Author Topic: Where are the bodies... ?  (Read 1586 times)

Offline bugbear

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Where are the bodies... ?
« on: Thursday 08 March 18 14:14 GMT (UK) »
As I understand it, it is an offence not to dispose of a body properly. So, after you've obtained a death certificate, do you need to provide "the authorities" evidence of proper burial (etc)?

If so, are these piece of evidence recorded?

   BugBear
BICE Middlesex
WOMACK Norfolk/Suffolk

Offline AntonyMMM

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Re: Where are the bodies... ?
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 08 March 18 15:01 GMT (UK) »
do you need to provide "the authorities" evidence of proper burial (etc)?

The registrar or coroner issues  a "Certificate for burial or cremation" , which is also known as  "The Green Form". This gives  authority for disposal of the body. This can happen before the death is registered in some cases.

The form has a tear off section which is completed and returned to the registrar to confirm where/when the funeral has taken place. The registrar checks the returned slips against the issue book to make sure all are accounted for.


If so, are these piece of evidence recorded?

The slips are are kept for a period of time(usually 6 years I think)  and then destroyed.

Offline bugbear

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Re: Where are the bodies... ?
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 08 March 18 15:21 GMT (UK) »
do you need to provide "the authorities" evidence of proper burial (etc)?

The registrar or coroner issues  a "Certificate for burial or cremation" , which is also known as  "The Green Form". This gives  authority for disposal of the body. This can happen before the death is registered in some cases.

The form has a tear off section which is completed and returned to the registrar to confirm where/when the funeral has taken place. The registrar checks the returned slips against the issue book to make sure all are accounted for.


If so, are these piece of evidence recorded?

The slips are are kept for a period of time(usually 6 years I think)  and then destroyed.
Thanks for the information. And "bugger", obviously.

 BugBear
BICE Middlesex
WOMACK Norfolk/Suffolk

Offline weste

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Re: Where are the bodies... ?
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 08 March 18 17:12 GMT (UK) »
After my uncle died a few years ago. Mom had a letter about the disposal of the body as the green form had n't been sent back to the registry office. It looked as if it was accusing her of not disposing correctly. I went up to the registry office with my brother and had a few words about it and made it clear the solicitor had dealt with the funeral and told them where the cremation had occurred and the name and address of the undertakers , which would have been round the corner from them. I gave them the solicitors number as well. All that was said that it was a health issue and at least she knew where to start looking. They had moms contact details as she had registered the death. Uncle thought everything would be sorted, the solicitor did n't even know she was supposed to sort the funeral out.


Offline StevieSteve

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Re: Where are the bodies... ?
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 08 March 18 18:05 GMT (UK) »
That sounds a bit odd.

While the solicitor may have dealt with payments for the funeral, I would have thought it was the undertaker who would deal with the Green form
Middlesex: KING,  MUMFORD, COOK, ROUSE, GOODALL, BROWN
Oxford: MATTHEWS, MOSS
Kent: SPOONER, THOMAS, KILLICK, COLLINS
Cambs: PRIGG, LEACH
Hants: FOSTER
Montgomery: BREES
Surrey: REEVE

Offline Rena

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Re: Where are the bodies... ?
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 08 March 18 19:26 GMT (UK) »
As cremation has overtaken the old fashioned burials, it's going to be a bit difficult in future to locate where the remains are because it seems since 2006 that "Human Rights" are now being asked for, instead of what we considered to be strict rules concerning cremation, .

I'm pretty sure that the Police Chief of Northumberland gave permission for this Hindu religious pyre in a farmer's field.

"The Guardian Newspaper: 12 Jul 2006 - Police are investigating what is claimed to be the first British religious funeral pyre in modern times, because they believe the blaze many have broken cremation laws which prohibit the burning of human remains in the open air. Yesterday's pyre in Stamfordham, Northumberland ....."
Aberdeen: Findlay-Shirras,McCarthy: MidLothian: Mason,Telford,Darling,Cruikshanks,Bennett,Sime, Bell: Lanarks:Crum, Brown, MacKenzie,Cameron, Glen, Millar; Ross: Urray:Mackenzie:  Moray: Findlay; Marshall/Marischell: Perthshire: Brown Ferguson: Wales: McCarthy, Thomas: England: Almond, Askin, Dodson, Well(es). Harrison, Maw, McCarthy, Munford, Pye, Shearing, Smith, Smythe, Speight, Strike, Wallis/Wallace, Ward, Wells;Germany: Flamme,Ehlers, Bielstein, Germer, Mohlm, Reupke

Offline AntonyMMM

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Re: Where are the bodies... ?
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 08 March 18 20:03 GMT (UK) »
I would have thought it was the undertaker who would deal with the Green form

It should be the crematorium office, or cemetery admin,  who send them in. They will send them weekly or monthly in batches and are generally pretty good - it is the smaller burial grounds or churchyards where the returns sometimes get forgotten and need to be chased. Sometimes they come via the funeral director.

Of course, for cremations they only record the crematorium involved - there is no record made of where the ashes may eventually end up.

Offline StevieSteve

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Re: Where are the bodies... ?
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 08 March 18 22:10 GMT (UK) »

Of course, for cremations they only record the crematorium involved - there is no record made of where the ashes may eventually end up.

Indeed.

Even if it's at the crematorium.
Middlesex: KING,  MUMFORD, COOK, ROUSE, GOODALL, BROWN
Oxford: MATTHEWS, MOSS
Kent: SPOONER, THOMAS, KILLICK, COLLINS
Cambs: PRIGG, LEACH
Hants: FOSTER
Montgomery: BREES
Surrey: REEVE

Online KGarrad

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Re: Where are the bodies... ?
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 08 March 18 22:30 GMT (UK) »
My friend's father died at the beginning of February, in Bedford (where he had lived for 30 years).
He was cremated in Bedford - but the ashes sent by courier to the Isle of Man!
A former mariner, his ashes are to be scattered at sea.

No chance of finding that in the future?

And, a year or so ago, father-in-law was cremated on Isle of Man; ashes scattered at Old Trafford  ;D
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)