Black Death victims could be buried on Canvey (From Echo)

'Black Death' victims to be buried on Island?

7:00am Tuesday 19th March 2013 in News

THIRTEEN skeletons thought to be the victims of the Black Death have been unearthed in London and could be reburied in Canvey.
 

Archaeologists uncovered the remains, which are thought to date back 660 years, under Charterhouse Square in Farringdon during excavation work for the £14.8 billion Crossrail project last week.
 

Once analysis of the bones has been completed, a final resting place will have to be found for the plague victims.
 

Canvey funeral directors at T Cribbs have said they are open to rebury the historical remains at Willow Cemetery, off Northwick Road, Canvey, having already been home to hundreds of skeletons uncovered by Crossrail archaeologists in Liverpool Street two years ago.
 

John Cribb, senior partner at T Cribbs said: “Normally when remains are exhumed they are reburied not too far from the area they were found. But London does not have any burial grounds whatsoever. Following the 1850 Burial Act cemeteries in London were becoming really congested and over utilised.
 

“The last time they excavated we put it to them they could use a couple of graves in our cemetery. We would be open to them using our facilities again.”

Around 300 skeletons which were found at a burial ground at London’s infamous Bedlam Hospital dating back to the 1500s and 1700s were offered a final resting place at the 20-acre Canvey cemetery last year.
 

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