Manchester General Cemetery Transcription Project
Project
The project was born from an online discussion, after a visit to the Cemetery and seeing the condition of it and the Gravestones. A small number of family historians who until recently had never met but who chatted regularly and helped each other with their particular family history problems and challenges on a family history forum website. The group, who met for the first time on the inaugural Groundwork Day on 17 October 2010, were drawn together by our passion for family history, our love of
Manchester and Lancashire and our desire to save and preserve historical data.
We don't have any financial support but we do have the full backing of Manchester City Council and their Bereavement Services Team for which we are very appreciative. All the volunteers work with their own equipment - trowels, spades, brushes, rakes, etc., and provide their own transport.
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New volunteers are always welcomed at our Groundwork Days (when we meet at the Cemetery to photograph and record) which are usually on a Sunday morning for 2- 4 hours. Previous experience isn't necessary. All we ask is for a time commitment and an enthusiastic approach. The team can be contacted via the website contact page.
Re-erection of a Gravestone
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The Team have worked extremely hard
to gather all inscriptions from gravestones
before their inscription was lost below soil level
when the stone is re-erected.
Whilst we have not managed to get every last one
the Team have managed to get the majority.
Along side the Manchester General Cemetery Transcription Project, Manchester City Council have undertaken a programme of
improvements and maintenance within the Cemetery, part of which
has involved re-planting fallen and toppled and vandalised Gravestones.
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The Before and After photographs above taken 2012 and 2014 respectively, illustrates the progress that has been made.