Southport Congregational Church, Chapel Street

[Jane Lucas]

Hi John

I’m confusing myself now.. sent you a link to one you sent me!

The one I found yesterday just had name and grave number.. so it says John Robinson is grave number 264.. but no Folio number, unless I’m going blind.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997M-79M1-8?cat=1910607

I think the folio number is key to finding the correct entry in the Register which lists all occupants of a grave. That appears to be called the Burial and Grave Register!

As you say, unless you know the date of the first burial, it would be very difficult to find.

Works brilliantly when you know where to look.. I’m still going through it all very carefully.

Jane

[Jane Lucas]

By the way. I have one headstone photo of my grandfather’s grave.. (James, son of John Robinson) it’s on FindAGrave.. but your help with the Registers means that I discovered in fact there are three people in the grave; my grandmother Lucy and their daughter Nell. But there is no inscription on the headstone.. so I would never have known where to find them if I hadn’t found these Registers...with a lot of help.

[Jane Lucas]

Hi again John.. sorry a lot of messages.

I think I’ve sorted it.. I found a page with grave numbers but without the burial index page (Q-W 1b 1866-1938) the one I had was no good. So I had the process muddled up.. but I think it is clear now. I hope.
Gosh.. quite hard work isn’t it!
Jane

[jonwarrn]

Hi Jane
Yes the burial register gives the grave number (and whether in consecrated ground or not), but as far as I can tell there is nothing else to help find where exactly a person is buried. No section given.

And the graves registers appear not to be arranged by section or grave number. So the only way is to find the entry on one of the six burial index films. This will give the all important folio number for the graves registers.

It took me a while to get used to how it works, and I have looked at a lot of these kind of records on FamilySearch.
Anyway, you will be busy for a while with all those burials!
John

[Gibel]

I’m quite happy to go it’s about a 20 minute walk from my home. If your relations go please let me know otherwise I’ll be in touch when I’ve been to find the graves. Hopefully, weather permitting it’ll be over the weekend.

[Jane Lucas]

Certainly will be busy John.. I am dizzy.
I hope I can improve at using these Registers. We have hundreds of family members in Southport. The early ones are at St. Cutbert's, like everybody else's I guess. But these Duke Street registers are an eye opener.
Jane

[Jane Lucas]

Hi Gibel

Yes.. I'll let you know. I lived with my grandmother in Southport for a few months when I was a child. And walked to School through the cemetery. I always loved it, it was so peaceful. But I remember almost nothing about it. Except being there for her burial in 1975.. which was rather depressing!
Jane

[ThrelfallYorky]

There is / used to be a North Meols (Southport) Family History Society that you could consult online - in fact I think we (Jane and I ) may have had a correspondence on here about it vanishing, then re-appearing, but being inaccessible - sounds the sort of thing they may have good access to records on?
TY

[Jane Lucas]

Hi TY
Yes.. we did have quite a conversation about that.. the group is still active I believe, obviously not just now withincurrent constraints ,  but the website is not working? Think some of the volunteers have had to give up.

I was in touch with one of the officers and she said that the help desk in the Atkinson is still going.. again.. not at the moment.

John (above) has been really helpful, as has Gibel.. regarding the Duke Street Cemetery records online with FamilySearch. It would be great to have more information about those. Since finding the Registers (with John’s help) I have been using them a lot. But there seem to be registers missing. I’d love to know if they are missing completely, or just not filmed.

Some entries in the burial registers can’t be found in the grave registers and vice versa. I have questions about that.

Also, there is reference in the grave registers to a register of purchased graves with details of grave owner. Are we able to access those registers I wonder.

I have emailed Sefton Council to ask, but haven’t had a reply. Finding any contact information on their website is a challenge.

For North Meols families those Duke Street burials are a great resource, but not easy to use.

Jane