'private' burial?

[jcurious]

In church burial register for St Pauls, Mill Hill under column for where the person is buried is says 'private' can anyone tell me what that means please.  Many thanks 

[Valda]

Hi

I think it would be useful to see the entry in context in the register, particularly when approximately the burial took place. Are we talking in the C19th for instance or more recently? Is this the only entry like this or is it commonly written in the register?


Regards

Valda

[jcurious]

Thanks for your reply Valda.

I've had another look at the online image, which is a bit faint, and yes there are others on the page that say 'private'.  However now I've looked at the whole page I now realise that this was a record of deaths in a workhouse, and not St Paul's church in Mill Hill - how I could have missed seeing that before I don't know !! I've looked at it enough times!! Obviously I didn't scroll to the very top of the page !!  As the other people have their place of burial in different places eg Pinner and Willesden,  I'm presuming that those marked 'private'  must have had family that arranged to have them buried. The record is for a William Shaylor who died 16th April 1900 aged around 82.  Have I presumed correctly do you think?

Thanks very much for you help
Janet

[Valda]

Hi

The others are being buried back in their parish of origin, apart from the anatomy ones, so the fact the workhouse knows this leads to the conclusion the union was involved in paying for the burial. With most other unions more centrally place where churchyards would be shut it would be burials in whatever cemetery the union had made a financial deal with, apart from those where the body was claimed by family and/or friends and the union was not financing the burial. In this case William did not have a pauper burial, the family was able to afford to pay for the funeral and burial. Many workhouse infirmaries becme national health hospitals in 1948. Not everyone was in the workhouse because they were paupers, some were admitted into the workhouse infirmary because that was the nearest institution offering free medical treatment.


Regards

Valda

[jcurious]

Thanks a lot Valda, that's very useful information and makes a lot of sense as the man in question had been living with his daughter for many years prior.  I didn't realise that the sick etc could go to get medical help and has cleared up a mystery on another line of my ever growing family tree.  Thanks again.  Very very helpful and much appreciated.    Janet