Burying babies in unmarked public graves was "common practice"

The discovery of a grave with almost 300 bodies of infants and stillborn children in a cemetery in Oldham shocked Greater Manchester. It also raised many questions.

The mass grave was reportedly the result of a ‘standard practice’ at NHS hospitals between the 1950s and 1980s. Yet several relatives are a similar story - that they or their parents had been falsely told their babies had been buried ‘with someone nice’ at a burial happening the same day of their death. 

Read more: Stillborn babies buried in mass graves to be commemoratedPublished: 12 September 2024

Sources said they knew the practice of burying stillborn children in unmarked public graves was ‘common practice’ across the region. Councils are aware, they said, of communal graves ranging from five to 15 people in cemeteries across Greater Manchester. 

The majority of the graves were not dedicated to stillbirths but were ‘pauper graves’ containing a mixture of adults unable to afford an individual burial plot and stillborn or early infant deaths.

The communal grave in Royton holds 145 stillborn children, 128 babies and young kids and 29 adults.

The largest other recorded burial site contains a total of 73 stillborn children, who are buried in several neighbouring plots in Ridgmont Cemetery, Bolton. 

It remains unclear how these arrangements between hospitals and town councils – predating most current local authorities in Greater Manchester – came to exist, and why parents were lied to about where their babies were buried. 

The NHS suggested the department of health and social care. A spokesperson said: “Our sympathies are with all the women and families affected.  

“We expect all hospitals to provide as much information as they have available to any parents who inquire about what happened to their stillborn babies, no matter how long ago they passed away.”

The extent to which different local authorities have recognised existing communal graves and how they handle requests varies. 

A spokesman for Rochdale Council said: “Every area of the country is likely to have public and sometimes unmarked graves in cemeteries.

"In our borough there is a long-standing system in place for families to trace burial locations and add memorials if they wish.

“There are also a number of children’s memorials in our cemeteries and our staff are trained in dealing with enquiries in a sensitive and compassionate manner. If a member of the public requires further information about these services they can contact us directly.”

Charlotte Hall, Local Democracy Reporter