A graveyard is a place where loved ones can pay their respects to deceased family members. This is true whether you have buried the urn of your loved one or chose to cremate them.
Historically, those with wealth and status in a community were interred inside a church, typically in a crypt. Less well off congregants were buried in the churchyard.
What is a graveyard?
A graveyard is a place where dead bodies are buried. It can be located on private property or it can be affiliated with a church.
In the past, people were often buried on their family homesteads or in a cemetery on their church’s grounds. As populations grew, churches began to fill up and independent sites called cemeteries became more common. These are not affiliated with a church and so one does not have to be a congregant to be buried there.
The word cemetery is older than graveyard and comes from the Latin word coemeterium which means “burial place” and ultimately descends from the Greek word koimeterion which means sleep chamber. Cemeteries tend to be much bigger than graveyards and can accommodate a range of burial options including vaults or tombs and columbarium walls where plaques are placed. It is also not uncommon for different religions to be buried together in the same cemetery. As such, it is not considered to be a faux pas to use the two words interchangeably.
Where is a graveyard located?
Graveyards can be found in a variety of locations. Most often, they are located near churches. However, church membership doesn’t necessarily equate to burial in a graveyard. In addition, you can be buried in a graveyard regardless of whether or not you’re cremated.
The first clue that a graveyard is different from other vacant patches of ground is its name. The word cemetery indicates that people have chosen this area specifically for burials. Unlike other vacant plots of land, a cemetery is likely to have lots of rules and regulations about what you can and cannot do at a grave site.
A cemetery is a place where you can pay your respects to loved ones who have passed away. It’s also where memorial services are held. In addition, you can find information about funeral planning and monuments at a cemetery. The word “cemetery” is derived from the Latin coemeterium, which is ultimately derived from the Greek koimeterion.
What is the difference between a graveyard and a cemetery?
The term graveyard and cemetery are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference. Historically, a churchyard was where people were buried when they died and was usually attached to a specific church. Over time, the word cemetery began to take hold as a general definition for all burial grounds and no longer needed to be affiliated with any one church.
Today, you can still find a graveyard on church property or adjacent to it, but the majority of graveyards are now in cemeteries and are generally not associated with any particular church. This is due to the fact that churchyards were quickly becoming overcrowded and decaying matter was infiltrating water supplies and contributing to epidemics like cholera.
Both graveyards and cemeteries provide a place for loved ones to be laid to rest, pay their respects, and be remembered. This is true whether you choose traditional burial or urn burial where the cremated remains are placed in an urn and buried on your family plot or in a cemetery alongside other loved ones.
How do I find a graveyard?
Finding a graveyard, whether for genealogical purposes or paying your respects to an interred loved one, can be a rewarding experience. Various techniques and resources exist to assist in the process, such as cemetery maps and plot records.
Some local councils provide online indexes to their burial records for a small fee. The website Find a Grave has an enormous database of names extracted from tombstones in the UK and worldwide. The free iOS and Android BillionGraves app allows you to photograph headstones and record GPS data for any location, with no need for a data plan. The information is then available to the public, including on FamilySearch and Findmypast. It’s a great way to share your ancestors’ stories. It also helps preserve inscriptions that may be in danger of being lost due to age or damage.