Burial records

We hold records for burials that happened at:

  • Dearnley cemetery: 1894 - present day
  • Heywood cemetery: 1856 - present day
  • Middleton old cemetery: 1862 - present day
  • Middleton cemetery and crematorium: 1912 - present day
  • Rochdale cemetery and crematorium: 1855 - present day

Where are burial records held?

Burial records are held at:

How to browse burial records in person

To browse burial records in person:

  1. It's FREE to browse burial records in person.
  2. Download the Parish Records - you can use it to view the records we hold on microfilm and find out which library holds the records you'd like to view.
  3. Go to the library which holds your records. We can't transport them to your local library. We advise you to book a microfilm reader in advance by ringing the library to avoid disappointment.
  4. At the library, ask a member of staff to help you locate the records you're looking for.
  5. You can then use a microfilm reader to browse the records. If you'd like to print a copy of a microfilm record, please check our list of charges. View charges for library services and facilities

How to request for us to search burial records for you

To request a burial record search:

  1. It costs £41.30 to ask us to search for a burial record.
  2. You'll need to know the following information:
    • Full name of the deceased person.
    • Approximate month and year they died.
    • The cemetery where the burial took place - if possible.
  3. Contact us using the details on this page.
  4. You can pay for the search by credit or debit card over the phone or in person or by sending us a cheque made payable to Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council.
  5. Once we've received your payment, we'll search our records and email you all the information we find. If you don't have an email address, we'll post the information to you instead. We aim to do this within 7 working days.
  6. We'll give you as much information as we hold in our records. This could include:
    • A copy of the listing in the burial register.
    • Grave number.
    • Names of anyone else who is buried in the same grave.
    • A map showing the location of the grave in the cemetery.

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