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Leeds pensioner begs university to mark sister's grave
A Leeds pensioner is begging university bosses to mark out her twin sister's grave so she can lay flowers.
Christine Bairstow, 62, visits St George's Field – formerly Woodhouse Cemetery – at least once a week to remember her sister Pauline, who died from gastro-enteritis when they were just six months old.
But despite having access to all the burial records, the University of Leeds is refusing to help Mrs Bairstow in her quest to discover the exact location of her sister's body.
As reported in the YEP in May, the pensioner is even considering exhuming her sister's grave because of all the problems she has endured, including anti-social behaviour from students.
Mrs Bairstow, who lives in Kirkstall, said: "It's been more than 60 years and all I want is to be able to finally lay flowers on our birthday.
"Pauline died in 1946, when we were babies, but I still feel a deep connection to her.
"Thousands of bodies are buried in Woodhouse Cemetery and many people in Leeds will have relatives there.
"But the students treat the cemetery like it's their back garden."
St George's Field, which was bought and landscaped by the University of Leeds in the 1960s, is a popular hang-out for students, who frequently hold parties and play football there
More than 10,000 bodies are buried under the field, which opened in 1835, including the brother and sister of John and Betty Claughton, who have also written to the university about the problem.
Mr Claughton said: "I wish to have their remains removed to a more hallowed resting place.
"I have written to the university on three different occasions asking for details of my brother and sister's interment.
"But apart from a response to my first letter, the archivist has declined to contact me."
A university spokesman said: "Although the university has comprehensive records of all people interred there and a map exists of the gravesites, it would be nigh impossible to pinpoint the exact position of each individual. When the site was used as a cemetery, many of the plots were unmarked."
He said representatives from university departments had corresponded with Mrs Bairstow on numerous occasions over a number of years and senior figures had met her.
"At her request, a memorial plaque was erected and a tree planted for her sister in St George's Field."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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