Woodgrange Park Cemetery and Freemasonry

[jbml]

I understand that when the Woodgrange Park Cemetery was first opened (in 1890) it was intended to be for the exclusive burial of freemasons (and perhaps their families); but that the death rate among freemasons was insufficient to sustain the venture, and so they began selling grave plots to non-masons as well.

Does anyone know when the cemetery was opened up to non-masons? My patrilineal grandfather and great grandfather were both masons; but I have as yet found no evidence that my greag great grandfather was. However, my patrilineal great great grandfather and great x3 grandfather were both buried at Woodgrange Park, in a grave which my great x3 grandfather bought for £1/5/0 in April 1899 (my great aunt still has hte original receipt!).

Hence my question - does the fact that my great x3 grandfather bought the grave in April 1899 mean that he must have been a mason? Or had the cemetery by then been opened to non-masons?

Does anybody know?

[Jolee]

Freemasons Hall in London have the names of all masons, also ancestry have the Freemasons on their site

[jbml]

Yes - I'm aware that the Museum and Library of Freemasonry have a very helpful search service - but if you don't know the Lodge that a person belonged to, then it costs £30 a name to search.

If I can be confident that they must have been then I'll spend the money to get a search; but if I cannot be sure, then it's a lot of money to invest in a bit of a flyer!

[hondaboy]

Contact the Church of The Latter Day Saints.  They have local history centres through out the UK.

They are always very helpfull, also they have the plot records for Woodgrange Park- no fee is required. 

[jbml]

Oh, I have the plot records. I visited the cemetery office and they pulled the plot record card out of a big filing cabinet and allowed me to transcribe everything they had.

I just don't know whether, by 1899, anybody, whether a Freemason or not could buy a plot there, or whether the fact that my great x3 grandfather bought a plot there in 1899 can be taken as conclusive proof that he WAS "on the square".

edited

[jonwarrn]

The first interments at Woodgrange Park were in February 1889.
A good few were stillborns.
And here they are, courtesy of FamilySearch
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSJW-H9TZ-L

[jonwarrn]

I just don't know whether, by 1899, any old Tom, Dick and Harry could buy a plot there

Some of mine are buried at Woodgrange Park in the 1890's, they were certainly any old Tom, Dick and Harrys.
What a nasty comment.

[BumbleB]

This old RC thread gives further information related to masons and Woodgrange Park.

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=26831.9

[jbml]

Some of mine are buried at Woodgrange Park in the 1890's, they were certainly any old Tom, Dick and Harrys.
What a nasty comment.

My apologies ... no offence was intended. It is too late for me to amend the post now, but I have asked the moderators if they can change the wording to "anybody, whether Freemason or not"