The ‘Lost Children’ Project
Many children are buried in Ryde Cemetery but their final resting place is an unmarked grave and were not recorded on the original RSHG Maps. These are the ‘Lost Children’.
The ‘Lost Children’ project started in 2016 to find the children’s graves, update RSHG maps, find their names from the registers and research the social conditions, epidemics and diseases common in Ryde, especially in the Victorian Era, leading to a high mortality rate. There are a number of areas in Ryde Cemetery set aside for the burial of children and working together with Bereavement Services these have been identified. The project has taken four years up to January 2020 just to complete the maps, indexes and adding the graves to this website.
Where there is no marker on the ground this daisy photograph will be used on the grave page. Daisies symbolize innocence and purity.
Information from the Minute Books of the Ryde Burial Board and Cemetery Committee:
17 September 1867
The two middle adult spaces in Section T un-consecrated be subdivided with three children’s spaces the whole length of the section.
26 May 1870
That Section I two rows of adult spaces be subdivided into children’s spaces as section K is nearly filled up.
February 1874
Resolved that two centre rows in Section N be divided into three rows for the burial of children.
April 1876
Resolved that footpaths between Sections H, I, & K be utilised for internments, one for children and one for adults.
February 1877
Any vacant spaces in Old Parish Cemetery to be utilised for any children under five years of age at discretion of Mr Mew (superintendent).
July 1877
A section to be set aside for burial of infants under one month of age.
June 1880
Section R in the un-consecrated section to be used for the burial of children.
In some sections the existing RSHG maps have been updated but others needed new maps to ensure each individual plot can be drawn with the children’s names, for example in Old Cemetery Section I, 4 new maps have been produced. Due to the number of plots, the new maps are not drawn to scale. In some of these areas further burials have taken place and are marked with memorials, making it difficult to see the child plots on the ground in the cemetery.
RSHG Maps
This map shows the Children’s burial areas in Ryde Cemetery (highlighted in orange).
Old Cemetery
- RSHG 007 Section L – area can clearly be seen in the cemetery as there are only 2 marked graves on the ground.
- RSHG 009 Section P
- RSHG 010 Section P
- RSHG 011 Section S
- RSHG 012 Section R
- RSHG 019 Section S
Part of Section T on maps RSHG 019 & RSHG 020 was sub-divided for child burials around 1868. The following three maps show the child burial plots and names. These are not drawn to scale due to the number of plots.
Part of Section I on maps RSHG 021, RSHG 022 & RSHG 023 was sub-divided for child burials around 1875. The following four maps show the child burial plots and names. These are not drawn to scale due to the number of plots.
Part of Section W on maps RSHG 024 & RSHG 025 was sub-divided for child burials around 1875. There are later burials in this area (drawn on maps RSHG 024A & RSHG 025A on Ryde Cemetery page).
- RSHG 026 Section C
Part of Section K on maps RSHG 026, RSHG 027 & RSHG 028 was sub-divided for child burials around 1866. The following five maps show the child burial plots and names. These are not drawn to scale due to the number of plots.
New Cemetery
Alphabetical Index
January 2020 (1745 names)
Lost Children Project A – Z – Index of children buried in unmarked graves
For any enquiries you may have about the maps, indexes or mapping please contact us here.