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5
The Parish Churchyard was closed for burials by an Order
in Council dated April 1st, 1853, a copy of which is attached
(Appendix D). At the time of the passing of the resolutions by
the Vestry on October 30th, 1874, the responsibility for maintaining
the ground in decent order and for doing the necessary repairs of the
walls and other fences thereof devolved upon the Churchwardens
pursuant to the Burial Act, 1855 (18 and 19 Vic., cap. 128, sec. 18),
and the expenses incurred by them in so doing were by the same
section directed to be repaid out of the poor rate. In March, 1884,
an agreement (Appendix E) was entered into between the then Vicar
(Rev. Daniel Wilson) and the Vestry under the provisions of the Open
Spaces Act, 1881 (44 and 45 Vic., cap. 34) to the effect that the said
churchyard should be for ever an open space accessible to the public
and under the control of the Vestry. The necessary Faculty having
been obtained, the work of 1 tying out and improving the ground (the
cost of which was defrayed by the Vestry) was commenced in September,
1884, and the ground was opened to the public on May 16th,
1885. Consequent upon this taking over of the ground by the Vestry
the responsibilities of the Churchwardens under the Burial Act ceased,
and the expenses of maintaining the ground became chargeable to the
general rate. It thereupon devolved upon the Vestry to determine to
whom the care and maintenance of the ground should be entrusted, and
on March 20th, 1885, the Vestry resolved that the ground should be
placed under the supervision and control of the Churchwardens. The
Committee is of opinion, having regard to the proximity of the ground
to the Parish Church and to the possibility of annoyance being caused
to the worshippers in the Church by disorderly behaviour on the part of
persons in the ground, that this arrangement should not be disturbed.
It submits a resolution providing for the expenses of maintenance
(No. 6, Appendix F) which it recommends the Vestry to adopt.
Parish
Churchyard
The Chapel-of-Ease Burial Ground was closed for burials by the same
Order in Council as the Parish Churchyard (Appendix D), but the order
reserved " the right of interment, with proper precautions, in private
vaults" therein. Since the closing of the ground up to the present
time the same obligations under the Burial Act, as were mentioned in
connection with the Parish Churchyard, have devolved upon the Churchwardens
in regard to it. On May 13th, 1870, a resolution was passed
by the Vestry (vide p. 24) which led to the laying out of the ground and to
Chapel-ofEase
Burial
Ground.