Cemetery is now a car park !

[tony coleman]

The church cemetery where my great grandparents were buried is now a car park, and the church is now offices, it was called St James, Birch, in Rusholme, Manchester.   Would they have been reburied elsewhere and if  so how could I find out where ?    Thank you , Tony.

[dawnsh]

Hi Tony

The church closed in 1981

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/Rusholme/StJames.shtml

It's unlikely that they have been moved if a car park has gone over the top.

Maybe contact the Manchester Diocesan offices for clarification

http://www.manchester.anglican.org/contact-us

Dawn

[feeline190]

Hi Tony,
Have you tried contacting the local council as they would have approved the plans for the building and carpark. It may be a long shot but its a shot none the least!
Good Luck
Feeline190

[Redroger]

If the cemetary was cleared then it would have been a discreetly shielded, thouigh majopr operation which would have attracted publicity in the local media, both at the time permission was given, and during the clearance. The Planning Office for the local council involved WILL have the plan available on open access it is a statutory requirement, enquire at the planning office first, though it is possible the detail will have been moved to the local Archives.

[Luzzu]

Definitely worth enquiring with Manchester Archives:-

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/libraries/arls

There may be a record of the memorial inscriptions when the gravestones were removed as well as the documents mentioned by Redroger.  I also think its unlikely the burials will have been removed and I think that is why they don't put buildings over them and they usually become car parks, childrens play areas or are grassed over  .

Luzzu

[uk2003]

Looking at Google earth and street view, nothing seems to have been added to the church and still has a very large grassed area.

I would say the bodies are still in place.

You just have to look at what happened to St John's in Longsight - turned into a muslim centre, crushed rubble was used over the graves to make a car park  so St James got away lightly



 

[BashLad]

Can't talk about this specific example but I highly doubt they were reburied elsewhere.

For example when they built they dual carriageway through the centre of Rawtenstall they went through one of the graveyards - they dug up what was left and cremated it; re-interring the ashes in a communal vault. In Blackburn they just removed the gravestones at the back of the cathedral and built over part of the graveyard - food for thought when you visit the bus station there! I've been told, I don't know how much truth to is there is, that when one of the churches in the centre of Accrington was pulled down the workmen just dug the graveyard up and destroyed the remains with lime when they were supposed to have re-interred them elsewhere (Homebase Accrington in case anyone wondered).

I'm sure people have more stories. But considering the state of so many graveyards is it any surprise that we don't treat the actual remains of the dead with more respect?

[Pathway]

I seem to remember you asking this question on another forum.I made enquiries at Manchester Local Archives and they said the remains were probably moved to Southern Cemetery

[midmum]

My great grandparents were buried here and had a very large memorial stone. As far as I am aware they were not reburied anywhere but I will check with my dad as they used to go to the cemetery often.. Gran was actually returned there later than when died as she donated her body to science. My dad was made aware that when the changes were proposed.
Midmum