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Mass grave discovery ends 64-year search for baby boy

BBC Joanne has blonde hair and wears black and has sunglasses on as she is pictured next to the mass grave where her uncle is buried. BBC
Joanne said her family had been "upset for years", having waited for 64 years to find out where her uncle Joseph Morris was buried

People who spent more than half a century not knowing where their loved ones were buried have finally been able to visit their graves.

This followed the discovery of a mass burial ground in Royton, Oldham, that is believed to hold 145 stillborn babies, 128 babies and young children and 29 adults.

The Royton grave was only discovered by chance when a woman set out to try to find the last resting place of her baby brothers.

The government says work is being done to improve the way burial records are kept.

Sunflowers on grass area with a stone ornament in Royton Cemetery
Sunflowers have been left on the ground at Royton Cemetery

The 12ft (3.6m) by 12ft grave was unmarked, and only discovered when councillors Maggie Hurley and Jade Hughes tried to help the woman searching for the graves of her brothers, who were twins born in 1962.

One woman, who gave her name as Joanne, told the BBC she had found the grave of her uncle Joseph Morris, who was born in 1960.

"My family have been upset for years, not knowing where he is," she said.

"They've finally got some answers now."

One of those who has visited the mass grave is Gillian, whose sister was stillborn 48 years ago.

"Even though she was born after me, and she was a stillborn baby, we have always talked about her," said Gillian.

Gillian said that knowing now that her sister could be buried there made "a massive difference" to her family.

Councillor Ms Hurley said she and Ms Hughes looked through records of burials and when they looked at one grave at the cemetery in Royton they "realised this was a mass grave".

She said the discovery had "devastated this town".

Gillian looks just to the left of the camera as she talks to a BBC reporter close to a mass grave, wearing a white blouse and black top, with sunglasses on her head.
Gillian said knowing where her stillborn sister might be buried has made a "massive difference" to her family

Before the 1980s, stillborn babies were taken away from families, who were not given any details of what happened to their loved ones, or where they were buried.

Bereaved parents would be told by medical staff that their children would be buried alongside "a nice person" who was being buried that same day, often without giving the families a chance to say goodbye.

Instead, the babies were interred in mass graves.

A government spokesperson said the Law Commission was currently undertaking a project which included considerations for improving burial records.

"Once published, we will consider their recommendations to create a framework for modern, consistent regulation across the system," they added.

The Royton grave's discovery follows another mass grave being found in Wirral earlier this year.

Gina Jacobs, 79, found her stillborn son after a 53-year search.

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

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