“There is no foot too small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world” are the words engraved at the bottom of a new memorial stone to recognise hundreds of babies laid to rest in a wildflower area at Ramsgate cemetery.
The site had been the burial place for stillborn and young babies who died shortly after birth between 1911 and last year but had never been marked with a stone or plaque to acknowledge the little ones interred there.
That changed when Ramsgate resident Linda Henderson contacted The Isle of Thanet News after a year of trying to get the area acknowledged
The Red Cross shop volunteer believed it was the area where her brother was buried after arriving stillborn in February 1952. Parents Rosa and Charles Adkins placed a notice in the paper to mark his birth and thank the nurse, doctors, family and friends for their care. But the area where Linda understood Baby Adkins to be buried was not marked.
The 65-year-old told The Isle of Thanet News in March this year: “My mum had a stillborn baby in the 1950s and she never forgot him. I located the area of his grave and planted some bulbs but they didn’t come up. I have been up there a lot lately and think there should be something there for the babies – I do not know how many there are – in this communal plot.
“I’d like a plaque that can be there and last for years. I’m not going to be around forever to look after it.”
Following our enquiries Thanet council pledged to have a memorial installed at the site and now the stone is in place.
For mum-of-one Linda, the enquiries also led to cemetery workers locating the exact spot her brother is buried in, which is not quite where she had originally thought and is actually a separate plot.
She said: “It’s nice, I’m pleased there is something marking the spot where the babies are buried. I also found my brother had a grave of his own and I will be putting a little stone there for him, so I’m all round happy.”
A Thanet council spokesperson previously said: “In 2023, a new area of the cemetery was set aside for babies and children up to the age of 14. It is a tranquil area, protected by a semi-circle of trees. Thanet District Council grants parents the burial rights for plots in this area, supported by the Children’s Funeral Fund. Parents can mark the grave with their choice of headstone and kerb surround.
“Families can also request a memorial plaque to be installed on a wall at the back of the area.”
Burials and cremations
Babies who are stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy – this was 28 weeks until 1992 – or die during infancy, must be buried or cremated. Cemeteries and crematoria are required to keep records of all such burials and cremations.
Babies who are stillborn before 24 weeks (or 28 weeks pre-1992) can have a funeral, although this is not a legal requirement.
According to the charity Sands (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity): “Sadly, if your baby was born before 1992 and before 28 completed weeks of pregnancy, there will probably be no record of burial or cremation.”
The charity says it was only in the mid-1980s that parents of stillborn babies and babies who died shortly after birth began to be consulted about funeral arrangements. Before then, hospitals often took care of funeral arrangements, without the involvement of parents. Babies were sometimes buried in shared graves and many parents were not told what happened to their baby’s body.
Certificate scheme for loss of babies before 24 weeks
Following new government rules this year parents who experience the devastation of losing a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy can now apply for a certificate to have their grief recognised.
The government launched a voluntary scheme to allow parents to record and receive a certificate to provide recognition of their loss.
The certificates are not compulsory – it remains the choice of all parents to manage the difficult time of a loss, however they see fit.
The certificate is available for either parent to access following a loss under 24 weeks since 1 September 2018. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age and have been living in England at the time of the loss.
The certificate is an official but not legal document.
The government is looking to expand eligibility for certificates pre-dating September 2018 as soon as possible.
Request a baby loss certificate
For advice on tracing a baby’s grave or cremation click here
For support find Sands at: https://www.sands.org.uk/
