A Nice View

The re-imagined story …

“It’s going to be an expensive business, getting buried in the new cemetery.”

“Perhaps we ought to invest in a grave now, before the prices go up.”

“How big a plot were you thinking of buying?”

“Well, we ought to consider your parents.”

“Do we want a vault?”

“How much would that work out at?”

“It says here – For a Vault in perpetuity, to contain four corpses abreast, not exceeding 9ft deep £4 4s.”

“How much?! I don’t think so.”

“What section shall we plump for?”

“There’s a nice view from the top of Section D. We could see our house from there as well.”

“That would cost another 21s.”

“What about a headstone? It says here ‘all inscriptions and plans of monuments, tablets, and stones, to be erected in the Cemetery or Chapels, to be submitted to the Board for its approval.’

“Oh, I’d like a pink granite one with fluted pillars and foliage tracery and maybe a verse from a hymn, or perhaps a bit of Shakespeare.”

“You’d better start saving up now then.”

“It’s going to be an expensive business, getting buried in the new cemetery.”

“Well I suppose they’ve got to pay for it somehow.”

The facts …

Swindon Cemetery

List of Fees proposed to be taken by the Burial Board.

On interment of any resident in either of the Local Board Districts in a common grave 5s

For a Vault in perpetuity, to contain four corpses abreast, not exceeding 9ft deep £4 4s

The like, three corpses abreast £3 3s

The like, two corpses abreast £2 2s

If more than 9ft. deep, per foot extra £1 1s

For a brick or boarded Grave, for one corpse only, not exceeding 9ft. deep £1 1s

For re-opening a Vault or Brick Grave 10s 6d

For interments in selected situations £1 1s

Entry in Register of vault or grave in perpetuity 2s 6d

Certificate thereof 2s 6d

For erecting a head-stone 15s

For erecting a foot-stone 3s 6d

For every additional inscription on any stone 10s 6d

For erecting or placing a coffin-shaped tomb, or flat stone, or stone or slate enclosure over the grave, not exceeding 18 inches high (without palisades) £1. 1s

For erecting any other Tomb or Stone, or Palisading only not exceeding 8ft. by 4ft. £2 2s

The like, not exceeding 10ft. by 8ft £4 4s

For enclosing any Tomb or Stone with palisades, any space not exceeding 8ft by 4ft. (extra) £1 1s

The like, not exceeding 8ft. square (extra) £2 2s

On erecting any mural monument in chapels, not exceeding 3ft. by 2ft. £10 10s

For an extra size, subject to an agreement

For Sexton’s Fees

For digging and filling in a common grave for any resident, his wife, or child 3s

The like for an out resident 8s

Every grave to be 6ft. deep, if above, per foot extra 5s

For digging, excavating, and levelling ground over a vault for two corpses, 9ft. deep, and attending burial £2 2s

For every additional corpse 7s

For filling up and turfing when required 2s

For tolling Chapel bell if required 1s

For tolling Chapel bell above one hour extra, and so on in proportion 1s

For Hand Hearse

For the use of a Hand Hearse (without attendants), at the burial of any resident, his wife, or child, time not exceeding one hour 2s 6d

For every additional period of time up to half an hour 1s

For searching register of burials, one year 1s

For every additional year 6d

For each certified copy of an entry therein 2s 6d

All walls of vaults to be nine inches thick and every wall between two vaults to be nine inches thick and every wall between two vaults to be a party wall. All damage to any boundary wall by making a vault or grave to be substantially repaired by the party causing the same.

All inscriptions and plans of monuments, tablets, and stones, to be erected in the Cemetery or Chapels, to be submitted to the Board for its approval.

On interment of non residents all fees and payments to be charged double.

By Order of the Board,

James Copleston Townsend, Clerk.

Any objection to the above mentioned Board Fees to be communicated to the Clerk to the Board, 42 Cricklade Street, Swindon, on or before Saturday, the 20^th August instant.

Swindon Advertiser, Saturday, August 13, 1881