Fences erected as Tomlinson’s Cemetery prepares for first burial

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Fences have already been erected at what is to be the country’s newest public cemetery.

The commissioning of the new public cemetery at Tomlinson’s along Sir Sydney Walling Highway is fast approaching, with the first burial likely to take place there in a few weeks – at least, according to the government.

The new cemetery has been established in response to the overcrowding issues plaguing the St John’s Public Cemetery and the Valley Church Public Cemetery.

Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister’s Office, Ambassador Lionel Hurst, said residents should expect changes in how the new cemetery is run.

“We intend to arrange the cemetery in such a way that instead of having mounds of clay atop the burial site, we will flatten those mounds. Headstones that do not protrude above the grass level will adorn the entire cemetery,” he said.

Hurst said this layout will allow the grass to be cut, thereby making it easier to clean the cemetery.

The changes extend beyond aesthetics, as Hurst also addressed the cost of burial plots.

He acknowledged the need for a price adjustment, stating, “A plot of land in Antigua can no longer cost $31 and that’s what a plot of land used to sell for. I believe it’s going to be just a little bit more costly,” he said, but could not give a precise amount.

“Our expectation is that this public cemetery which is about three times as large as the current public cemetery will be able to last for a very long time,” he said.

Hurst – who is also a respected historian – reminded of the challenges some families faced in the past with respect to classism in attempting to bury their loved ones. The barriers that were broken down in that regard, he added, will remain broken in the operations of the new cemetery.

The old public cemetery, spanning four acres, has a rich history, having been consecrated in 1889.

According to Hurst, “At that time, they did not allow the poor to be buried in that cemetery.

“There were other cemeteries that bodies of the poor and working class were buried in and St John’s Public Cemetery was reserved for those who had greater social standing.”

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