Up until the 17th century the option for burial in Sileby was a simple one. The choice was to be laid to rest in the consecrated churchyard or within the church itself.  Nonconformist groups established their own burial grounds in the parish from the later 17th century onwards. The first was that of the Quakers in the late 1600s and then later by the Baptist congregation on Cossington Road in the 19th century. 

​

Eventually, a new cemetery was opened for all denominations in 1881. The segregation of the cemetery between rigidly governed Anglican and Nonconformist portions was practiced for many years afterwards.

 

For accuracy this section should be called grave markers, as they did just that: whether for single or family graves. So, this listing precludes other stones, window art or plaques found around the village (except in the parish church) that are generic (i.e. don't mark a burial site), and are really tributes.

​

This segment deals with those gravestones outside of the cemetery. It is made up of monuments found and transcribed by me over the past 20 years or so. Details of gravestones and markers now missing or destroyed have also been added, and any other research/author acknowledged. Since they were recorded, some of the monuments have been damaged or suffered from the ravages of erosion. 

​

For simplicity, the inscriptions have been organised into clusters around where they are or where they were situated. There are a number of groupings :

 

 

Parish Churchyard

- North west corner

- Wilkins memorials

- Porch West memorials

- Porch East memorials

- Chancel (outside) memorials

​

Parish Church Interior

- Mural Tablets and Wall memorials

- Chancel (inside) memorials

South Aisle memorials

​- North Aisle (Vestry and Organ area) memorials

- Nave memorials

- North Aisle (War memorials)

​

Baptist Chapel Yard, Cossington Road

- Chapel Yard memorials

​

Baptist Chapel, Mountsorrel Lane

- Wall memorial

​