Jewish Graves

Finding and Visiting Graves

The condition of gravestones and therefore their legibility varies greatly. Weathering, material from which the stone is made and other factors play a part.

Grave of Dick and Daisy LANDA.

United Synagogue: Burial record search page. Partially indexed records from all US cemeteries in London/South East. This index requires you to enter a surname and a first name and a year. You have to search each cemetery individually. You have to spell BOTH names exactly as US has entered them (This is not always the same as what appears on the gravestone). Even when you know where and when someone has been buried it can be difficult to find them on the search engine. There is a link to email for help, but if you do so you may be asked to pay a fee. An email to USBS asking for details of exactly when charges apply and the rates has NOT been answered. List members' reports are inconsistent, some have received help for free, others have been asked to donate in the range of three-figures for look ups.

Once you know the details The Court of the Chief Rabbi (London Beth Din) MAY hold the burial book, which they will photocopy for a fee. Some records tell you nothing more than the plot number and the details as per death certificate. Other records tell you Synagogue membership (especially burial societies), patronymic, length of time in UK etc.

Federation records are not computerised so you need to be very precise when you ask for a search. Telephone them on +44 2082022263.

Don't forget to check the Jewish papers 10 months to a year after death for the "stone setting" announcement. The Jewish Chronicle has a free index at JC Archives. List Members will do look ups for you in The Jewish Victorian and The JC Project. See our Look Up Exchange.

Cemetery Scribes (formerly Genpals): Two of our list members-Gaby Laws and Angela Shire have a fabulous resource in this website which contains a plethora of information. It's a MUST for everyone!

Greater Manchester Cemeteries: Crumpsall Cemetery (Manchester Great & New Synagogue Burial Board) Tel: 0161 740 3717 / 0161 792 8399 or email them. They will tell you how to get information from the burial register. Manchester Cemeteries, including Jewish burials in municipal cemeteries, can be searched here. Additionally, Manchester and District Council of Synagogues have a searchable database. Manchester Central Library (see below) holds some burial book invoices, permits for tombstones and reserved graves books. See this link.

Web-links for grave site searching:
Jewishgen's International Jewish Cemetery Project: provides a comprehensive list of Jewish cemeteries, with locations, access, opening times etc.
Find a Grave: A site for finding out where graves are, if they have been filmed etc.
Headstone Hunter: is a similar sort of site. There are links to local people who will photograph a grave for you.
Our Look Up Exchange page contains offers, to visit and photograph graves, by our listers.
The Gravestone Archives is of graves in the Netherlands including photos of gravestones in the UK with Dutch origin surnames -Gina Marks
Gravestone Photographic Resource also recommended by Gina Marks

Bath Jewish Burial Ground-If your relative lived or died in Bath from 1812 to about 1945 you can use this link to see if there are records of them in the historic burial ground just to the south of the city. There are pictures of every gravestone and a transcription of legible inscriptions.

If you have a gravestone you can't read, send a photo of it to us at Digital View and we will put it on the site for other list members to read for you.

Learn More:

New Book
PLASHET – GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: 1896-1900 is a resource book about 175 people who are buried in Plashet Cemetery, East Ham, London.

Visiting a London US cemetery?
Locate the grave before travelling using our plans of East Ham, Plashet, West Ham & Willesden United Synagogue Cemetery plans.

Learn More about Chevra Kadish (Burial Societies):
In this fascinating account of Australian, Ephraim Finch, CEO of Melbourne Chevra Kadisha. Click here.

Not Jewish or sure what visiting a Jewish cemetery is like?
Click here.

Need help reading the Hebrew?
See Hebrew Numbers and Hebrew Names.