We receive many requests concerning the final resting places of former parishioners. Sadly, many of these end in some disappointment because the graves are no longer extant or at least evident, and the headstones or gravestones have been dispersed. In the case of those in the original churchyard, many have became paving stones around the church building in the 1960s. Permission for that would probably not be granted for that these days.
Popular local history can be problematic. When the current Rector arrived in 2010 the commonly held view was that our two graveyards were both exhumed in the 1960s: the one by the church to provide for our new school, and the one in Orford Road to provide a public park. As as a result of some recent comparative study (May 2023) of other city churches and their associated grave yards, there is now no doubt these exhumations did not take place except in the case of War Graves. The memorials were removed and the immediate ground beneath merely levelled and repurposed leaving such mortal remains as there may be in situ. This is a cause of concern because of the hundreds of enquiries responded to in good faith, but based on inaccurate oral (rather than documentary) history.
However, please read on as there may be information here to assist you in your search.
Cemeteries and Graveyards
The churchyard was closed for burials by Order in Council in 1854, although technically family vaults are open for the reception of human remains of those with a qualifying connection. The area of the churchyard now described by the school playground is still technically part of the churchyard. Prior to the building of the new school and the creation of the playground, mortal remains were exhumed, by the appropriate permissions of Chancellor's Faculty and the Home Office, and re-interred in Philips Park, in the early 1960s. The remaining portion of the Churchyard has been known as All Saints' Garden, since 1963.
A separate graveyard was created, off Orford Road, after the churchyard was closed, but this too was closed in 1950, and the same time as the graveyard at church, the mortal remains exhumed as above. We have records and the plan of this cemetery (1973) which is difficult to read - which has recently been processed into a spread sheet so that graves and people can be located by name, date and plot.
(There is duplicate listed in the National Archive. It is not available on-line, but is held locally by Manchester Archives and Local Studies.)
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/19160e57-a84d-46ce-a41d-6e17480792da?fbclid=IwAR27B8cGWIL1CR2NaPsw8EwZJenqRBi7F44lSJ6zEuaf6KuzhTOqHgEISpg
Garden of Remembrance
Under Faculty, the PCC sought permission for a Garden of Remembrance, for the burial of cremated remains, on the south side of the church, running along the boundary with the school yard (which is legally still a portion of the Churchyard).
Previous incumbents have granted permissions for memorial plaques over the place where the cremated remains were poured to ground, and these permissions have been honoured, on pastoral grounds, more recently. However, no such permissions will be forthcoming in future, especially since the publication of the Chancellor's Regulations for Churchyards re-issued in 2016, and downloadable from a panel in this page. Some of the memorial plaques stand proud of the grass and/or are of an irregular size. These have been installed in order to honour previous understandings by relatives of the deceased and to meet pastoral needs at the time.
Relatives are strongly encouraged to assist the PCC in the maintenance of this area, practically and/or financially.
The Monumental Inscriptions in the graveyard covering deaths between 1717-1916 are held at the Lancashire Record Office.
Church History
It was founded in 1556.
Records for All Saints Parish Church date back to 1655. There is an ancient chapelry mentioned as far back as 1573 when Bishop Bridgman made an order in respect of maintenance for a curate. The current church was erected in 1814 under an Act of Parliament. At this time the district of the chapelry changed and included Newton (Newton Heath), Failsworth, Droylsden, Bradford and part of Moston. This continued until the passing of the Rectorial Act when these places were separated and became parishes. In 1997 the parish united with St. Wilfrid and St. Ann's to form the parish of Newton Heath.
Church Records
Manchester Archives and Local Studies, Manchester Central Library, hold:
Baptisms 1723-1941
Marriages 1729-1947
Burials 1728-1963
The IGI contains:
Baptisms - 1654-1722, 1756-1844
Marriages - 1850-1856
Marriages 1837-1860 are held within Lancashire BMD. N.B. Select "Manchester" region.
Whilst every effort has been made to record exact details of record office and library holdings you are recommended to check with them before visiting to ensure that they do hold the records and years you wish to examine. Similarly check with transcript publishers to ensure they cover the records and years you require before making a purchase.
Copies of Original Registers
Baptisms
1665-1785 held by Lancashire Record Office MF 1/302 - Microfilm
1843-1905 held by Lancashire Record Office MF 1/438-441 - Microfilm
Marriages
1665-1785 held by Lancashire Record Office MF 1/302 - Microfilm
1729-1754 held by Lancashire Record Office MF 1/438-441 - Microfilm
1837-1900 held by Lancashire Record Office MF 1/438-441 - Microfilm
Burials
1665-1785 held by Lancashire Record Office MF 1/302 - Microfilm
1728-1903 held by Lancashire Record Office MF 1/438-441 - Microfilm
Copies of Bishop's Transcripts
Baptisms
1721-1839 held by Lancashire Record Office DRM 2/214-216 - Microfilm
Marriages
1731-1754 held by Lancashire Record Office DRM 2/214-216 - Microfilm
Burials
1721-1839 held by Lancashire Record Office DRM 2/214-216 - Microfilm
Register Transcripts
Baptisms
1655-1796 available from Lancashire Parish Register Society volume 158 - Book
1655-1837 Lancashire Parish Register Society held by Lancashire Record Office LPRS 158 159
1797-1837 available from Lancashire Parish Register Society volume 159 - Book
Marriages
1655-1796 Lancashire Parish Register Society held by Lancashire Record Office LPRS 158 159
1682-1754 available from Lancashire Parish Register Society volume 158 - Book
Burials
1655-1837 Lancashire Parish Register Society held by Lancashire Record Office LPRS 158 159
1672-1796 available from Lancashire Parish Register Society volume 158 - Book
1797-1837 available from Lancashire Parish Register Society volume 159 - Book
MI
1717-1916 held by Lancashire Record Office Searchroom - Transcript
https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/NewtonHeath/AllSaints
THE FOLLOWING LINK MAY ALSO PROVE USEFUL
Courtesy of Lancashire Online Parish Clerks
https://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Manchester/Newton-Heath/allsaints/index.html