Second mass grave discovered in UK cemetery

Over 140 bodies were found in the first mass grave.

An unmarked burial site was found at Royton Cemetery in Oldham back in September.

The mass grave contained 145 stillborn babies, 128 babies and young children and 29 adults.

The babies were linked to a "horrific" practice which saw stillborn children removed from their parents without the chance to say goodbye, and buried in communal plots without their parents' knowledge.

A second communal plot located at the northern wall behind the cemetery chapel, has been confirmed by Oldham Council.

The grave was discovered during a candlelit vigil held on Sunday to memorialise the children and give relatives a moment to reunite with their loved ones, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

It is unclear how many bodies the plot contains.

According to the Oldham Chronicle, the initial discovery was made by a Royton woman who was searching for the last resting place of her twin brothers, who passed away shortly after birth in 1962.

Over the past 20 years, mass graves containing the remains of stillborn babies have been discovered in Lancashire, Devon, Middlesbrough and Huddersfield.

Medical staff would tell bereaved parents that their children would be buried alongside ‘a nice person’ being buried that same day – often without giving them the opportunity to say goodbye.

Instead, the babies were interred in mass graves. 

The adults in the graves are presumed to be what are known as “pauper’s burials” – for individuals whose families could not afford to pay for a grave.

While records of these mass graves have existed in registrar archives, many people were not aware of the practices surrounding stillbirths and it has been difficult for relatives to track down where their family members lie.