Cemetery

In 1890 the churchyard around St Peter’s Church in Evercreech was to be officially closed. The alternative of burials taking place at St Mary’s Chesterblade would have caused considerable inconvenience to parishioners. So at a meeting in April 1890 a decision was taken to support the creation of a public cemetery. Subsequently a Burial Board was appointed and this advertisement for tenders was published in newspapers: ‘To make a Lych gate, boundary wall and other fences and for the laying out of a cemetery’.

The cemetery, created at a cost of £800 raised by public subscription, was opened in April 1893 and dedicated by Bishop Hobhouse at a large ceremony.

In 1901 a new funeral bier was acquired; it was hired out for 2/6 to the ‘working classes’ and 5/- to farmers and tradesmen.

After the First World War the stone War Memorial was erected on a site donated by the parish council. There are four official War Graves in the cemetery maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The parish clerk holds a register of burials which can be used by family historians.