Belfast Newsletter 3rd January 1896 Edition
MAGHERAFELT BOARD OF GUARDIANS.- A special meeting was held yesterday- Mr. James Shivers, deputy vice-chairman, presiding. The other Guardians present were Colonel Sir W.F.L. Conyngham, K.C.B; Messrs. Andrew Brown, J.P.; Brigade-Surgeon Waters, C.B., J.P.; James Sinclair, J.P.; Wm. Eakin, J.P.; Thomas S. Ash, J.P.; W.J. Derby, J.P.; John Keenan, J. P.; Wm. Harbison, J.P.; Felix Ferran, J.P.; James Caldwell, Thomas Daley, J.P.; Daniel McKenna, James Garvin, Alexander Burnett, Thomas Shiels, George Mullan, Thomas Houston, Hugh Barkley, William Rutherford, J. P.; Robert Eakin, Wm. Anderson, Andrew Lattimar, Nicholas Mulholland, Joseph Carson, Charles Convery, Henry O’Neill, J.P.; Robert Bell, John O’Kane, Robert S. Murdock and Thomas Carleton.
… The Board was specially summoned to consider a memorial from ratepayers in Tobermore, praying that a public cemetery be provided by the Guardians for the district. A memorial against the proposal was presented by Mr. Anderson, Guardian of the division, the grounds of composition being –
1. That there are at present three burying-grounds around Tobermore, in which the members of the different Protestant Churches who have existing rights have full liberty to bury.
2. That it has always been customary for each of the denomination (the Baptist denomination excepted) in the division to provide a burying-ground of its own. Many members of the Baptist Church have undisputed right of interment both in the Parish Church and Presbyterian Church burying-grounds.
3. Under the foregoing circumstances there was no necessity for a cemetery being provided.
The memorial was influentially signed. Dr. Waters, C.B., J.P., Whitefort, in moving that a public burying-ground be provided, dwelt on the fact that one of the graveyards mentioned in the memorial was closed for upwards of twenty years, and that the Presbyterian graveyard was practically closed. Regarding the new parish church graveyard, the Church authorities had resolved that, except in a few instances, no one outside their own congregation would be allowed to bury there, consequently there was no place of burial. Mr. Caldwell seconded Dr. Waters’ proposition. Rev. Mr. Stevenson, Tobermore; Rev. G.K. Moriarty, Kilcronaghan; and several other laymen, appeared before the Board in support of the memorial against a public cemetery being provided, and were heard at length. Mr. Murdock moved, and Mr. Mulholland seconded, an amendment that a public cemetery be not provided, which, on a poll being taken. 19 votes for and 33 against.