Position of Grave in Graveyard.

[jfchaly]

Has anyone noticed how near to church "Well to do" families had their graves.
When I was looking for family graves, I began to notice a pattern of "Well to do" having graves either close to church or beside main pathway to the church.
The graves of poor or less well off which had either no headstones or just markers were further away.

The graves would belong to the period 1800 to about 1920
Roman Catholic in County Kilkenny.

Jfch

[Claire64]

Some of my well-off ancestors asked in their wills to be buried in the church, which was a sign of status, way back, when they still did this.  Would be interested in what people think about position in churchyard though.

[pinefamily]

I would assume it was a "thing" for the well-heeled to buried closer to the church or at least in more prominent locations.
One of my clergy ancestors asked to be buried next to his wife in the chancel, and that was 1726. I'd be curious to hear how late that practice went.

[jim1]

My family were keen tomb builders & had 3 at 3 different Churches all close to the Church.
Not only was it a sign of status (close to the Church cost more) but also a case of closer to God.

[Skoosh]

South side good, north side not so good! 

Skoosh.

[andrewalston]

I believe that higher status graves were closer to the altar. Where burial was allowed inside the building, the Lord of the Manor is likely to be close to the altar rail.

Just outside the chancel was also a posh area. My local church has the stone for a vicar about 2 feet from the wall.

I seem to remember one WDYTYA where the clergyman concerned was buried almost underneath the altar.

[ThrelfallYorky]

I've found clergy buried very  close in to the important bits of the church, even comparatively recently.

[Skoosh]

The Church of Scotland banned burials inside parish churches in 1581. The lairds grannie rotting away under the floor must have stank the kirk to high heaven. 
They got round this ban by adding burial-aisles to the outside of the kirk.                                                                 

Skoosh.

[hallmark]

Graves nearer the Church are more expensive too.....