How to Find a Grave: Step-by-Step Guide for Locating Burial Sites

Read (
Words) Add Comment

Finding a grave can be very tricky, especially when you live far away from the desired graveyard that you want to visit.

There have been many times that I have been unsuccessful at finding a grave. However, I've been frequenting cemeteries for quite some time, so I thought I'd put a little guide together on how to find a grave near you!

01 - Collect KEY Details 🔑


Before you begin your search, you need to know what you're looking for. If this is a relative it will be much easier. However, if you have been asked to search on behalf of someone else - make sure you collect the following details:
  1. Full Name
  2. Date of Birth/Death
  3. Place of Residence - Birthplace might be handy too
  4. Did they follow a certain religion? Jewish religions have their own cemeteries, and followers of the Muslim religion are known to be buried together
  5. Know their family connections - build a little tree to familiarise yourself with names.

02 - Use Online Grave Databases


Online Grave Databases have been a godsend for me - its how The Crypt Chick got started in the first place! If you're struggling to find a grave that's far away from you, like in my case, you can simply list it online.

See, I'm cheating a bit - because I put a grave request up back in 2021, when my journey began, and nobody fulfilled it. However, a few months ago in 2025 I got a message from someone with a link to another site with a picture and GPS coordinates of the grave I was looking for. I just ignored the request to take the request down, as I felt it still wasn't fulfilled!

Some popular sites are Find a Grave (popular in the UK) and Billion Graves (popular in the US). Alternatively, if you are looking for a war grave, Commonwealth War Graves also list them.

Find a grave in your local cemetery, this is Utley Cemetery in Keighley, West Yorkshire

03 - Use Genealogy Sites


One of the biggest assets to my grave research is my subscription to MyHeritage. You may be looking at the price and thinking 'that's a lot of money for just the one grave I'm researching!'. That's understood - but the best thing is that sites like MyHeritage, or Ancestry, and FindMyPast - is that you don't necessarily need a subscription! To get basic information, you can work your way around it for free. I only have 1, but I use all 3!

Choosing this step can be a great tool for finding all of the first one - if you're missing any info, if can be great to find the missing jigsaw pieces, and even the burial ground... if you're lucky, it might even list the plot!

04 - In The Graveyard? Keep Your Eyes Peeled!


If the person you're looking for was a part of a big family, chances are they're buried together, or at least near each other. I found this has been a very helpful tip when finding graves, and it often proves very easy.

For example, if you're looking for a surname, 'Graves' (pun intended, of course), then other 'Graves' relatives may be nearby - even if they're decades older!


A library is a great place to find genealogy research for lost graves

05 - Visit Your Local Library


This isn't a step I've ever done, I'll be completely honest. However, I have found this as a last resort in some cases, that other researchers have taken.

If you know the last known location of the buried person in question - it can be a good idea to visit the local library. Libraries have lots of old newspaper records listed, and often death records that aren't listed online. This can be a huge stepping stone to finding lost loved ones.

06 - Ask The Cemetery (or Church)!

Different countries have different regulations. In the UK, most of our cemeteries are run by the council, but they will still have a list of where people are buried. In my case, I like to find the plot myself, so this isn't a step I've delved into. However, I have asked a former gravedigger friend for assistance on occasion!

If your grave is in a church, or if the person was religious - it might be worth contacting your local parish to see if they can help too.


I hope these tips are helpful to you. If you have any more, please leave a comment!


CONVERSATION

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )