[1869 Report]

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY INTO THE
STATE OF GRAVEYARDS.

THE undersigned, being a Committee of the Tynwald Court for enquiry into the state of Graveyards in the Isle of Man, report as follows

On Tuesday, the 11th of May, 1869, they inspected Maughold Parish Church, Ballure Chapel, Kirk Bride, and Kirk Andreas ; on Wednesday, the 12th, St. Jude's, Jurby, Ballaugh (old Church. and new), and Kirk Christ, Lezayre ; on Thursday, the 13th, Kirk Michael, Kirk German, (Peel Cathedral and Cemetery), and Kirk Patrick; on Monday, the 17th, Kirk Lonan (new Church and old), Kirk Conchan, Kirk Braddan (old Church and Cemetery), and Baldwin; on Tuesday, the 18th, Malew, Langness, Arbory, and Kirk Christ Rushen ; and on Wednesday, the 19th, Marown (new Church and old), St. Mark's, Kirk Santon, and St. George's, Douglas — in all 29 places.

Likewise, when in Peel on Thursday, the 13th of May, they inspected a Place of Burial in Atholl-street, belonging to the Wesleyan Methodists, in which there appear to have been between the years 1845 and 1866, nineteen interments; none since 1866, The Trustees, in whom the property is vested, signified that they have no wish to extend the use of this Burial Place — the contrary, rather; and that in the first instance it was done only in the necessity of the case before the new Parochial Burial Ground was provided.

A Schedule hereto annexed gives the reported extent of the several Burial Grounds, the average number of interments annually, and certain other particulars with respect to each of them.

The regulation depth of not less than three clear feet of soil over the coffin up to the level of the surrounding ground, appears now to be universally accepted, and is reported as having been pretty generally observed in the Island wherever practicable. The exceptions are Ballure, Kirk Christ Lezayre (before the enlargement of that ground), Peel (both in the town and at the Cathedral), Patrick, Lonan new Church, Braddan old Church, Malew,and Rushen ; in which places, by reason of straitness of ground, it has frequently been next to impossible to adhere to it. At Malew and Kirk Christ Rushen the evil has been remedied by an extension of their respective Graveyards, very creditably carried out, as likewise at Santon. Occasionally, in some places, difficulties have arisen in respect of this point, by reason of a strong feeling of unwillingness to withdraw from the Burial Place of their ancestors and take new ground.

No interments appear to have taken place within the walls of any of our Churches during the present century, excepting one case in Peel 30 or 40 years ago, and another in Braddan about 50 years ago, which was permitted by the then Bishop in consideration of some special circumstances.

In several yards there is an outside accumulation of soil against the walls of the Church to the extent of 1, 2, 3, and even 4 feet. At Maughold, more than three feet of accumulation on the south side; at Bride nearly the same, but here a new Church is being built on a new site; at Peel and at Patrick the accumulations are frightful, and almost as bad at Braddan ; also, there is too much of accumulation at the east end and along part of the south side of Santon, and at the west end and part of the north side of Malew.

A custom appears to obtain throughout the Island of depositing in the Graveyards the bodies of still-born and unbaptized infants, and almost always, excepting in the case of one Parish, by night. That one Parish. is Lonan, and explanation of this circumstance seems to be that many of the miners in Laxey Glen are non natives. But most generally it is done without the cognizance of, or reference to, the Parson, Clerk, Churchwardens, or any other local authority. The Vicar of Jurby appears with advantage to have laid down a rule that it is not to be done without his privity and consent. We were unable to discover in the minds of any of those who met us, the slightest apprehension of the existence of anything like the crime of infanticide.

The ancient Burial Place on that part of Langness called Fort Island appears to be now very little used. The soil is so shallow as to render the digging of deep graves exceedingly difficult, and the fence, which encloses about an acre of ground, is so dilapidated as to present little mere now than a low mound of earth. The present Vicar of Malew stated that he has frequently officiated at this place for Burials, and has at other times tacitly assented to the interment there without service of persons professing the Roman Catholic faith. The Agent of the present Proprietor of Fort Island (Mr Moore, of Dublin) met us on on the spot, and protested against our regarding this ground on Langness as a public place of sepulture, or as any other than private property. We think differently.

At Lonan new Church the Act of Tynwald passed in the year 1830 appears to have been contravened, in that several bodies have been interred within 12 feet of the outer walls of the Church on the south side — some of them previously to the incumbency of the present Vicar. Apology offered: the distressing want of room. Also, the same to a small extent appears to have occurred in one or two cases at Jurby.

Absence of responsible individuals as regular Gravediggers or Sextons presents a source of difficulty as regards security for proper depth of graves and the maintenance of cleanliness and order in the yards. At Peel, by means of an arrangement entered into by the Parishioners among themselves at a Vestry Meeting, Graves in the new ground are always of the depth of eight feet, and this is found to work well.

The customary Burial Fees, as reported, are uniformly 1s. to the Parson, and 1s. 6d. to the Clerk. No Mortuary Fees are ever now paid, nor are any fees ordinarily given in regard of the erection of headstones or monuments in the Graveyards, but fees are paid for the erection of monuments within the walls. Any moneys given in regard of erections in the Graveyards appear to be regarded as a personal compliment to the Clergyman ; so that practically there is little or no legal control in, respect of these erections.

We think that the Graveyard at the Church in Peel, and likewise that within the walls of the old Cathedral should both be absolutely closed without delay — provision, however, being made for permission to inter in these places under very rare and special circumstances. We think, also, that stringent regulations should be made, which would have the effect of restraining further interments in most parts of the old Churchyard at Braddan, and the same for much of the old ground at Kirk Christ Lezayre ; at Patrick also, and at Lonan, and the old ground at Kirk Christ Rushen. An extension of ground is greatly required for Lonan and for Patrick, in both which places Burials are largely increased by Miners and their families resident at Laxey and at Foxdale. The state of the Patrick Burial Ground is most offensive, and in every consideration, both of propriety and decency, demands prompt attention. Some of the Parishioners, who met us at the Church, declared that they had often seen less than 12 inches of earth over the coffin. Some of the inhabitants of Foxdale at the same time represented the fitness of their having a Burial Ground for their own district, feeling it a grievance that they frequently now have to carry their dead five miles for interment.

We think that interments should be prohibited being ever made within six feet of the outer wall of any Church; not, however, so as to disannul the provision already made in Acts of Tynwald for a clear space of 12 feet all round in the case of all modern Churches; and we think a penalty should be attached in all cases where there are not three clear feet of soil over the coffin up to the level of the surrounding ground. ,

The inhabitants of Ramsey are exceedingly anxious to have an extension of the Burial Ground at Ballure, the distance of the Parish Church from the town, and the badness of the road (in that it is both hilly and very bleak) being much felt by many; and though, on account of the abundance of ground at the Parish Church, the case is not one of absolute necessity, we think that every reasonable facility should be afforded for their obtaining an addition to this Burial Ground.

At St. George's, Douglas, the interments are now very few, and though the ground is not full, there are many considerations in favour of this place of interment being in a great measure, if not entirely closed, with the exception, perhaps, of some certain Vaults which appear to have been purchased, and to be very much of the nature of private property.

All which we submit respectfully to the Court of Tynwald.

JOS. C. MOORE,
WM. BARING STEVENSON, E. C. FARRANT,
J. S. GOLDIE TAUBMAN, WILLIAM BELL CHRISTIAN.

July 9, 1869.