Report to the General Board of Health on the state of the burial grounds in the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme / by William Lee, Superintending Inspector.

  • Lee, William, 1774 or 1775-1853.
Date:
1851
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report to the General Board of Health on the state of the burial grounds in the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme / by William Lee, Superintending Inspector. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ])rcscnt ^rave-digger, evidently a humane man naturally, but with feelings blunted by the present system of town interments, does not think it necessary even to use the searcher, when h(‘ knows that any grave has not been opened for seven years ;— less than one-third of the time required for the decomposition of a human body in such a soil. The returns furnished to me at the inquiry in 1849, show that the parish church}^ard affords room for 1,757 graves, each seven feet long, and three feet wide; that during twenty years preceding, the interments had been 3,838, and that conse- quently the whole of the ground would be turned over within the short space of nine years. Since that time above 160 human bodies have been interred in the same ground, although the grave-digger in his evidence doubts whether he could find 20 graves five feet deep, without coffins or bones. I was unable to obtain the number of interments in the Wesleyan chapel ground, because no register has been ke])t, but I cannot doubt after the evidence of Dr. Wood, the officer of Health, and Mr. Chapman, the Local Surveyor, that this, as well as the parish burial-ground, ought to be closed im- mediately. The Roman Catholic burial-ground is equal to 73 graves, and though the ]>riest states the annual interments at 50, yet if we only take them at the number given by the sexton, namely 30, we shall obtain in 5 years 150 burials. There cannot be a doubt therefore that future interments should be ])rohibited. I have deferred until now' the consideration of the burial- ground attached to St. George’s church. It is extensive, and farther from the dense part of the town than any of the other burial-grounds. 4'he part above the church, and for a short distance below, has been much used for interments, but, the greater part of an acre, though consecrated in 1829, has not been at all used. This is the lower part of the ground, ap])roaching the houses, and some doubt has been expressed that w'ater w'ould be found in the graves, unless artificially drained. The aspect of the land is southerly and the drainage would be towards the town. The soil is not unsuitable for interments, though a better might be found, if this w'ere not already provided for the puiqjose. 4Te following return was ])ut in by the incumbent, showing uie annual interments in this ground from the opening in 1829. * ® 195^01