Graveyard protocol for uploading

[Guy Etchells]

Thank you Guy, that is a very interesting perspective.

I think what made this cemetery seem so NEW was it was full of flower vases and planted flowers on graves and those little children's windmills and jars with candles in and lots of notes and little stones on the graves with names on (is that a local or a new tradition?) but that might because we've recently had Mother's Day and Easter.

I am not sure whether you mean little headstones or little stones or pebbles on the graves.

Modern gravestones are in most cases smaller than the older graves stones.
However if you mean small stones or pebbles on the graves themselves there is a Jewish tradition of leaving a pebble on the grave when one visits as a sign of respect and to show that the grave has been recently visited.
There are also a number of other explanations for this Jewish custom.

European cultures would build cairns of stones above a grave, there was a superstition the souls of the dead my return and cause trouble for the living and the stones would keep them in the grave. There was also the practical reason to stop animals digging up the corpse.

Cheers
Guy

[Beeonthebay]

It's large pebbles that people have written their names on, this is only in the newer cemetery not in the old graveyards. 

Perhaps somebody started it here and others followed suit?  I don't recall any of the graves seeming Jewish in any way.  I might have time before I leave to go back and take a photo of these stones, my curiousity has now got the better of me. 

p.s.  This site must be American as it's flagging curiousity as being spelt wrongly but I am still hanging in there with my English spellings......

[dawnsh]

Ask the church or local authority who maintains the cemetery before you do.

This isn't the first news item of this type I've seen

http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/regional-affairs/jewellery-quarter-research-trust-banned-10808767

I'm not really bothered enough to do that, I was just asking a general question as it kind of popped into my head as a moral dilemma.

Re the article, I think that's ridiculous.  If every churchyard or cemetery was like this there would be no MI's or online databases to help us with our family history.

So can I come into your garden and take photos without your permission?

It's not that far removed from what you are doing.

I'm sorry you think the article is ridiculous. You asked a question and I gave an answer.

As I previously mentioned that article was one of many

see 5th paragrpah here

https://beta.islington.gov.uk/birth-death-marriage-and-citizenship/cemeteries

see clause 35 here

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01hd2/

see the bylaws here

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/200032/deaths_funerals_and_cemeteries/5580/cemeteries_and_crematoria/4

paragraph 4 here

http://www2.rctcbc.gov.uk/en/relateddocuments/publications/bereavement/rulesandregulationsfull.pdf

Wandsworth do not allow photography without permission, there is a pdf of regulations here

http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/downloads/200032/funerals_and_cremations

and Bexley has a similar pdf here

http://www.bexley.gov.uk/search?q=cemetery+regulations&go=Go

I know that many people are really grateful for the work others do to put images online and get comfort from them being there.

I was just mentioning that, as a courtesy, you should check before you do take photos.

[pinefamily]

If a headstone belongs to my family, or extended relations, I will take a photo when I am there.

[ScouseBoy]

If a headstone belongs to my family, or extended relations, I will take a photo when I am there.

         One of my family is buried in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.       It is unlikely that I can ever visit in person.

[pinefamily]

Likewise, Scouseboy. Being in Australia, it is unlikely I will be able to get photos of my ancestors in England, Scotland and Sweden. I wouldn't even know where to look for my Irish forebears. 


Edit: my ancestors' graves, I should have said....

[Jebber]

If a headstone belongs to my family, or extended relations, I will take a photo when I am there.

         One of my family is buried in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.       It is unlikely that I can ever visit in person.

ScouseBoy

Have you looked at the South African graves project?  Many photographs of headstones in many cemeteries, including Port Elizabeth. Enter name on search page for all SA.

eggsa.org


Jebber

[smudwhisk]

The cemeteries mentioned in the article Dawn posted a link to, Keyhill and Warstone Lane Cemeteries, are both closed. Warstone closed in 1982 to new burials according to Wikipedia.  I suspect this is why Birmingham City Council have now relented on the ban on photographing graves, albeit personally I think 1982 is a bit recent in my view for posting grave photographs online.  But that is my personal view and I know others may not agree.  It is unfortunately a bit of an emotive subject and rules do vary from authority to authority.

That said, I suspect many cemeteries now as a norm only sell 50 year leases on graves, with an option to extend for another 50 years at additional cost.  That is definitely the case for Camberwell New as we've recently queries with Southwark Council what was likely to happen to my great grandparent's grave now that it is 75 years since the last internment.  The grave was purchased on a 100 year lease but Boris Johnson's edict a few years ago means they can now reuse after 75 years from the last internment.  In my great grandparent's case, that's 19 years earlier than the expiry of the lease.  Southwark Council have confirmed they are reviewing the reuse of existing graves outside of this timespan.  Interestingly, my 3xGreat Grandparents grave in Manor Park Cemetery, the last internment being in 1910, does still exist, or did in 2014, but that's obviously a different cemetery.   In the case of 50 year leases, if the graves aren't photographed in that time period, they will obviously be lost to posterity after their reuse.  Monumental Inscriptions exist for some graves now lost but a photograph is obviously a better memorial.

[pinefamily]

Yes we have the leases here in Australia too.
I took advantage of an hour at one of our local cemeteries on Easter Monday, taking photos of various ancestors' headstones. The cemetery authority has a great search function on its website, which then gives you exact locations for the plots. Unfortunately, I had missed my paternal family's headstone; the lease had recently expired.