Cemetery Registers

Registers of burials in civil cemeteries (as opposed to parish church yards). From 1836 - late 20th century (with a number of gaps).

Contact us on archives@sheffield.gov.uk for more information, to book appointments or order archival materials.

Location of records

Sheffield Archives, 52 Shoreham Street.

Ordering documents

Not all archive material is stored onsite and we may require notice of the items you wish to see. Please contact us to confirm when we can retrieve items for you.

Copies

We can normally supply copies for private study purposes, subject to the usual copyright regulations. Please contact us for further information.

Further information

Until the 17th century people were usually buried in parish churchyards. After the 1689 Toleration Act Nonconformist and Jewish graveyards were opened and from 1800 separate Catholic graveyards were opened.

Private Cemeteries

Opened in the 18th and 19th centuries as commercial ventures - plots were purchased so, generally speaking, poorer people could not afford burials there.

Public cemeteries became necessary as overcrowded churchyards were closed in the 1850s. Towns were empowered to set up Burial Boards to provide public burial grounds which were run by Local Authorities.

Cemeteries usually consist of 2 sections - consecrated (for Anglican burials) and unconsecrated (for nonconformists and others).

Crematoria

Became a legal means of dealing with the deceased from around 1885. In Sheffield the crematorium opened in 1905.

After 1813 details of names, abode, age and date of burial together with occupation, date of death and place of grave, are usually contained in a Cemetery Register.

The General Cemetery

On Cemetery Road, Sheffield it was opened as a private cemetery in 1836 and was closed in 1978.

Sheffield Archives hold records for cemeteries at Attercliffe, Darnall, Burngreave and City Road amongst others and all are held on microfilm.

Gravestone Inscriptions

Have been transcribed and copies of these monumental inscriptions have been deposited at Sheffield Archives.

They often contain some good biographical detail and details of family members and are therefore a most useful resource.