Looking for relatives at Shortland Cemetery and can't locate them?
Well, I am not surprised, as things are not always what or where they should be. On a semi-regular basis we find headstones on wrong plots, incorrect details and much more. Here are a few examples of possible errors found while researching Thamesites interred in the lower extension (along Danby Street) at Thames' Shortland Cemetery.
Case One - the wandering headstone.
Thames Coromandel District Council records have Robert Lloyd interred in Plot 4430. The plot was covered in agapanthus - a plant that is one of the biggest 'pests' given the growth and damage done to grave structures. Also in the plot was another person, not uncommon in the cemetery. The area was cleared and the only grave marker was for Mavis E Wenzlick.
Plot 4430 at Shortland Cemetery. Left uncleared, and right after cross marker located.
Further along the row on the opposite side was a large stone memorial, unable to be read due to lichen growth. A quick clean with water and soft brush revealed the headstone belonging to Robert Lloyd. The reason for the headstone being located on Plot 4450 instead of 4430 are unknown.
Did family place it on an empty space at the entry to the cemetery? No records to-date solve the mystery. It is a reminder to relatives to look in surrounding areas. When we find these errors the local council are notified and a note added to the findagrave entry.
Robert Lloyd's headstone on Plot 4450.
See plot map below in Case Three, for location of Plots 4430 and 4450.
Case Two - the duplicate headstone.
The case of Robert Lloyd's headstone doesn't end with being on the wrong plot. Robert is one of several at Shortland Cemetery who have more than one headstone / Monumental Inscription. On plot 4419, Robert has an inscription on his wife Clara's headstone. This situation is a nightmare for doing findagrave entries as you can end up with 'one person' having more than one memorial. At Shortland cemetery many of the double inscriptions relate to war deaths - in these cases the second memorial is in an overseas war cemetery. For example, Private William Henry Inglis has a headstone in the Cassino War Cemetery in Italy - he also has an inscription on his parent's plot at Shortland. "In loving memory of pte W.H Inglis died of wounds Cassino 17-3-1944 aged 22years."
Case Three - The missing memorial & Vegetation Challenges.
As was the case in the Lloyd / Wenzlick plot 4430, out of control vegetation, land slides, and fallen trees have destroyed headstones at Shortland Cemetery. Not forgetting the fires that have erased traces of many wooden memorials in the upper area.
Plots 4438 and 4439, are located at the very top north-western corner of Shortland. (see map above) The plots could not be seen due to the overgrowth of agapanthus. (photo below left) Thanks to cemetery volunteer Graeme, the plots were cleared. (photo below right)
The
Pekin plot in years past had a memorial with the inscription: "Cyril Pekin 1922 - 1932 Loved son of Edward & Rebecca Pekin." Like an archaeology dig, the area was explored and ground probed, but there are no signs of a memorial stone or cross. Alas another one lost.
The adjacent Lamb grave, while the base concrete has broken, the walls and headstone remain in relatively good condition. Interred in Plot 4439 are James Robert Lamb (
1866-1944) and Robert Lamb (
1878-1932).
There are instances where family researchers implore that their relatives are interred in Shortland, but they can not be found in the records. Why? A difficult question, to solve the problem we tend to rely on the original cemetery records, to eliminate possibility of transcriber error.
For instance, the online council records have James Houghton, aged 60, born Thames in plot 2139.
Cemetery Plot - Full Details: Shortland (Thames)
Unique ID 3PUBL-PLOT-2139
Cemetery Name Shortland (Thames)
Cemetery ID 3
Area Code PUBL
Sub Area Code PLOT
Plot Number 2139
General Status Unavailable
Plot Status Used
Plot Type Normal
Capacity 0
Surname HOUGHTON
Forenames James
Full Name HOUGHTON, James
Gender Male
Age 60
Age Unit Years
Date Of Birth
Date Of Death
Date Of Burial 21/07/1928
Approved Y
Year Approved 2,015
Who was James Houghton? Why was he interred with Mary Josephine Houghton and her daughter Melbro. The original Sexton's cemetery records were checked and the details correct. (copy below)
The investigation became more complicated when it was found that the newspaper reports had the name of the person interred 21 July 1932 as: Charles Thomas Houghton. The good news being that at last it all made sense, this was Mary Josephine's husband.
While we still do not have the answer as where the mistake took place, it would appear that James Houghton is in fact Charles Thomas Houghton. At least that's the answer today...I await with interest notification from Anglican Archives as to who is recorded in the St George's Church burial register. We may have followed the wrong lead!
CHALLENGE The next time you find something amiss with the cemetery records, rather than pass them over, stop and try and solve the mystery.
