Below is a copy of the regulations regarding payments for grave diggers and covering the duties of their
superintendents. I've tried to keep the typesetting as close to the original document as possible.
It is part of the Lamb collection in the central library, and is at present in a fragile condition, but makes for
interesting reading.
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REGULATIONS
For the
MANAGEMENT
Of the
BURYING-GROUND
Approved of, and ordered to be printed, by the Magistrates
and Town Council
2d August 1832.
Duties of the superintendent.
I. The superintendent shall be in attendance on the
Ground, or in the office, from the hour of ten to twelve
in the forenoon of every lawful day ; and shall make
arrangements so as to be accessible at all reasonable hours.
II. The undertaker, or individual ordering a grave,
shall, as soon as possible after the decease of the per-
son to be interred, give notice to the superintendent, of
the day and hour when the funeral is intended to take
place.
III. The undertaker, or individual ordering a grave,
shall furnish to the superintendent-- the NAME and
DESIGNATION of the deseased, the AGE, PLACE of BIRTH,
CAUSE of DEATH, CLASS of COFFIN and DEPTH of
GRAVE ; and these particulars are to be entered into
the Record kept by the superintendent, and signed by
the person ordering the grave.
IV. All dues to be paid to the superintendent when
the order for a grave is given, who shall grant receipt
for the same, and account for these payments to the
Hospital Factor weekly.
V. The superintendent shall be careful that all stones
and remains of the coffins thrown out in digging graves,
be removed, and the bones seperated from the
earth, and carefully placed in the bottom of the grave
from which they were dug, immediately after the making
of the grave is completed. The superintendent shall
also see that the planks and spokes are kept in a pro-
per condition, and that at funerals the planks are pro-
perly placed.
VI. When two of more funerals are fixed for the
same day, the superintendent shall intimate the same
to the undertakers , &c, that they may, if possible, fix
upon different hours for the funerals : But when two or
more funerals take place at the same hour, the super-
intendent shall have, at least, two sextons, or assist-
ants, ready at each funeral of an adult person ; and,
at least, one at that of every child ;- the assistants to
be paid from the ordinary dues of the sextons.
VII. The sextons shall, under the direction of the
superintendent, be employed in removing stones, &c,
and in keeping the Ground and roads in proper order,
without any payment beyond their ordinary dues.
TABLE OF DUES
TO BE PAID UPON FUNERALS, AND FOR ERECTING GRAVE-STONES.
Coffins. |
Sexton`s Dues. |
Hospital Dues. |
Total |
Large, covered |
3s 6d |
6s |
9s 6d |
Small, covered |
2s 6d |
3s |
5s 6d |
Large, plain |
2s 6d |
2s |
4s 6d |
Small, plain |
1s 6d |
1s |
2s 6d |
White |
... 8d |
... |
... 8d |
For the erection of a tombstone upon pillars........... |
£3 |
3 |
0 |
For the erection of a headstone.............................. |
1 |
1 |
0 |
For revising a tomb, or headstone.......................... |
0 |
5 |
0 |
No stone shall be erected or revised without permission, in
writing, from the Hospitalmaster or Factor, after an examina-
tion by the superintendent, and the dues for such erection
or revising shall have been previously paid to the Factor.
The ordinary depth of graves to be five feet, when the state
of the ground renders this practicable ; and when required
beyond that depth, they are to be paid for according to the
following scale, --the depth to be measured from the surface
of the ground at the center of the grave.
Depth. |
Large, covered. |
Small, covered. |
Large plain. |
Small plain. |
5 feet |
3s 6d |
2s 6d |
2s 6d |
1s 6d |
6 ..... |
4s 6d |
3s 6d |
3s 0d |
2s 6d |
7 ..... |
6s 6d |
5s 0d |
4s 6d |
4s 0d |
8 ..... |
10s 0d |
7s 6d |
7s 0d |
6s 0d |
9 ..... |
14s 0d |
11s 0d |
10s 6d |
9s 0d |
In cases of extreme poverty, when a certificate is produced
from two Elders, stating, from their own personal knowledge,
the inability of the relatives of the deceased to pay the Hospi-
tal dues, the Hospitalmaster may order them to be remitted.
Although the Magistrates and Council are desirous that
the burials of the extremely poor shall be conducted free of
all expense, except the nett charge for digging the grave, the
Superintendent is instructed that every attention be paid to
the decency and order of these funerals, and that the registra-
tion be completed in the same manner as at funerals where
the highest dues are paid.
The Magistrates and Council earnestly request that the
particulars required by the Third Article of the Superintend-
ent`s Duties be carefully furnished, as the value of the regis-
ter for reference will depend solely upon the fullness and ac-
curacy with which these particulars are recorded.
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