Burial register question

[George87]

Hi,

I have had the opportunity to go through the burial records for Magheragall COI 1825-1840. In doing so, I am left with a question - did all burials get entered into the register. I ask this as I noticed many entries for elderly people, less for middle aged people and even fewer for children. When considering the general high mortality rate, especially for children, I am left scratching my head.

Does any one have any knowledge that could enlighten me? Did people have to pay to have an "official" entry made in the register? Did families bury on their own property if they didn't own a plot at the church?

I would appreciate any information to help me understand the discrepancy.

Thank you!!

[maggieblue]

Hi
I believe there to have been or there is another register possibly.  There is more than one marriage register for this period so I that's my thought process on the burial register.  Also given the state of the microfilm of the register there could have been areas of the pages missed.

Maggie

[TheWhuttle]

Hi George87,

The Church of Ireland was the "Established" Church of the island of Ireland up until 1871.
By Law, this meant that everyone born within the geography of a CoI parish was entitled (and was expected) to be buried in its graveyard.
[Jews and Quakers were permitted separate arrangements.
 Specific Christian denominational (sectarian) graveyards did not really get going until the late 19thC.]

The burial registers kept by its clergy usually only included its affiliated members.
Dissenters (93% of the population in 1870), were not recorded.
So, the vast majority of burials were not recorded.
[Hence we have to use other logic (mostly date-based) in order to locate possible grave sites and memorial stones, led by newspaper notifications.  Some sites (e.g. Carnmoney) didn't get their (formal) act together on exact burial locations until the mid-1960s.]

CoI adherents were usually the better off in Society, suffering fewer infant deaths.

Capt. Jock

[Magheragall]

reading your notes

I would point out the following figures for magheragall parish in the period you mention, 1825-1840

In the beginning of the nineteenth century the parish shared in the increase of population which was general throughout Ireland, and a necessity arose for supplying more accommodation for the parishioners, who in 1834, numbered 2,184 members of the Church of Ireland out of a population of 3,191. .

this is from an unpublished history by Canon Dundas, looking at figures its about 66% Church of Ireland. 

perhaps the records are incomplete ,

yours magheragall