Dear Peggy,
The two Mark Gilliam or Gillam infants, as shown on St Peters Church
Burial Registers (Gwent FHS publication) were on the dates you mention
and aged 1 year and 9 months respectively. In 1841 the family were in
Penygarnfach. Not sure where this was, at present.
The only reference burial entry is 2/600 and 3/353 but don't know if
would have been actually buried in the Church grounds, although I would
guess it is highly likely that they were.
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council (BGCBC) has responsibility for
their Municipal Cemeteries, Blaina Cemetery (opened 1885) and Brynmawr
(opened 1854), in this area of Blaenau Gwent and would not have been
involved in St Peters as far as burial records.
Keith Thomas, the Ebbw Vale historian, told me that when the graveyard
was grassed over some graves were exhumed and remains re-buried in
Blaina Municipal Cemetery. Thomas Brown's (the Ironmaster) father's
remains were removed and re-buried in the Muni Cemetery.
When they grassed the graveyard over the remains were left in the
ground, usually, and the headstones that remained were placed around the
perimeter wall of what is now a park which surrounds the new Church,
which in my opinion, is a shabby shack in comparison to the Old St
Peters Church.
To sum up I don't think you would have much luck with the Council
authorities unless there may have been a possibility of an exhumation.
But in saying this you haven't anything to lose:))
best regards
Barrie Jones, Gwent
In message <002201c5f3a3$7fcbd210$c901a8c0@Peggy>, Peggy Burroughs
<peggyburroughs(a)cox.net> writes
Barrie,
I, too am looking for graves in Blaina. There were two children named Mark
Gillam. One died on 17 Jul 1841, the other in May of 1848. Do I have to
write by snail mail to the following address to get information, or is it
possible to email them to find out if they have any info? Could I then pay
by credit card online?
Quoting Barrie Jones - "If your families were from Nantyglo (Aberystruth,
Monmouthshire at one time-now Blaenau Gwent) they would either be buried in
Brynmawr or Blaina Municipal cemeteries perhaps? If this is the case you
would have to apply to Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council at:-
Cemetery Department
C/O Finance Department
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council
Civic Centre
Ebbw Vale
Blaenau Gwent NP23 6XB"
Thanks for any help.
Peggy in Virginia, USA
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Barrie Jones