More than 300 bodies found in mass grave in Oldham - mainly babies and children

The revelation of the mass grave has been come from two local councillors in Oldham, who say it is a “not just a pressing issue but an urgent one that demands immediate attention”.

Councillors Jade Hughes and Maggie Hurley from the Royton Independents posted a statement on Facebook explaining the discovery - and saying that it had “profoundly affected us”.

They said that a local resident had seen media reports of a mass grave for stillborn babies, where they were laid to rest without their parents’ knowledge.

The Oldham woman had two brothers born in 1962 - one was stillborn and one died at five hours old. The statement from the councillors said: “Her mother and father never saw or held them. They were taken away, and sadly, that was the case. Back then, stillborn babies were taken by hospital staff to be 'buried with a nice person‘. It's a stark injustice that parents were denied the fundamental right to bury their babies, a right that should be inherent and unquestionable. This situation should stir our collective sense of fairness and empathy.”

The Royton resident started to pursue where her brothers had been taken to - and found they shared a grave with 301 others, making 303 bodies in one plot.

“This revelation left her in tears, feeling a profound sense of loss and injustice,” the statement says. “She was in dire need of help, both emotionally and practically, to cope with this traumatic discovery. How could this ever have happened; we began to research and attempt to find out the missing information. Our search found 303 in the same plot, but only one hundred and forty-seven names were online, and one hundred and fifty-six names were missing; since we brought this to the attention of the staff at Hollinwood cemetery, this has now been rectified, and all information for Royton cemetery is up to date.

“We also asked about the other cemeteries across the borough, and we were informed that there is missing information for these cemeteries as well. The staff are currently in the process of rectifying this by cross-referencing all available records and updating the online database.

“The mass grave in question of the resident from Royton consisted of 146 stillborn babies, 128 babies and young children, 29 adults. Further enquiries found this 12 x 12 ft mass grave was not the only one in Royton Cemetery. There was one in the Catholic area, one in the non-conformist area, and one in the C of E section. How many babies are lying in our Cemetery, still to this day unknown to relatives?”

The councillors believe the practice was common across the country.

They added: “How many babies are lying in our cemetery, still to this day unknown to relatives? We understand that this practice occurred throughout the country so in addition to Royton, all our other Oldham cemeteries will have the same unmarked graves.

“Next week, the Royton Independents have submitted a motion calling on Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council to “recognise the loss and suffering in the past and present by publicly marking out each mass grave and erecting a memorial to all our babies born asleep and the many who lay with them forgotten”

They are also calling for records of mass graves in cemeteries be collated and recorded entirely online “so that relatives can at last see the final resting place of their babies, children and relatives” and “implement and publicise a clear procedure that provides those seeking their loved ones a professional, sensitive and transparent process”.

They concluded: “It's a plea for social justice. We must fight for the recognition of those innocent babies buried in mass graves in Royton Cemetery, their resting places unmarked, and their lives unrecognised. We cannot change what has happened, but we can ensure that the babies born sleeping are named, recognised, and never forgotten.”