Genealogy Chat

Can anyone offer any suggestions as to how I can proceed further with my current 'brick wall'? I located the grave of my g/grandmother (Florence Roberts) buried Nov 1958 and her 2nd husband (George Roberts) buried June 1956 in Oldbury cemetry in the West Midlands. On the headstone there was mention of 'Georgie who died in infancy' so I rang the council bereavement services who hold all the records of burials at that cemetry, to find out further details of Georgie. They located the details from the grave number that I gave them and confirmed it by Florence's name. The details relating to Georgie were given to me, no problem. He was buried in May 1923. However....the man at the council said did I realise that there was another person in the grave, which I didnt. Apparently his name was Frank Bull, and he was 37 when he was buried in 1888. I can't understand why a grave would be opened in 1888 and then not used again until 1923 as this is 35 years later. I have no record of any Bulls in my family tree, and searches on Ancestry show the only Frank Bull as being 3 (not 37) in 1888. Has anyone got access to the electoral register for Wellington Street, Oldbury for 1887/8 as this is apparently where Frank Bull was living when he died? Or has anyone any other ideas of how I can proceed further please?? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Just a thought but reading something earlier it stated that grave plots only belong to the family for 25 years and then belong to the council unless lease lengthened. Perhaps he died and as no one claimed the plot it was passed on to your family Deborah

That's more or less what I was going to say!! If Frank Bull's family didn't purchase the grave (which normally has to happen in order for a memorial stone to be put up) then after a given number of years, depending on the local authority, someone else can purchase the grave and it can be used for the remaining spaces plus a gravestone erected. Mostly the ''purchase'' is not for ever (maybe 50 or 100 years) after which the council could, in theory, remove the stone and use the grave again. Merry

Hi Sophie I can't answer your question about who Frank Bull was but I can answer about the grave. Whoever holds the deeds to the plot says who goes in the grave. My Great Grandparents buried two of their small children in the 1890's then they were buried there in 1935 and 1960 then my nan in 1990 then my mums ashes in 2003 and theres still room for one more coffin and another set of ashes. I do know of someone who had a similar question and it turned out that the person who obtained the plot and was buried in it left the remaining space (or passed on the deeds) to his housekeeper and she in turn let her family use the extra space. Hope this helps a bit Sheila

Thanks for all your replies. I didnt realise that ownership reverted back to the council or could be passed via deeds to someone else. It looks as though this is what may have happened

my Mum died in March. The grave can hold three, if we, the family do not use it, then they can put someone else in it, after my and my brothers lifetime. Probably happened years ago too. Sunny

Even if a family 'owns' the plot, the recan be many reasons why someone else ends up in it. When my Father died I secured an internment place for two, anticipating my mother would rest beside him, however one of my siblings had other ideas when mum died so she is (sadly) in a completely different cemetry. The second space was empty for a couple of decades until my wife's batchelor uncle was laid to rest beside my father! Cheers, Bill Sydney, Australia