Burial, Cardiff

[Juliepen]

Hi All,

My grandfather died in 1956 from TB, and donated his body to medical science at Cardiff Hospital.  Does anyone know where I can find out if there were any burials for such people, and if so, where he would be buried.

Thanks

Julie
xxx

[CaroleW]

Hi

I would think you would need to contact Cardiff Hospital for that information

[osprey]

Do you have his death certificate to tell you which of the hospitals in Cardiff he died in? The Heath is the teaching hospital now, but it didn't open until 1971.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiff_and_Vale_University_Health_Board

This link shows the present hospitals, but there were more at the time of his death and some will have changed their purpose.

The main cemetery in Cardiff is Cathays. The bereavement service has an index to many of the years, so you could ask them to check.

http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/content.asp?nav=2868%2C4407%2C4413&parent_directory_id=2865&id=421

[Juliepen]

Hi there,

Thanks Carol, and Osprey. 

Osprey,

I don't have his death certificate, but he died at home in Coelbren, and I understand it was his wish to donate.  My father knows little about his death, not even if his body was accepted!!  He was 10 years old when his mother died, and only 14 when his father died, and was not even party to the funeral arrangements(if there were any).  I have emailed the human tissue resource people today, to see if they hold any records anywhere.  If not, I think I will have to look in Onllwyn and Glynneath cemeteries to see if he is buried there.  I will also try the bereavement service.

Thanks
Julie
xx

[osprey]

by total coincidence, I've just read something in a family history magazine about something similar. Someone indexing cremation records noticed a gap of about 2 years between date of death & date of cremation. Apparently, the bodies were used for about that length of time for research, and then the remains cremated. Also, the bodies were from various parts of the country, so you may have to look further afield.

 

[Juliepen]

Hi Osprey,

Such is life!  No-one ever said family treeing was easy, or cheap for that matter.

Thanks for the information.  Two years is a long time.  I can't imagine there was much left to cremate after that length of time.

I'll keep hunting

Julie
xxx

[Juliepen]

Hi all,

Update to this.

I emailed the human tissue centre, based in Cardiff, and gave them the details, as they deal with organ donation etc nowadays, and asked if they had any records pertaining to old donations.

I had an email this morning from a very nice lady who had looked through old files  for my Grandfather.

She found him, giving details of when his body was donated, where he lived, when and where he was buried, what he died of, and even a grave number in Western Cemetery, Cardiff.

And yes Osprey, there were 22 months between time of donation of body and burial.....

Result!!

Julie
xxx

[osprey]

glad that worked out so well for you!