Hi,
Just found this on Wiganworld:
"The burials are still in the area around Wigan All Saints no exhuming took place, although there are no longer headstones to represent the graves apart from a few that still remain close to the church. Inscriptions on every stone was copied and a record of 308 graves was carefully prepared and completed in 1906.In pursuance of the Open Spaces Act 1905, notice was given in July 1909, of the intention of the Corporation to apply for a faculty, and in August 1909 copies of the notice were sent by registered post to those persons known to be next relatives of any one whose name was on the stones.The last burial took place in the churchyard in 1904 and by order in Council dated 11th July 1905, the churchyard was closed for burials.It was apparently in a desolate and shocking condition and in 1909, under a special agreement between the Rector and Wigan Corporation, the latter undertook to lay out the churchyard as a garden and to take over the responsibility for maintaining it. Though it still remains the property of the Church and is under the jurisdiction of the Church authorities. With a few exceptions, the old gravestones were buried, the churchyard was re-laid and in 1911 was opened as a garden".
Mo
