10. Unmarked Graves

The population of Blaenavon soared during Victorian times. The churchyard had to be extended in the 1880s and 1890s to meet the demand for burial space. Disease killed many people. Measles outbreaks during the 1870s were very common, in 1870, there were 52 deaths from measles in one month alone. In 1877 there were about 1,500 recorded cases of measles in Blaenavon, with 24 deaths. Smallpox and Typhus were other feared diseases. For many diseases, the least wealthy people suffered the most. Many now lie forgotten in the many unmarked graves throughout the churchyard.