Roman Catholic burial in 19th-century Liverpool: four vaults in the crypt of St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, Toxteth, Liverpool

Abstract

SUMMARY The recording of vaults in the crypt of St Patrick’s Church, Toxteth, Liverpool, has enabled the first detailed examination of Roman Catholic vault burial in England, and the first vaults of any kind in north-west England. One vault contains the coffins of four priests and a Christian Brother, the other three were built for the members of successful commercial families in the Catholic community of Liverpool during the early decades of the 19th century. The evidence indicates differences with contemporary Anglican vault burial, though some of the variations with London and Birmingham assemblages may be more related to class distinctions and regional rather than denominational traditions.