Ashes Not Collected

[Tierneylass]

Hi

This is something that is very personal to me and probably has no answer but here goes...
Would there be any way I could find out what became of a family members ashes that were never collected from 1978!!

Southern Cemetery Crematorium -  Manchester?

I can hardly just ring up and ask about them I presume? Would they have just been thrown away? (sniff sniff) Is there a standard procedure for that sort of thing? I really need to know once and for all what would have happened to them as its a very close family member.

Any advice apreciated

Tierneylass

[suey]

I can hardly just ring up and ask about them

Why not?, give them a call, you might be pleasantly surprised.  I don't know the protocol in these cases but I would assume that the ashes were probably scattered in an area of the crematorium grounds.  Most have a memorial garden or something similar.

Give them a ring  and good luck

Suey

[onefortheroad]

What's wrong with phoning the crematorium and asking?

You can bet it won't be the first time they've had this kind of request.

As far as I understand it, ashes are still classed as human remains. Therefore I would think there's probably a law against simply throwing them away. And if the've been scattered, there's likely to be a record of where and when.

One thing's for sure :  If you don't ask, you won't find out

David.

[Viktoria]

Hello Tierneyclass, this happened to my mother`s ashes. Dad had asked for a niche  so her ashes were kept at the crematorium as there was a long waiting  list . In the meantime dad developed cancer and was of course very ill. We recieved notification much later that Mum`s ashes had been scattered on the Garden of Remembrance as they had not been claimed . Whether Dad ever got any communication saying  the niche was available  or  the ashes were to be claimed we`ll never know because Dad died suddenly before things were sorted out . So we`ll never know and no-one was there to say a prayer or take flowers . We visited of course and the garden is a lovely plot with rose bushes and we had her name entered in the book on her birthday  but that is all we have, and memories of course. But there will be records I`m sure. It`s worth enquiring.                                   On Sunday as I have no Mum ( she died in 1957) she will be remembered by name in Chuch as I send aid -via The Mothers` Union- to a grandmas in Africa bringing up  their  grandchildren orphaned through A.I.D.S.   My donation  will provide seeds and tools and a hen and chicks  etc so people there can start to become self sufficient. I think it is a good way to remember someone who  otherwise  only has a little anonymous area of grass as her final resting place, beside the one in my heart. Viktoria.,

[Tierneylass]

Hi

thanks for that information....what a lovely idea to honour someone in a practical way.
It is my dad's ashes that were never collected...I hope they were at least placed in the garden of rememberance as his father and mother are also buried in the cemetary so at least thats something!
I will try to pluck up the courage to ring...I thought they would think it terrible to be asking after 32 years!

thanks again folks

[nigelp]

I believe the Cremation Regulations 1930 (replaced in 2008) were the relevant Regulations in force in 1978. They provide for the following:

16. After the cremation of the remains of a deceased person the ashes shall be given into the charge of the person who applied for the cremation if he so desires. If not, they shall be retained by the Cremation Authority and, in the absence of any special arrangement for their burial or preservation, they shall either be decently interred in a burial ground or in land adjoining the crematorium reserved for the burial of ashes, or shall be scattered thereon. In the case of ashes left temporarily in the charge of the cremation authority and not removed within a reasonable time, a fortnight's notice shall be given to the person who applied for the cremation before the remains are interred or scattered.

Nigel

[Tierneylass]

Hi

thank you for that information...i always have had nightmares of them been thrown into the bin!!!
On the other hand does that mean that someone was notifyed to collect them and didn't let anyone know of their decision not to collect them...as opposed to just forgetting..!!
Still I will give them a ring at the Crem and see if they can tell me anything.

Many thanks

Tl

[Evie]

Hi

The crematorium does keep a record. This is a cropped reply I gave on another thread.

The record states name, date of death but not date of birth, the address of the deceased, the applicants name and address, when the cremation took place and what happened to the ashes

Evie

[nigelp]

On the other hand does that mean that someone was notifyed to collect them and didn't let anyone know of their decision not to collect them...as opposed to just forgetting..!!
Still I will give them a ring at the Crem and see if they can tell me anything.

In the absence of instructions I believe many crematoria in England currently retain ashes for 3 months after the cremation. In accordance with the Crematorium Regulations they must then give a fortnight's notice to the person who requested the cremation of their intention to have the ashes scattered or interred in the absence of alternative instructions. In the absence of a reply they will then normally scatter the ashes in the garden of remembrance and record the date of the event in their records.

Accordingly, the person who requested the cremation should have received notification in accordance with the Cremation Regulations. Would they have been happy to have had them, say, scattered in the garden of remembrance rather than collect them and, therefore, chosen not to reply?

Nigel