Shotts MSP meets group restoring pauper graves on Lanarkshire hospital site

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Neil Gray met members of the Friends of Hartwood Paupers Cemetery Group to see what work they have been doing to rejuvenate the burial ground.The group showed the Shotts MSP around the area, pointing out the lines of graves and the different sectors – those whose graves were paid for by family members and those who were put into unnamed plots.There were 1255 patients and staff buried in the cemetery’s 634 graves during a period of 64 years from 1895 to 1954.

During that time, families were encouraged to take their relatives home for interment.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android The volunteers rescued the record books detailing the names and grave markers from the skip when the old Hartwood Hospital building was cleared out.That led to them spending the past two-and-a-half years clearing the weeds and rubbish from the cemetery and trying to match names with grave plots, as many markers were thrown away by workmen cutting grass.

Mr Gray told Lanarkshire Live : “The work that the Friends of Hartwood Paupers Cemetery group has put in to make sure that this place and the people buried there are not forgotten. “The pathways and notice boards make it easy to follow the story of the cemetery and the seats are handy, although I do know that they are keen to have more as many elderly people can be put off by