A one way ticket on the Necropolis Railway to Brookwood Cemetary

[Andy_T]

Some great links and reading recommendations, already posted by roots contributors and I especially like the BBC link posted by Edward Scott to the article By Amanda Ruggeri18 October 2016.                                                                                                 
I can hear the pompous voice of William Mervyn who played the Bishop in the BBC sitcom All Gas and Gaiters when I read the following quotation:
 
“The pairing of grief and efficiency may seem a little jarring. It did then, too.           
“I consider it improper,” sniffed the Bishop of London, testifying on the proposal before a House of Commons Select Committee in 1842.                                                       
“At present we are not sufficiently habituated to that mode of traveling not to consider the hurry and bustle connected with it as inconsistent with the solemnity of a Christian funeral.”

This BBC article for procedure and pricing is very informative: 
“ The train — outfitted with leather straps to keep the coffins secure — would carry both the mourners and deceased. Fares were capped by the Act of Parliament that had established the railway, and remained constant throughout the railway’s lifetime: six shillings for a return first-class ticket (in 1854, this was worth about £25 in today’s terms), down to two shillings (about £8) in third. For the dead, it cost £1 in first class and 2s 6d in third. “

Andy_T

[Edward Scott]

This is article is also relevant to some of the reasons for the opening of Brookwood.

https://lookup.london/aldgate-pump/

You may wish to avoid reading this over food 

Edward

[wyndham]

There is a very good book entitled "The Brookwood Necropolis Railway" by John M. Clarke and published by Oakwood Press in 2006 (4th edition).  It also contains an excellent bibliography.  It should be noted that Oakwood Press is now part of Stenlake Publishing.

[Ruskie]

A good read: By Catharine Arnold - Necropolis, London and its dead. Pub. 2006.

I also recommend this very enlightening book. 

[groom]

Just wondering what the difference was between first and second class for the dead? Maybe first class allowed the coffin to travel in its own carriage, but second class had several packed in the same one?

[Skoosh]

Coffins were routinely despatched by rail in the Highlands, stitched into sackcloth by the undertaker & loaded into the guards-van, they possibly still are? I shared an empty platform one snowy night some 40 years ago with an unattended coffin bound for Kyle! I asked the porter if that was what I thought it was? he assured me that it would be no bother at all! 

Skoosh.

[Mart 'n' Al]

This is article is also relevant to some of the reasons for the opening of Brookwood.

https://lookup.london/aldgate-pump/

Edward

You should always quote your sources!  Especially communal pumps.

Martin

[majm]

    
Coincidences ...  Brookwood v Rookwood, Necropolis,  funeral trains,  dedicated railway stations, Waterloo....   I am reminded that in Sydney New South Wales, Australia, there's Rookwood Cemetery...

Rookwood Cemetery (Rookwood Necropolis)  http://www.rookwoodcemetery.com.au/  It is still operating, and back in the 1860s right through to the 1930s, the NSW government railways operated a train service from the Mortuary Station at Central Station, to Rookwood.    Rookwood includes an entire CWGC Cemetery.   Rookwood is the largest of the Victorian era cemeteries that are still operating in the world. 

https://www.tracesmagazine.com.au/2017/06/historic-rookwood-mortuary-station-opens-to-the-public/ 

http://www.rookwoodcemetery.com.au/about-us/tours

http://www.rookwoodcemetery.com.au/

https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research  enter 'mortuary railway' brings up several photos of the railway station within Rookwood cemetery

https://trove.nla.gov.au/picture enter keywords eg Rookwood Cemetery or Mortuary

And,  I should also add that there's a Sydney suburb named Waterloo.   



JM

[BushInn1746]

I'm afraid 100s of dead were taken in Army trucks to Brookwood, after the exercise on Slapton Sands, Devon, England, was badly planned and also went badly wrong.

When a ship protecting left and enemy vessels opened fire, along with friendly fire and firing of live rounds on our own men to make it realistic, but it was killing them and our men were only training!!   

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Regarding prices, the only prices I have are for 1940 England, Great Britain and are as follows:-

Funeral Directors (FD) to collect Airmen from two sites at Eastleigh, England and take to RAF Calshot, England in coffins, was £4, 15 shillings (£4.75) each Airman.

Rail Cost in 1940
To "Putting on rail" at Eastleigh for a Manchester, England, Burial, it was 10/- (or 10 shillings) 50 new pence / 50 pence extra, making a total of £5, 5 shillings (£5.25 total) with Funeral Directors charges.

Todays Purchasing Power, 2017
Using the TNA Calculator £4, 15 shillings in 1940, was £186.90 in 2017.

Although the RAF drove the coffins from the RAF Air Station to the cemetery, supplied a Marching Party, Uniformed pall bearers and supplied an RAF band, per RAF photographs of the funeral.

Grave Digger
I suppose the RAF paid the church separately for the Grave Digger, which is a separate charge anyway, added on top of the Funeral Directors charges today.

Mark