Here is a question for you re a burial

[Fi & Lilly]

If you have a rellie living in Essex but who died in a hospital in London, where would you expect him to be buried in 1947? I would appreciate your opinions on this.

Thanks

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

If he still had family living in Essex, then I would expect him to be buried there.

[Janet]

Fi and Lilly,

There is no straight answer to this because it would all depend how much money was available to spend on transport back to where he lived as to whether or not he was buried near the hospital or taken back to his home town.

I had an ancestor who died in a hospital in Torquay Devon in 1866 and was transported back to Northamptonshire for burial and I have seen his gravestone in the Northants village he is buried which states quite clearly that he died in Torquay and I have the death cert that shows this was the case. However I would have said this was more unusual than usual. Your own case is 1947 and money then just two years after the war ended was very tight with everthing still on ration, the coldest winter for many years so you have to think of all the possibilities. If they took him back to Essex then I would be surprised if there is not a headstone? I presume you have tried all possible Essex cemeteries?

Janet

[Little Nell]

Buried in family plot if there was one or maybe cremated.

[Little Nell]

My gt grandad died in North London but was buried in Norfolk. This was in 1917.

[maggie_4_7]

Essex isn't far from London and I expect if he lived in Essex before dying in a London Hospital and family were still there that's where he would be buried.

I would expect the cost for that journey would be tied up with the funeral directors bill who would go get him from the hospital after death on instructions from the family or person organising it with the appropriate form.

But if he didn't have family or anyone in Essex to claim or sort it out, its possible it would be a cemetary close to the hospital or a cemetary that the preferred funeral director of the hospital used or the coroner if a coroner was involved which is likely if he had no living relatives or friends to claim him!

Unless of course he left instructions and had 'money' for those instructions to be carried out then I would assume back in Essex or somewhere where he wanted or stipulated.

That's what happens today and I expect thats probably what would have happened in 1947 although probably not quite as thorough.

[Phoenix]

In view of Janet's comments, there may not have been many cremations at the time (coal was in very short supply) but that's another alternative.

I've heard it said of EE Nesbitt's husband (so relatively recently) that everyone knows when he died, but not where he is buried.

[Phoenix]

NB now that we are back from Colindale, some newspapers have lists of burials and cremations. And in those days, you often got reports of funerals as well as deaths.

[Fi & Lilly]

I planned to look at a relevant paper for that Brenda but ran out of time.

Maybe another time if i cant sort it before.

Thanks all

[maggie_4_7]

I would start with Essex burials, local newspaper obituaries etc.

If you know the hospital its possible you could get their records but there's a process for that and I don't think its simple, that's if they still have them in the archive. I don't know if it tells who claimed the body or not to be honest.

Who registered his death?

I would get the death certificate if you haven't already. If he had relatives or friends they probably registered it.

[Penelope]

Redacted

[maggie_4_7]

I think it would be significant as to who registered the death to be honest.

[Fi & Lilly]

I have his death cert already and I have tried the churches and council cemetery's too. Still not found him in the area local to his home in Essex.

Thanks again. I will ring the relevant London Councils tomorrow iw ehre he died and where his daughter (my nan) lived who registered the death

[maggie_4_7]

I have his death cert already and I have tried the churches and council cemetery's too. Still not found him in the area local to his home in Essex.

Thanks again. I will ring the relevant London Councils tomorrow iw ehre he died and where his daughter (my nan) lived who registered the death

I would expect that he is buried close to where your Nan lived and he probably lived then at that time - if its the same place. Most likely near where she lived if they lived in two different areas.

Edit to say: Which hospital did he die in? Having read your reply again do you mean your nan lived in the area of the hospital he died in?

[Olde Crone Holden]

My greatgrandfather died in 1949 and was buried in the family grave, which was some 70 miles from where he had lived for most of his adult life.

His parents were both in the grave, as was his wife. The grave had been bought in the 1870s.

I don't think you can ever say with certainty where someone might be buried, until you find their grave!

OC

[maggie_4_7]

No its never definite until you find them.

We're just giving the probables, the likely place to start searching first.

As in the clue in 1947 might be in the person that registered the death and where they lived and what relation to the deceased they were.

Not everybody has private plots/graves in fact I would say a great percentage of people are buried in public graves.

If a family goes to the trouble of buying a family plot/grave then I would assume they had money so anyone of that immediate family that was supposed to be in it would end up in it. Unfortunately that isn't the case for most people not then and not now.

[Uncle John]

The time of year might be significant. 1947 had a hard winter with deep snow for months on end and a severe fuel shortage, so it's possible his burial or cremation took place months later.

[Fi & Lilly]

I am feeling rather upset now.

My mum has always told me that my Nan and Grandad's ashes were scattered in the same area of a crematorium. I remember my Nan's funeral very well and I will also always remember the days running up to it.

I have made a couple of calls this morning to council's local to where my Great Grandfather died to find his burial. He died in St Stephen's Hospital in Fulham, (now Chelsea and Westminster Hospital (or Westminster and Chelsea).

Anyway I called the Cemetries department of Wandsworth Council and got through to a particular Crematorium. They explained the procedures in searching and said I could also go and visit and look it up myself. Ok I thought. Then knowing my grandparents ashes had been scattered there I asked about them and was told they had come records on their computer. She looked my nan up and said that her ashes were taken away by a relative (aunt) and asked if permission would have been given for her to do this. I assumed it would be. I then said that if they had come back to scatter the ashes somewhere could they just do this. She said that they would have a record of it.

Now bearing in mind Nan died years after Granddad why would she take them away?

Another Borough who I called about Great Grandfather's burial do their searches on Fridays so they will let me know if they find him or not by phone.

[kylejustin]

it looks like such a headache to find out where your ancestors are buried in england. over here in victoria, the death cert tells you the date and place of burial/cremation and witnesses of it.

best of luck, i had a hard time tracking my great grandparents cremations.
just be tough, and keep at it until you get some info.

[BC]

If he had no family/friends/money etc. then he would be buried ' on the parish ' i.e. all arrangements and costs would be borne by the local council They have lists of funeral directors used for these burials. This might be the place to start and it would probably be a cremation as this is cheaper than a burial.