Burial Acts

List of Useful Burial Acts: 1816 Onwards

This list is based on my ongoing research into Brookwood Cemetery. It lists all the major Public & General Acts of Parliament relating to burials along with links to the full-text of each Act. The list is in chronological order.

It is offered in the interest of collating this information into one useful web page.

Note there is a separate page listing the various London Necropolis Company Acts.

The list will be updated and amended as necessary. If you are aware of any errors or omissions, then please feel free to contact me.

Also of interest is the Town and Country Planning (Churches, Places of Religious Worship and Burial Grounds) Regulations 1950. [UK Statutory Instruments, 1950, No. 792] which makes reference to these site in the context of potential or actual re-use.

Year	Title
1816	An Act for enabling Ecclesiastical Corporate Bodies under certain Circumstances to alienate Lands for enlarging Cemeteries or Churchyards
1847	An Act for consolidating in One Act certain Provisions usually contained in Acts authorizing the making of Cemeteries (Cemetery Clauses Act)
1850	An Act to make better provision for the Interment of the Dead in and near the Metropolis
1852	An Act to amend the Laws concerning the Burial of the Dead in the Metropolis
1853	An Act to amend the Laws concerning the Burial of the Dead in England beyond the Limits of the Metropolis and to amend the Act concerning the Burial of the Dead in the Metropolis.
1855	An Act further to amend the Laws concerning the Burial of the Dead in England
1857	An Act to amend the Burial Acts
1859	An Act more effectively to prevent Danger to the Public Health from Places of Burial
1864	An Act to make further Provisions for the Registration of Burials in England
1867	An Act relating to the Consecration of Churchyards
1868	An Act to amend The Consecration of Churchyards Act 1867
1880	An Act to amend the Burial Laws
1884	An Act for preventing the erection of Buildings on Disused Burial Grounds
1902	An Act for the regulation of the burning of Human Remains, and to enable Burial Authorities to establish Crematoria
1952	An Act to amend the law relating to cremation; and for purposes connected therewith
1970	An Act to amend the law relating to the provision by parish councils of signs and the administration of burial grounds by burial authorities, and for matters connected therewith
1981	An Act to amend the Disused Burial Grounds Act 1884 to enable building to take place on certain disused burial grounds with appropriate safeguards; and for purposes connected therewith