~ The Cemetery ~
Although no-one knows when the graveyard adjoining the parish church4 was first consecrated as a burial ground, it was certainly a long time ago; perhaps as far back as the eighth or ninth century A.D., but almost certainly coeval with the introduction of Christianity into Furness. For almost the whole period of its existence this graveyard must have been the only one in the town, and from the parish registers we can calculate that it must have catered for something like 4,000 burials per century. In the last century, the influx of miners from different parts of the country brought various nonconformist groups to the town, and it is possible that many of them used their own burial grounds. It is rumoured for example that the gardens behind the two houses on Skelgate which were once the Methodist Chapel1, mark the site of their graveyard.
According to Tyson (Dalton Local Board4 Accountants 1882-1896) 'The Chapel3 and Cemetery2 ground (except the portion reserved for the Nonconformists) were consecrated by the late Lord Bishop (Waldegrave) of Carlisle, on the 1st November, 1862 ... The first interment in the Cemetery was that of Mrs. Elizabeth White, on the 3rd November, 1862 ... In consequence of the increasing population7 and the urgent necessity for additional burial accommodation the Board purchased, on the 8th September, 1871, from Mr. Mathew Denney, 4 acres of land abutting on the south side of the Cemetery, to which the same was added, and on this land was erected a second mortuary chapel, which is allotted to the use of Nonconformists. The Church of England portion of the additional land was consecrated by the present Lord Bishop (Goodwin) of Carlisle, on the 18th March, 1872 ... Up to the year 1875, the inhabitants of Barrow10 had the right of burial at the Dalton Cemetery, but in pursuance of the Barrow-in-Furness Corporation Act, 1875, sec. 119, upon payment by the Corporation of £2,700 to the Board, all rights and interests of the parishioners or inhabitants of the Borough of Barrow, in respect of the Dalton Burial Board, or their Cemetery or property (other than private rights of burial) ceased as from the 31st October, 1875, and the Corporation (under the authority of the Corporation Act, 1873, sec. 40) agreed to pay, in addition to the sum above mentioned, an annuity of £75 to the Vicar2 of Dalton, and £12 10s. per annum to the then Parish Clerk in respect of burial fees'.