Prelims
Funerary Practices in England and Wales
ISBN: 978-1-78769-226-8, eISBN: 978-1-78769-223-7
Publication date: 30 October 2018
Citation
Rugg, J. and Parsons, B. (2018), "Prelims", Funerary Practices in England and Wales (Funerary International), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. i-xxi. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78769-223-720181014
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018 Julie Rugg and Brian Parsons
Half Title Page
FUNERARY PRACTICES IN ENGLAND AND WALES
Series Page
Funerary International Series
Series Editor: Julie Rugg, University of York, UK
The study of mortality is now an established academic endeavour which is rapidly expanding in scale and in disciplinary reach. One missing element is a repository of basic facts about funerary practice in each country and the broader legal, governance and denominational frameworks for those practices which might serve to set more detailed research in context.
This book series remedies this absence by producing country-specific monographs, with texts providing a standard framework of questions, which ensures even coverage; aids international comparison; fosters international linkages across the academic community; and inspires new research directions. These texts will be a valuable resource for researchers across the humanities and social sciences concerned with death and funerary customs.
Forthcoming in this series
Brenda Mathijssen and Claudia Venhorst, Funerary Practices in the Netherlands
Olga Nešporová, Funerary Practices in the Czech Republic
Christoph Streb, Funerary Practices in Germany
Aleksandra Pavićević, Funerary Practices in Serbia
Maija Butters and Ilona Pajari, Funerary Practices in Finland
Title Page
FUNERARY PRACTICES IN ENGLAND AND WALES
BY
JULIE RUGG
University of York, UK
BRIAN PARSONS
Training Consultant and Researcher, UK
United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China
Copyright Page
Emerald Publishing Limited
Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley BD16 1WA, UK
First edition 2018
Copyright © 2018 Julie Rugg and Brian Parsons.
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-78769-226-8 (Print)
ISBN: 978-1-78769-223-7 (Online)
ISBN: 978-1-78769-225-1 (Epub)
List of Images
Image 2.1. | Willesden New Cemetery (1891). | 13 |
Image 2.2. | Visiting the grave, late 1930s. | 16 |
Image 2.3. | Salisbury Crematorium (1960). | 20 |
Image 3.1. | Harlow Hill Cemetery, Harrogate. | 39 |
Image 4.1. | Thornton-le-Dale Cemetery. | 54 |
Image 5.1. | Co-operative Funeralcare premises, in a suburban location : a typical, strongly-branded shopfront | 60 |
Image 6.1. | Gardens of Peace Cemetery, Hainault, London, opened in 2002. | 80 |
Image 7.1. | Bearers shouldering the coffin from the hearse to the chapel. | 102 |
Image 7.2. | Floral tribute area at a typical crematorium (2015). | 104 |
Image 9.1. | Technical drawing of a plot, demonstrating the relationship between the plot and the grave. | 136 |
Image 9.2. | Typical local authority burial register page. | 139 |
Image 9.3 | Churchyard of St Peter and St Paul, Cromer, viewed from the church tower. | 145 |
Image 9.4. | Woodland burial section at Carlisle Cemetery. | 147 |
Image 10.1. | The Oaks, Havant, opened in 2013. | 154 |
Image 11.1. | Garden of Remembrance, City of London Cemetery, part of the rose garden with dedication plaques. | 169 |
Image 11.2. | Christmas decoration on a grave. | 173 |
Image 12.1. | St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. | 181 |
List of Charts
Chart 2.1. | Number of Crematoria and Cremation Rate. | 19 |
Chart 10.1. | Crematorium opening: number, date range and ownership type: cumulative totals. | 155 |
List of Tables
Table 2.1. | English and Welsh Population Growth, 1801–1851. | 8 |
Table 3.1. | Deaths in England and Wales, Cremation Rates and Crematoria in Operation, 2008–2016. | 25 |
Table 3.2. | Answers to Question ‘What is Your Religion’ on the 2011 Census, England and Wales. | 41 |
Table 6.1. | Church Membership in England and Wales, Selected Years from 1985. | 71 |
Table 6.2. | UK Jewish Population by Congregation: Percentages. | 89 |
Table 8.1. | Average Funeral Cost by Area, 2017. | 112 |
Table 8.2. | Cremation Fees, by Region, in 2013 and 2017. | 116 |
Table 8.3. | Funeral Expenses Payments. | 123 |
Table 9.1. | Number of Burial Grounds in England and Wales Identified by the Ministry of Justice 2007 Survey. | 130 |
Table 10.1. | Progress of Cremation in Selected Years. | 153 |
Table 10.2. | Mode of Committal, 1995. | 160 |
Table 10.3. | Ashes Disposal Practices: Percentages in Selected Years. | 164 |
List of Boxes
Box 3.1. | Circumstances in Which a Death Must be Reported to the Coroner: | 28 |
Box 3.2. | Information that is Required in Order to Register a Death | 31 |
Box 3.3. | Local Authorities’ Cemeteries Order 1977 s5 | 47 |
Box 4.1. | Local Authority Governance and Burial Provision | 50 |
Box 5.1. | Usual Tasks Carried Out by the Funeral Director | 65 |
Box 5.2. | Occasional Tasks Carried Out by a Funeral Director | 67 |
Box 8.1. | Funeral Costs | 114 |
Box 9.1. | Burial Site Types in England (from Twelfth Century) | 128 |
Box 11.1. | Typical Plaque Inscription | 170 |
Foreword
Funerary practice is so broad a topic it is unlikely that any one individual can easily encompass all its facets. This collaboration reflects the combined expertise of two historians who are both heavily involved in current policy and practice. Dr Parsons researches and publishes on the history of cremation, burial and funeral directing, and for the past 30 years has worked as a training consultant and funeral director in London. Dr Rugg has written extensively on the history of burial practice, but also has an involvement and interest in policy and practice in contemporary cemetery and crematorium management.
Funerary Practices in England and Wales addresses a very basic gap: the lack of readily accessible contextual information and detail about funerary arrangements in England and Wales. The fact that the book has taken over a year to collate indicates just how widely spread is much of the information the text contains. The book has a number of additional aims. It hopes to be an essential reference text for practitioners, policy makers, students and academic scholars in a complex field that covers a whole range of activities and practices. As part of an international series, the book also aims to contribute to the task of understanding the varied contexts that configure funerary practices in different countries. The text presents information in as clear and as unvarnished a way as possible. There is no commentary on the information presented: this book has no agenda beyond the desire to inform.
However, it is hoped that the text will be a baseline for future editions that will help us pinpoint shifting contexts, new trends, and obsolescences. Funerary practice mutates continually, but establishing practice at one single moment in time will be of value in years to come. We are both historians, and know that this text will at some juncture constitute a primary document: a robust narrative of funerary practice that we would have been delighted to encounter if it had been written in 1818 or 1918.
Information is correct as the text goes to press. We have been grateful for input from a wide range of experts, but any errors are our own.
Julie Rugg and Brian Parsons
Acknowledgements
This text could not have been prepared without substantial guidance from people throughout the funerary industry and within academia: Andy Clayden, University of Sheffield; Emerson Memorials, York; Gary Burks, City of London Cemetery; Julie Dunk, Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management; Alan Fairchild, Society of Local Council Clerks; Gary Fewkes at York Crematorium; Sarah Jones, Full Circle Funerals; Revd Dr Peter Jupp; David Lambert, The Parks Agency; Mohamed Omer, the Muslim Gardens of Peace; and Chandu Tailor of Chandu Tailor and Sons, funeral directors. Thanks are also due to Neil Gevaux for producing a superb technical drawing and, as ever, to Christopher Shires in assisting with photography.
We are indebted to Pharos International and the Cremation Society of Great Britain for permission to reproduce cremation statistics.
Finally, our deep gratitude is extended to Philippa Grand at Emerald Publishing, who immediately understood the need for this book and for the associated international series. Philippa and her team have steered the text through with grace and efficiency.
Map of England and Wales
- Prelims
- Chapter 1 England and Wales: An Introduction
- Chapter 2 History
- Chapter 3 Demographic and Legal Frameworks
- Chapter 4 Cemeteries and Crematoria: Governance and Management
- Chapter 5 The Funeral Directing Industry
- Chapter 6 Religious Belief and Funerary Practice
- Chapter 7 A Typical Funeral
- Chapter 8 Paying for Funerals
- Chapter 9 Burial
- Chapter 10 Cremation
- Chapter 11 Commemoration
- Chapter 12 Conservation
- Bibliography
- Index