Genealogy Chat

I have a little girl,Annie Cullen,buried in a family grave at Ford cemetery,Liverpool. I can't tie the name,Cullen, in with any other family members.It has been suggested that it was common practise for neighbors to help each other out like this in times of hardship,however I don't believe this to be the case as the address where Annie died isn't in a neighbouring street.She died in 1883,age 4. Family names in the grave are;Morgan,Devaney,O'Brien and Cleary,though I think any connection would be with the former 2. If anyone could help me out on this one,I would be very grateful.

Diane, There's a death record for her Mar 1883 CULLEN Annie 4 Liverpool 8b 4 You could order this. Crista

Hi,Christa,I think thats what I may have to do! Im not sure if it's going to help unless by some stroke of luck it has the mothers maiden name. I have a death cert. for another child which doesn't even give me the fathers name. I know it's ridiculously sentimental,but I just feel I need to find out who the poor love belongs to.

Diane, This might be her family in 1881: John CULLEN Head M Male 27 Ireland Dock Porter Elizabeth CULLEN Wife M Female 26 Liverpool Annie CULLEN Daur Female 2 Liverpool John CULLEN Son Male 6 m Liverpool Dwelling 4 H 3 Co Silvester St Census Place Liverpool, Lancashire, England Family History Library Film 1341862 Crista

I keep looking at that too. Also tried putting a search in bmd for John Cullen and Elizabeth Morgan/Devaney,to no avail. Thank you for trying,Christa.

It may not necessarily be a neighbour. Sometimes when a child died, the parents couldnt afford a funeral so the child was simply popped into the grave of someone being buried at the time. It was usually very young children, my grandmother lost about 8 after my mother was born due to rhesus negative. Some only lived a few days, they were carried to the cemetary by a family member, and buried with anyone being buried that day.

Hi,again,Carol, Possible I suppose,but wouldn't they have had to get permission from the family that held the deeds to the grave? I thought that only happened when it was a public grave.

Yes this definitely did happen. My younger sister lived only 30 minutes and was buried in a completely unrelated grave. This was in the 60's. As late as this things like this were more common and mothers were expected to carry on. The famiily never discussed it with my mother before or after the burial. In fact the child was not mentioned again. Today's practise of having a full funeral and grieving for a still born or neonatal death seems to have been unheard of. Or maybe it was just my family. I would imagine the funeral directors at the time would liaise between the 2 families - perhaps Jacqueline Etches may know. Maz. XX

Would they of had to have been buried the same day?