Searching for a grave
Do-It-Yourself
For those who wish to do the work themselves, here is the situation.
The burial records for the cemeteries and crematorium in Southampton are held at Burials and Bereavement Services in Bugle Street. Normally a request to look up the details is conducted by post and an administration charge is raised.
The
email address is
bereavement.services@southampton.gov.uk Telephone: 023 8022
8609
A duplicate set of burial records for the Old Cemetery is held at the Hawthorns Urban Wildlife Centre on The Common. This is about 10 minutes walk from the cemetery. Staff can supply a photocopy of burial plots and usually a prominent grave or one near a path or tree is highlighted to enable visitors to use that as a marker.
Their email address is hawthorns.wildlife.centre@southampton.gov.uk Telephone: 023 8067 1921
None of the plots or groups of graves are marked by any sign or post in the cemetery except that on request the manager at Bugle Street is able to arrange a small wooden peg with the plot number to be placed next to the grave. This service depends on the availability of staff and secondly that the peg is not wantonly removed.
Many graves may be hard to locate. If the grave you seek is in an area like this for example, you could be disappointed!
Click on picture for bigger version
FoSOC offers a grave location service.
For people who are unable to do this work themselves, FoSOC offers to find the grave for you. We do ask a donation for this service, but this will probably be far less than the cost of doing it yourself (especially if you live in Australia!).
Although not everyone could afford a headstone we can at least identify the plot.
Send an e-mail to fosoc1846@googlemail.com, or call Gillie Blake on 023 8067 1083 for further details.
Monumental Inscriptions.
The Hampshire Genealogical Society prepared a survey of monumental inscriptions in the 1970's.
Gillie will do lookups if you ask her nicely.
FoSOC offers a grave maintenance service.
We can regularly tidy up a grave for you, subject to:
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Health and safety considerations
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Restrictions imposed by the ecologist - bird nesting period, rare plants or wildlife, etc
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The site being accessible.
Naturally we have to ask a donation for this service.
Send an e-mail to fosoc1846@googlemail.com, or call Gillie Blake on 023 8067 1083 for further details.
Other Southampton Cemeteries: Occasionally we are asked to undertake either research or grave maintenance at other cemeteries in the city, but with 27 acres in our care we must decline going outside of our area of work. However, if a grave whose location is requested turns out to be in another Southampton Cemetery, it may be possible to have one of our members locate and report on the grave, if time permits. For this kind of request please contact dave@jacobs.net
Who do you think you are? If your interest in a Southampton burial leads you to want to know more about your Southampton ancestry, we may be able to give you pointers, and dave@jacobs.net will endeavour to help you.