Perhaps they died of something unpleasant and had to have sealed graves. Kath. x

Just a guess, but I wonder if the deceased person was the victim of a crime, or even a murderer. Or perhaps died in unusual circumstances and they were trying to prevent grave robbing. It happened a lot in Victorian times. Remember Burke and Hare the famous body snatchers? Doctors needed dead bodies to use for medical science. Margaret

thanks guys, knew you come up with something.......lol..... Jane:......Guess that could have been the answer, I didn't think of that, it was just some odd seeing it written down.. Victoria:.....I didn't find the information on a web site...it was on two CD's I have just bought for the Holy Trinity and St Marys Churches Bungay...with all the births, buriels and marriages on it...just give me a shout, if you need a look up...... Kathleen:........What an interesting comment, so they were saying you could chose how you wanted to be buriel,!! (still not sure why they would want to be buried like that, wonder if it still stands today lol) so much for the Victorian saying...'dead ringer' tough if you were buried 'alive' doubt if anyone would hear you ringing your bell though all the brick work lol......thanks everyone, for your comments.........Lilly

Jane, I think that was the bit that threw me, why had the Home Secretary to give permission.........sounds like a other Brick wall lol......sorry, I couldn't resist that.......Lilly

Hi Lilly, I'd have to send for one of the birth certs to see the cause of death. Gwynne

Hi Cousin, very strange isn't it?...I might just send for a cert just to find out, I was looking at parish records for Bungay, its quite interesting lol.....very interesting in fact lol.......let you know if I find out anything else that you might find of interest.......Lilly

Hello Lilly, can I just add that this option is still available today-brick graves- and are known as vaults. Usually the occupant is lying in a lead lined coffin, It is a more expensive burial as I think the tomb takes up more space than a normal burial but why special permission was needed I afraid I not aware of an answer. Sylvie

Have you tried googling their details and see if any odd murders or strange happenings pop up Just a thought Lou x

yes i think Kathleen has messed up the thread with her extremely long URL.. or even Lily's 3x ???....Bob

It sounds to me as if the two ladies died of an infectious disease. It could have been plague or perhaps smallpox. The brick linings would I suppose have stopped the 'germs' getting out!!!

Bob, Can I just ask what you mean about me messing up the thread with the long URL? Wasn't aware that I'd messed up anything. Not getting at you...just a genuine enquiry as I don't know what you mean. Kath. x

Kathleen, It may be as I suggested that has caused the page to open with a vast expanse of blank page before it gets to this thread. It also happens when a poster inserts a full page of fullstops...............................etc in the heading. Not getting at YOU at all, it IS a long URL....... hugs? Bob

There you go, shorter URL, and I don't get a blank space when the thread opens?....lol......and I still don't know why these two ladies had a brick coffin.....it was in the ground, and not a vault....think I will order the death cert, as Gwynne suggested, maybe that will throw some light on things .......lilly

In 1877 there was a lot of speculation about where people had the right to be buried.......I'm very vague ion the whole subject, but I think until then everyone had the right to be buried in their local C of E churchyard, but overcrowding had forced the government to try and get a bill through which meant people would no longer have this ''security'' and if you didn't buy your space you would probably end up in the Cemetery!! I'm not quite sure if the bill was passed that year or not, or what happened next, but I wondered if this was some sort of ref to it??? Old dears saying ''Over my dead body will I go in that heathen cemetery....(LOL!) and Home Secretary or no Home Secretary, I'm going in St Mary's churchyard like generations of my family before me''!! Merry

Lilly did you note dow their names - I've a desperate urge to google them Zoe

Since I read this post, a thought has been scratching away at the farther reaches of my brain, demanding entry..I KNOW something about this..but what??? All I can come up with is a connection in my mind between Bungay and Typhoid Mary!!! If I am right, and I am not at all sure I am, then Typhoid Mary was detained by order of the Home Secretary in the interests of public health, cos she was a Typhoid Carrier. Tjere was more than one known Typhoid Carrier of course. I will try to google it, ha ha. Only other thing I can think of - these women were famous/notorious and there was a concern that sight-seers might dig em up. (Lead-lined coffins WERE in use during that period, so its not that...) Olde Crone