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References
by Dr DUNCAN to the Board of Heath on the condition of the graveyards. The
seven burial ground which bodies are disposed of in Pits are those
attached to the Wesleyan Chapel
Stanhope St, St Patrick's Catholic ChapelPark Rd, St Anthony's Scotland Rd,
St James, Necropolis, St Mary's Kirkdale and the Parish cemetery Vauxhall Rd.
The pits vary in depth from 18 to 30ft, being 7 to 12 ft long and 31/2 to 9
ft wide The number of bodies deposited in such pits varies from 30 in St
James and St Marys cemeteries to 120 in St Patrick's. In St James about 6
inches of earth are placed over the coffins after each days interments in
others the coffins are covered with 21/2 feet of soil which is removed
previous to the next interments, but
with these exceptions pits are left open only covered only covered with a
framework of boards until filled with coffins over a period of 10 days in the
case of smaller to 10 weeks in large pits It has been estimated that an acre of ground can accommodate 136
bodies yearly, in 37 burial grounds in
Liverpool this number is double. In some places it is impossible to
dig a new grave without disturbing
previous bodies. In some the soil when opened up is composed of decomposing human remains in
various stages rather than earth. Graveyards impregnated with decaying animal
matter must contaminate the atmosphere and injure health. The grand evil
calls most urgently for interference, the practice of burying in pits. In
summer more than 100 bodies are collected together in an open pit in all
stages of decomposition, some lain there for 2 mths. Only 2 feet are left
between each pit so that the moisture saturated with the decomposed matter of
the adjoining pit frequently percolates into the newly made pit. In no case
does the soil covering the pit when
filled exceed the legal minimum of 2 1/2 feet. In
conclusion the M.O.D REQUIRE THAT FURTHER INTERMENTS BE
PROHIBITED IN THE FOLLOWING BURIAL GROUNDS, St Nicholas, St Peters, St Paul's
and St Johns and that the practice of interment in pits be regulated to
prevent it becoming a public nuisance. W.H.
DUNCAN. M.O.D, 20TH Sept
1849 |
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Liverpool History
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