Lost Congregations: The crisis facing later post-medieval urban burial grounds

Abstract

This article takes as its point of departure the loss of various 18th and 19th century burial grounds to development in South Yorkshire. Case studies are given based upon recent work at Sheffield Cathedral the Peace Gardens, and Carver Street Methodist Chapel, Sheffield, as well at the New Street Methodist chapel, Barnsley. Current archaeological approaches to the study of 18th and 19th century burials are far from satisfactory. There is an urgent need for curatorial archaeologies to stress the importance of such late post-medieval urban burial grounds to potential developers and for contracting archaeologists to ensure that proper provision, both in terms of access and funding, is made by the clients for appropriate scientific study.
The information gained form the study of later post-medieval urban burials would benefit from synthesis and analysis at a regional level. This may serve to establish variation in osteological data, as well a funerary practice and associated material culture within and between different congregational groups and different localities. In support of this suggestion we examine the significance of Nonconformist burial grounds and identify some potential research questions for future work.