Q&A for How to Find a Person's Grave

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My uncle was given a pauper's funeral by Liverpool City Council in 1977. There is no name on the burial plot and I believe there is more than one person in the grave. How can I find the plot?

Community Answer

Your uncle was buried with a metal number disc. Your City Council should have a record of the place, date, and time you uncle was interred.

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Can a cemetery charge a fee to tell you where a grave is?

Community Answer

No, they'll ask for when the person died and/or when they were buried. Sometimes they might ask your relation to the deceased.

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Question

I have the friend's name, where they lived, when and where they died, but no obituary to note interment. Is this enough?

Community Answer

Unless the person is from a very big town and has an exceedingly common name, this should be sufficient. Many people never have obituaries written about them.

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Question

How can I find a grave site if I know a person's full name?

Community Answer

Try Googling the person's name first, in case they are listed somewhere. If that doesn't pan out, you could go on ancestry.com.

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Question

I have the date of birth, death, and the death certificate, but still can't find the burial place. What can I do?

Community Answer

You can run an internet search for the person and then find where they are, just like if they were alive.

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Question

A grave marker has been found, but the cemetery staff cannot find the grave. How can I help them locate it?

Community Answer

Most gravestone pedestals have engraved numbers on them that indicate the section and plot. Look for it - if not on your particular stone, look at the ones closest to it. Not all are engraved, especially older ones.

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Question

Have cemetery name and plot number, how do I find out who is buried there?

Community Answer

There should be burial records somewhere. Talk to your local cemetery committee or town sexton.

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Question

Can I take a piece of someone's headstone as a memento?

Community Answer

No, taking a piece of a gravestone is considered defacing a grave and is very disrespectful to the dead.

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Question

How do I find my grandparent's grave when I don't know what cemetery they're buried in?

Community Answer

Ask other family members if they know which cemetery was chosen. This means going beyond immediate family and asking cousins, uncles, great-aunts, etc. Someone in your wider family will know. Also check newspapers from the city or area they lived in, as it's probable there is a death notice that names the cemetery. Once you get that, you can use the cemetery records to locate the actual graves.

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Question

How do I find a person's grave when they were buried in an unmarked grave?

Community Answer

If you know the cemetery, the sexton can check records for the location.

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How do I find a person's grave without having to pay for it?

Community Answer

If you know the name of the cemetery, the cemetery sexton maintenance records of the location of all burials.

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