Jeanette Pickersgill
Encyclopedia
In 1885 Jeanette Pickersgill became the first person to be officially cremated in the United Kingdom
when she was cremated at Woking Crematorium
in Woking
, Surrey
. The The Times
described her as "a well-known figure in literary and scientific circles". She died on March 20 and was cremated six days later.
The cremation took 1 hour and 15 minutes and the notes in the cremation register record that the remains were later taken to Golders Green Crematorium
's East Columbarium. The great concern at the time was that the person may not be actually dead. The thought of being burned alive was too shocking for the Victorians to contemplate. So for the first time it took two doctors to certify death.
By year's end, only 3 cremations took place out of 597,357 deaths in the UK. At that time cremation was championed by the Cremation Society of Great Britain
. By 1901, with 6 crematoria established, only 427 cremations took place out of 551,585 deaths - less than one-tenth of one percent. However, by the end of the century (2000), over 240 crematoria were in use. Over 70% of the deceased were cremated (437,609 out of 611,960 deaths).
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
when she was cremated at Woking Crematorium
Woking Crematorium
Woking Crematorium is a crematorium in Woking, a large town in the west of Surrey, England. Established in 1878, it was the first custom-built crematorium in the United Kingdom and is closely linked to the history of cremation in this country.-Location:...
in Woking
Woking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. The The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
described her as "a well-known figure in literary and scientific circles". She died on March 20 and was cremated six days later.
The cremation took 1 hour and 15 minutes and the notes in the cremation register record that the remains were later taken to Golders Green Crematorium
Golders Green Crematorium
Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000, and was opened in 1902 by Sir Henry Thompson....
's East Columbarium. The great concern at the time was that the person may not be actually dead. The thought of being burned alive was too shocking for the Victorians to contemplate. So for the first time it took two doctors to certify death.
By year's end, only 3 cremations took place out of 597,357 deaths in the UK. At that time cremation was championed by the Cremation Society of Great Britain
Cremation Society of Great Britain
The Cremation Society of Great Britain is an special interest organisation that advocates cremation in the United Kingdom.-The beginnings:Cremation was not legal in Great Britain until 1885, but interest in this form of burial emerged during the second half of the 19th century from ideas that...
. By 1901, with 6 crematoria established, only 427 cremations took place out of 551,585 deaths - less than one-tenth of one percent. However, by the end of the century (2000), over 240 crematoria were in use. Over 70% of the deceased were cremated (437,609 out of 611,960 deaths).
See also
- CremationCremationCremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
- Dr. William PriceWilliam Price (doctor)William Price was a Welsh physician who achieved notoriety for his support of Welsh nationalism, Chartism and his involvement with the Neo-Druidic religious movement...
ithe eccentric WelshWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
physician whose prosecution confirmed the legality of cremation in England and WalesEngland and WalesEngland and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
.