Genealogy Forum UK

So far in my explorations I've dealt with lots of 'paper' evidence and am pretty much convinced my ancestors all came from poverty and a pretty hand to mouth existence. Given this is there any point in thinking I might be able to find their gravestones or are they, in all likelihood, going to be in common graves? This area is brand new to me so any advice appreciated.

Poverty does not automatically equate to a lack of gravestones.

It is really random on who got gravestones and which ones survive.

Burials in the church yard nearly alway involved a headstone or gravestone (gravestones survive better as they have always been horizontal).

Burials in the church yard are usaully "in perpetuity" meaning the plots willnot be recycled.

Cemeteries are a different matter. If the grave was not paid for "in perpertuity" then the body can be moved to a communal plot and the headstone disposed of or moved to another part of the cemetery.

Some cemeterys you visit will have all of the moved gravestones in a centralised area but few of them ever document them.

My wife received a shock the other week when she received notice her father's plot was to be re-issued.

We quickly scrambled the money together to pay for it "in perpetuity".

Thanks Mark, so its really a case of popping down to the local parish church and seeing if there's any to view..... most of my ancestors in one side are located fairly close to us.

Some of the families couldn't afford headstones

Lots of the look ups I have done there is a grave but no Stone as they just
couldn't afford it.

Some of the stones have been removed due to vandalism

If there has been a graveyard index by say the council or local group then
you can get lucky and find their surname in the Index plot no and then grave location.

My gt grandfather is at St Andrews Dudley
there was not headstone they couldnt afford it
but there must have been something left, a vase or something with his name on
as that was noted on the indexing and so I was able to pin point where he lies.