General Chat

Last Friday a report appeared in the Daily Mail, as follows.


The local newspaper has been bombarded with letters from historians and nature lovers declaring: "There is no way we'll allow them to dig up our ancestors."

But the Labour-controlled council's environment spokesman Abdal Ullah appeared to be in no doubt about the feasibility of the plan when he said: "To preserve the respect and dignity for everyone, I think most of the graves would have to be cleared out and we'd start afresh."

He said a corner of the cemetery would be reserved for Muslims who are buried in shrouds at a depth of 6ft and on their side facing Mecca.

By law, any graves more than 75 years old can be removed.

At the cemetery yesterday, liaison officer Ken Greenway - the only paid member of staff tending the 33-acre site - said he was astonished that anyone would even contemplate such a move.

"I'm against it and I have to stand up for that because of the huge value of this site today," he added.

"It's a beautiful haven for wildlife and people."

The City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery was opened in 1841 by an Act of Parliament.

During the Second World War it was bombed five times and some headstones still bear the marks of shrapnel hits.

Other markers have gone altogether, torn down when the graveyard was deconsecrated as a Church of England cemetery by another Act of Parliament in 1966 when it was deemed to be full.

The intention was to create an open space for the public, which led to two bomb-damaged chapels being demolished and a swathe of graves cleared.

In 1986 ownership passed from the Greater London Council to Tower Hamlets and in 1990 the Friends of the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park was set up.

Seven years ago the park became the borough's first nature reserve and it is now tended by 1,600 volunteers.

It is home to 27 species of butterfly, a rare bumble bee, woodpeckers, sparrowhawks and the elusive firecrest.

Some 8,000 schoolchildren visit every year for outdoor nature lessons.

Professor David Bellamy, who is patron of the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, said: "Tower Hamlets Cemetery is still a place of peace and reflection as it has been since it was saved from becoming just another part of East London's urban sprawl.

"Now in its new guise as a local nature reserve and green lung, people of every colour, creed and kind share their humanity with that of other living things.

"I can only pray that the wisdom of all faiths can together discover the right way ahead for this very special part of East London's heritage."

Last night the council was insisting there were no plans to re-open the park as a cemetery.

"It is a popular and historic nature park and if there were any proposalsto alter the look or the functionality, there would be a full consultation with interested parties," said a spokesman.

However the council admitted it had been looking at "options" for burial sites.

And Lib Dem group leader Stephanie Eaton said she had received a letter from the council chief executive admitting the park was one of the options being considered

Courtesy of the Daily Mail Newspaper, 12th October 2007.

The issue here is NOT religion or race, but the fact that our ancestors are not being left to rest in peace they way they, and we, believed they would.

Contact with Tower Hamlets Council has produced various replies, one email states that there are no plans as yet, but a feasibility study is taking place. It is to say the least non-committal, and neither denys nor confirms the report. A phone call by one member concerned about her sister who was buried there in 1951, less than 75 years ago, produced confirmation that the cemetary is one of three sites being considered in the creation of a new burial ground. It was also explained that the remains of the 350,000 already buried there would be dug up, cremated, and placed in a mass tomb at the back of the cemetary. As would those who had been buried there less than 75 years, if the council could not contact relatives. They did not explain what they would do with those who's relatives they could contact.

It has also been pointed out that until about 1963 when the pope finally gave approval, it was against the Roman Catholic faith to be cremated. Many people are buried rather than cremated because of this. Just because the rules have changed now, does that mean we have the right to allow them to be dug up and cremated now?

Not all of us have ancestors buried in the cemetary, but that does not matter. We still need you to register your objections in any way you can, whether it be through petition, or by email to local authorities, MP's, councillors, etc. If this goes ahead, how many more of our cemetaries will be considered for this.

I realise that people of all faiths need to be buried, and I personally have no objection in allocating areas of existing working cemetaries for various faiths. This works very well and is in keeping with most religions. However, to dig up people who are already buried there to replace them with the dead from ANY race or religion, is wrong. Tower Hamlets have stated that it would be against the law to have a single faith cemetary. Therefore, religion or race does not even come into the equation, this is simply a protest about the possibility that our ancestors will be disturbed in the worst way possible, and our history and heirtage will be destroyed forever.

One alternative site the council are looking into is a disused gasworks within the borough, whats wrong with that? The council will not be able to use this site for any other purpose for many years ahead.

There is an online petition which, as I write this already has 82 signatures, which you can sign to register your opposition to this, and it is far better this is registered in the early stages of a feasability study, than to wait until it gets to parliament, which will mean that the council will have already decided they want to go ahead with the destruction of the cemetary. Please sign and pass it on to others to sign.



http://www.gopetition.com/online/14732.html

As this thread is specifically about ancestors, and therefore genealogy, I respectfully ask GR to keep this thread up and running.
Many thanks, and thank you Teresa for putting the thread up.

HANDS OFF GR MEN FOUGHT AND DIED FOR FREEDOM OF SPEACH.

opps sorry to shout but you really don't listen to us.

Granny

I hope it stays this time Glenys. And I hope I have made it clear enough that it is our acestors and hour heritage that is at stake, regardless of race or religion.

You've made a bloomin' good job of it, Teresa, well done you. :-))))

Anybody can see it is not about racism or religion; I just want my ancestors to be left in peace.
x

Well said TW, I have already signed the petition..

Thank you Teresa for bringing this to our attention,I have signed the petition.
Gwyn

Well done, Teresa, for putting this so clearly and for going to all the trouble of explaining it again. GR would be very foolish to delete this thread, I am sure, as it is part of what this site is all about. BC XX

I hope so BC, it was unfair of them to have deleted it before. xx

Teresa, have just got on to sign the petition
after trying since yesterday, seems as though someone has had a change of heart
not before time either xx

Good June, thank you.

Hmm thats a tough one Gill.

Any cemetary might not be specific enough for submission.

And the council have admitted they are doing feasibilty study at least, and they are admitting the cemetary is one of the sites being considered.

Does anyone here have any suggestions for wording for a petition on the Downing Street site?

Gill I didn't see your thread, I looked back through a few pages, but I did promise I would do this today, after wording it very carefully lol

Teresa, I nudged it up earlier. It was headed something like "For All Members ...."
x

I've signed it chucky. I hope it does some good, but councils have a habit of doing just what they want.
Love and Peace
Billy

Thanks Billy.

Sometimes, if enough of us object, they might direct their attentions towards the gas works rather than the cemetary.. lets hope so.

I've just noticed something in that report. can someone clarify for me...

Is Tower Hamlets Cemetary also know as the City of London cemetary.

If this is the case, then I do definitely have ancestors buried there.

George, and Merlin...please keep the us and them out of it. This would be a multi-faith cemetary, not for one race or religion. I still have relatives living in the area who would also be buried in the new cemtary, with a Christian burial.

I thought I made it clear this issue is about our ancestors, not race or religion.

If it continues, I will delete and re-post.

Teresa, I thought City of London Cemetery was a "newer" cemetery than Tower Hamlets? I may be wrong, will check it....BC XX

Thanks BC