The Churchyard of St John the Baptist Church has been used as a resting place for those who have died since 1873.
Historically, the Churchyard was the burial place for every resident within the parish.
The original churchyard was to the immediate north and south of the building, with the main area being the triangular area to the east between the church and the village. These are now called Old North, Old South and Old East.
In 1893 a 72 foot strip of land, to the west of the church was donated and 5 years later the rest of the land as far as Church Road West was purchased. Memorial tablets to record interments are located beside the path to the north of the church and also in the east.
Since 1971, Bracknell Forest has provided the Bracknell Cemetery and Crematorium as an alternative. Nevertheless, anyone who dies in the parish or while resident in it is still entitled to burial there. These rights apply to anyone, irrespective of whether they had any church or Christian commitment.
There are no new plots available in our Churchyard, and so the Church has provided the Garden of Remembrance for the strewing of ashes in perpetuity. More information below.
There are some 3300 records of people buried or interred in the Churchyard. These are assigned to 2300 graves. Most of these are Parishioners. It is not recorded whether people buried in the Churchyard had any Church commitment, but it is likely that most did not have such a commitment.
There are around 150 entries for children with no known graves, and a further 230 people with no known graves. This is not a new problem; the parish magazine of March 1897 records that nearly 100 graves were unidentified, out of a total at that time of 310.
In 1913, a memorial was erected in the Churchyard in memory of all those who are buried without a memorial. The inscription says “To the glory of God and in remembrance of many who without memorial rest in his loving keeping this cross is dedicated AD1913.”
The Lych Gate was erected in 1913 and was later converted into a War Memorial to the men of Crowthorne who lost their lives in the 1914 -18 War. The 1939-45 War Memorial was provided by the Parish Council and installed in 1953.
The Berkshire Family History Society has spent three years photographing and cataloguing the memorials in the Churchyard. The CD which they have produced includes records of the memorials to men and women killed during the two world wars.
Burial Records
The Berkshire Record Office holds most of the historical records for St John the Baptist Parish Church in Crowthorne, including wedding, baptismal and burial registers. The Church holds current and recent registers. It also holds a burial index and associated maps. Enquiries concerning family history should be directed to the Church Office.
The Garden of Remembrance
There are no further plots for burials or interments in the Churchyard. The Church has therefore provided a Garden of Remembrance where ashes of loved ones may be strewed. Strewing involves pouring the ashes directly into a prepared hole. The turf is replaced afterwards. There is a Book of Remembrance stored the the standing feature, with a page for each person. This is available to the family when visiting. There is a bench for quiet contemplation. The Church will maintain the site.
As there are no memorials, this Garden can be used in perpetuity. Do have a look at the Garden and the Book of Remembrance.
Monuments and Inscriptions
Peter Beaven has spent three years cataloguing the monument and inscriptions in our Church and Churchyard, on behalf of the Berkshire Family History Society. He has produced an amazingly detailed record of memorials from 1683 – 2011. This includes details of the memorials inside the Church and burial details of those listed on the war memorial at the Lych-gate. There are photographs of each memorial and a plan showing the location of each grave.
The CD can be purchased from the website of the Berkshire Family History Society and is priced at £7:50.
Peter based his investigations on the Church records, which have been maintained in recent years by David Bainbridge. We thank both David Bainbridge and Peter Beaven for their efforts in preserving this information, which is proving to be very valuable to families with relatives buried in our Churchyard.
Full records of the burials and interments are held by the Church. The current Burial Register is held at the Church. Previous volumes are held by the Berkshire Record Office.
Please contact churchoffice@crowthorneparishchurch.org.uk if you have any queries about burial records.
Care of the Churchyard
The Churchyard team works hard to provide a place of beauty for visitors.
The Churchyard is of significant importance to the people of the parish, and the Church is grateful for the recognition given to this by the Parish council in making grants towards the upkeep of the Churchyard. We are also grateful for the assistance being provided by Bracknell Forest Homes to install our new Garden of Remembrance.
The Churchyard attracts many visitors. Most of these are local families, visiting and caring for the graves of their relatives. Some people travel a great distance to visit. There are graves of significant historical importance in the Churchyard and these attract further visitors.