Mass grave of over 300 babies discovered in Oldham

A mass grave containing over 300 bodies, primarily of babies and children, was discovered in Royton Cemetery, Oldham, by a woman searching for her two brothers who died in 1962. The grave measures 12x12 feet and includes 146 stillborn babies and 128 young children. This tragic finding highlights a historical practice where parents were often not informed about the fate of their stillborn or shortly deceased infants, with many bodies buried without parental consent until the mid-1980s. Councillors Maggie Hurley and Jade Hughes emphasized the injustice faced by parents who were denied the right to bury their children, a fundamental right that should be respected. They noted that this grave is not an isolated case, as there are at least three other similar graves in the cemetery. Of the 303 bodies found, only 147 names are currently available online, with efforts underway to rectify the missing information across other cemeteries in the borough. The charity Sands reported that prior to the 1980s, parents were typically excluded from funeral arrangements and often discouraged from grieving or remembering their lost children. This societal attitude contributed to a culture of silence surrounding stillbirth and neonatal death, leaving many parents without closure or acknowledgment of their loss. The discovery has sparked renewed calls for justice and recognition for these lost lives, as families seek to trace the burial records of their children. The woman who made the discovery was inspired by a similar case in Wirral, where another mother found her stillborn son in a mass grave, highlighting the need for accountability and compassion in handling such sensitive matters.