Pam, I've been to both cemeteries numerous times, armed with grave numbers, and I've never yet managed to use the information to get straight to the headstone I'm looking for. The reference numbers are engraved into the backs or the plinths of the stones every so often, frequently at the ends of rows and fairly randomly otherwise. I'm sure that there was originally some sort of logic to the way the numbering system mapped onto the layout of the cemeteries and to the disposition of burials one to another, but so far it's defeated my humble efforts to fathom it. The numbering seems to follow an orderly sequence for short bursts, then changes abruptly, to reappear unpredictably some distance away. So, I wander around and peer at engraved numbers in increasing confusion, and sometimes I chance on the fugitive memorial and sometimes I give up. I think I've found most of them by the third visit. Bear in mind that there are a lot of stones missing from Tonge Cemetery. If you develop a bullet-proof theory let me know. Good luck, Rgds, Bob Thornley, Bolton From: <pamslocalhistory@ntlworld.com> > I am looking for the graves of the casualties of the Hulton Colliery > disaster (also known at 'Pretoria' disaster) of 1910. > I have the grave numbers, but no map and I am not familiar with the two > cemeteries. > The references are from Bolton library and there are 17 'Pretoria' graves > in Heaton, and 5 in Tonge. > I went to Overdale last week and was advised to come back in a couple of > weeks time because they were short staffed due to holidays. > Can anyone give me an idea where to look? > Regards from Pam in 'Howfen'

I was given a map by the office which had instructions on how to get to the graves (Heaton) that I was interested in. I was able to virtually straight to them. What is needed is a key to the different sections of the cemetery and I can't see why the office cannot make one available in the library and elsewhere. It would be less work for them as they do offer to take you to the grave if you send off for a copy of the burial grant. I was looking for some Newfoundland Overseas Forestry Unit war graves in Carlisle so Emailed the office there and within half an hour they Emailed me a detailed map showing the layout of the cemetery (as big as Heaton). I was able to then go straight to the graves on my next visit. Wrexham actually have a plan on the notice board at the cemetery. I have suggested before that one trick is download all the war graves from the CWGC website, I put them in a EXCEL sheet. Then print that out. Print out a map - if necessary an aerial view from GOOGLE EARTH or WINDOWS LIVE LOCAL or 1:10000 map from MAGIC. Find a war grave then look up its position. Either mark on the map or make a mental note. Find another and see if any system starts to appear. I have quite often found graves using this method. Martin Briscoe Fort William M&LFHS | Gwynedd FHS -----Original Message----- From: Bob Thornley [mailto:bob@thornleysystems.co.uk] Sent: 10 July 2006 08:54 To: ENG-LAN-BOLTON-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [ENG-LAN-BOLTON] HEATON & TONGE CEMETERIES Pam, I've been to both cemeteries numerous times, armed with grave numbers, and I've never yet managed to use the information to get straight to the headstone I'm looking for.

Hi Martin, I've seen, and acknowledged as a nifty idea, your suggestion about getting the bearings of cemeteries using CWGC information. It leads to a very valuable starting point. But here's the Bolton problem. I've been to the municipal cemeteries many times before and since your suggestion, always armed with the grave number and a plan from the office marked with an 'x' indicating the section I need (3G or whatever) and indeed the plan has got me with minimal fuss to a section that does indeed contain headstones engraved with the desired section number. Not the one I'm looking for though. So I follow the sub-reference sequence trying to work out which way to go, and pretty soon 3G becomes, for no discernable reason, 9Q. (These numbers are accurately indicative rather than actual - my memory isn't up to that.) The cemeteries are essentially made up of plots separated by small walkways and larger, metalled roads for vehicles. You'd think that these plots, so delineated, would be represented by the most significant digits of the reference numbers, but this turns out to be true only by broad trend. And the numbers are certainly not in reliably contiguous groups. I found one grave recently in Heaton Cemetery across two metalled roads and literally thousands of headstones away from the first occurrence I found of the correct section reference number and letter. Having said all that, of course, probability dictates that there will be times when the desired headstone is one of the first ones you find, or at least it's in a logical seeming location relative to others. Presumably decades of reorganising new brooms have come and gone and inevitable entropy has set in. I wonder if this might explain the reluctance to provide "maps" in the library and on cemetery notice boards? Still, I suppose we wouldn't enjoy the hobby as much if it were too easy. Best wishes Rgds, Bob Thornley, Bolton From: "Martin Briscoe" <mbriscoe@zetnet.co.uk> >I was given a map by the office which had instructions on how to get to the > graves (Heaton) that I was interested in. I was able to virtually > straight > to them. > What is needed is a key to the different sections of the cemetery and I > can't see why the office cannot make one available in the library and > elsewhere. It would be less work for them as they do offer to take you to > the grave if you send off for a copy of the burial grant. > I was looking for some Newfoundland Overseas Forestry Unit war graves in > Carlisle so Emailed the office there and within half an hour they Emailed > me > a detailed map showing the layout of the cemetery (as big as Heaton). I > was > able to then go straight to the graves on my next visit. > Wrexham actually have a plan on the notice board at the cemetery. > I have suggested before that one trick is download all the war graves from > the CWGC website, I put them in a EXCEL sheet.