Burials
Search burial records (fees apply) for a number of Jewish cemeteries within the city and the surrounding areas.
The earliest Jewish burial place was opened on Brindle Heath Road, Pendleton in 1794. Prior to this, Jews who died in Manchester had to be interred in the burial grounds in Liverpool.
Following the closure of the Pendleton cemetery in 1840 a cemetery was opened at Miles Platting, Queens Road (closed in c.1872) and at Prestwich, Bury New Road, (closed c.1914). The present cemetery at Crumpsall on Crescent Road was purchased by the Great Synagogue in 1884. The Reform Synagogue opened a cemetery in Whitefield in 1864.
You can look at what we have either on microfilm (marked MFPR) on the ground floor of Central Library or using our search room (marked GB), you will need to make an appointment. We hold:
- Burial registers for Manchester Hebrew Burial Ground, 4 April 1841 to 28 December 1872 - burials at Prestwich and Miles Platting, includes burials at Pendleton Cemetery 1798 to 1840 (ref GB127.M139/7/6/1)
- Burial Registers for Prestwich and Crumpsall 1873 to 1929 (Manchester Hebrew Congregation) (ref GB127.M139/7/6/2-4)
- Reserved graves book for Crumpsall Cemetery - 1940s to 1960s (Manchester Great and New Synagogue, ref GB127.M139/addl 2000/57 Box 5)
- Manchester Central Synagogue, Heywood Street, Cheetham Grave and burial register index (Blackley Jewish Cemetery) 1900 to 1948 (ref GB127.M442/1 Box 8)
- Philips Park Cemetery, Bradford - register includes Jewish burials, 1875 to 1943 (Microfilm MFPR 834-837, 1100) and the records can be searched online.
- Southern Cemetery - register includes Jewish and nonconformist burials, 1879 to 1964 (Microfilm MFPR 2150-2152) and the records can be searched online.
- Urmston Cemetery Burial register (Manchester New Synagogue), 1900 to 1916, 1925 to 1929 (ref GB127.M139/16/4/1)
- Whitefield Cemetery (Manchester Reform Synagogue). Burial Register, 1864 to 1968 (gives plot numbers and dates of burial). Register of Deaths, 1857 to 1959 (ref GB127.M779/Box 76)
Burial society
Manchester Burial Society of Polish Jews Ltd., later Manchester Jewish Burial Society Ltd was formed in 1877, the society (a registered limited company) offered burial rights to shareholders whatever their synagogal allegiance. It was founded and controlled by immigrants and in effect served chevroth without burial grounds of their own.
It appears to have used Urmston Cemetery. We hold (ref GB127.M129):
- Authorisations for burial - this gives the name, address, date of burial, age, and grave number. Four volumes: 1881 to 1902, 1902 to 1966 (two volumes), 1902 to 1955 (children)
- Lists of graves - gives the grave number, name, age and date of burial. There are three notebooks, section A, B and C.
- Permits to erect gravestones, 1945 to 1958