By-laws for the Burial Ground for Chinese at Bukit Brown

February 19, 2025 Bukit Brown

Sharing the by-laws of Bukit Brown Cemetery and how Bukit Brown Cemetery came to be when it was first opened to public burial for all Chinese in 1922. There are many interesting nuggets in the by-laws - for example, you can only enter the cemetery between 6 am -6 pm daily only at one point in the past and you will notice that it is rare to find memorial headstone that is more than 6 feet in height in Bukit Brown.

No. 59.

SUPPLEMENT

TO THE

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS

Government Gazette,

FRIDAY, 29th JULY, 1921.

The Municipal Ordinance, 1913.

By-Laws for the Regulation of the Municipal

Burial Ground for Chinese at Bukit Brown.

FRAMED BY THE MUNICIPAL COMMISSIONERS OF THE TOWN OF SINGAPORE

UNDER SECTION 90 OF THE MUNICIPAL ORDINANCE, 1913. PASSED AT A SPECIAL

MEETING HELD ON 24TH JUNE, 1921.

1. The Burial Ground shall be used only for the burial of Chinese not of the Christian religion.

2. A Superintendent who shall reside at the Cemetery shall be employed by the Municipal Commissioners.

3. The Burial Ground shall be divided into "General" and "Pauper" divisions and sub-divided into plots for graves which shall be numbered and marked on a plan to be kept in the office of the Municipal Commissioners, a duplicate of which plan shall be kept for public reference by the Superintendent at the Cemetery.

4. The size of each plot in the general division shall be 14 feet in length by 8 feet in width and the size of each plot in the pauper division shall be 8 feet in length by 4 feet in width.

5. No grave shall be less than five feet below the general surface of the ground.

6. No new grave to be constructed or old grave used for burial within 20 feet from the line of a public road, or so as to approach within five feet of any drain or water course or within 20 feet of any dwelling house unless with the special permission of the Health Officer given in writing.

7. No grave to be constructed or burial be allowed to take place if, in the opinion of the Health Officer, there is danger of contamination thereby to the water of any well used for drinking purposes in the neighbourhood.

8. The plots shall as a general rule be allotted in consecutive numbers as interments take place in each division but persons may select and reserve one (or in the case of husband and wife two) non-consecutive plot (not exceeding six) for the construction of a family burial Ground or the erection of a monument in such plot or plots in a manner to be approved in writing by the Commissioners and may at once, or at any future time, construct vaults or monuments in such manner as may be approved in writing by the Commissioners. These plots will then be held by the Commissioners for the person who has selected the same subject to the by-laws for the time being in force.

9. When it shall be intended to inter a husband and wife in two adjacent graves it shall be permissible to select and reserve three adjacent plots within the limits of which the two graves may be placed.

10. A fee of $50 shall be charged for each plot in the General Division unless under By-law No. 8 and reserved for future use or for a family burial ground, and a fee of $15 shall be charged for each plot in the Pauper Division, which fee shall include the cost of opening and filling up the grave. No fee shall be charged for an interment in the Pauper Division, and no plots shall be reserved therein.

11. No memorial over 6 feet in height shall be erected over any grave or plot. The Commissioners shall not be liable for any damage or injury to any memorial from any cause whatsoever.

12. (i) The burial fees under By-law No. 10 shall be paid at the Municipal Office or at the Cemetery to the Superintendent on or before the burial. The Superintendent may require payment of the burial fees or the production of a receipt for the payment if made at the Municipal Office before permitting a burial to take place.

(ii) Fees under By-law No. 17 shall be paid at the Municipal Office only.

13. Any person applying for permission to bury a corpse shall furnish to the Superintendent the proposed date of burial and the following particulars (so far as they can be ascertained) with regard to the deceased, viz:—the name, sex, age, whether married or single, religion, nationality and date of death, and the cause of death, and no burial shall be permitted or Registration granted until such particulars shall have been given, and a Burial Permit signed by a Registrar or Deputy Registrar of Deaths or a police certificate of the Registration of death in respect of such corpse shall first have been produced.

14. The Superintendent shall enter the said particulars with regard to the deceased and also the number of the grave and the date of burial in a Register to be known as the Cemetery Register to be kept at the Cemetery and on a certificate to be called the "Certificate for Registration." This Certificate shall be endorsed by the person who has applied for permission to bury the deceased.

15. A Register shall be kept at the Municipal Office called the "Office Register" in which particulars shall be entered from the Certificates for Registration.

16. The Municipal Secretary or person in charge of the Register kept under By-law No. 15 shall at any time during Office hours allow the Register to be searched by him upon payment of any entry after receipt of the prescribed fee and shall if required give a certified copy of any entry after receipt of the prescribed fee.

17. In addition to the burial fees provided for in By-law No. 10 the following fees are payable:—

Fee for search in Register ... ... ... $1.00

Fee for certified extract from Register ... ... $1.00

18. No trees or shrubs shall be planted in the Cemetery without the Superintendent and such shrubs as are planted shall be under his control.

19. The Cemetery shall be open from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily throughout the year.

20. The powers and duties of the Health Officer in the Borough by-laws may be exercised by the President or Assistant Health Officer or by any other Municipal Officer whom the Commissioners may from time to time, by resolution appoint for that purpose.

21. A copy of these By-laws in Chinese shall be handed to any applicant for burial lots on payment of the fees under By-law 10.

22. The Municipal Commissioners shall provide one or more buildings as Rest-houses for the use of those attending burials. A copy of the By-laws shall be posted in each such rest-house.