The death and funeral of a loved one is always a difficult time and often there are questions that need to be asked, but asking them is not easy. On this web page we set out to answer some of the questions often asked about the act of cremation…
A. 1968 was the year in which the number of cremations exceeded disposal by burial for the first time, since when the proportion has increased and now approaches 70 per cent of all funerals.
A. Yes. Today all Christian denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church, allow cremation but it is forbidden by Orthodox Jews and Moslems. It is the normal method for Sikhs, Hindus, Parsees and Buddhists.
A. No. Generally the cost of a grave is much higher than the fee charged for cremation. The funeral director's charges are much the same for both services. The only additional charge for cremation arises when the death has not been referred to the Coroner therefore fees to two doctors have to be paid for the necessary certificates. This does not apply to burial. With cremation there are no later costs for headstones, grave care, etc., which arise with burial.
A. The service for burial and cremation is the same apart from the form of committal sentences and the service may take place in one's own church or chapel with a short committal service in the crematorium chapel or the whole service may be conducted in the crematorium chapel You may arrange for your own minister to conduct the service. The form of service should be arranged with the minister and if hymns are to be sung at the crematorium, the organist should be advised in advance.
A. No. This is not obligatory a civic ceremony can be conducted or there may be none at all on occasions a memorial service is conducted separately from the cremation ceremony.
A. The Cremation Regulations are still quite complicated and it is wisest to approach a funeral director immediately death occurs and advise him that you desire to arrange for a cremation. Discuss with him how soon you wish the cremation to take place and whom you wish to officiate at the service, also the form of service. The funeral director will then do all that is needed to procure the necessary statutory forms for the cremation. You will need to sign the statutory Form A if you are the executor or the next of kin or are authorised by either to do so. The death will have to be registered and you will be advised how to do this.
A. You will probably be asked how you wish to dispose of the cremated remains. If you know what you want at this stage, you will be asked to sign an authority for the crematorium to carry out your wishes. If you are undecided, DO NOT sign any authority. Kingsdown Crematorium will retain cremated remains for a month, giving you time to make a decision.
A. In eighty per cent of cases the cremated remains are buried in the gardens of remembrance at the crematorium. The alternative is to remove the cremated remains from the crematorium in a suitable urn for disposal elsewhere. This may be by burial in a family grave or by strewing the cremated remains at another crematorium or in some favourite spot. However, it must be borne in mind that when cremated remains are strewn in other places, e.g. graves, churchyards, etc., prior permission must be sought and any local rules or regulations obeyed.
A. The gardens of remembrance consist of areas set aside for the disposal of cremated remains. No individual memorials are permitted in the gardens to mark the spot.
A. The only permanent form of memorial available is an entry in the Book of Remembrance. This book is usually displayed in a special Memorial Chapel and each day the entries for that day are on display so that a person is remembered on the anniversary of the death. For other memorials please see Memorialisation.
A. The coffin is usually brought into the chapel followed by the mourners in procession. While it is being placed on the catafalque the mourners take their seats and the service proceeds. At the moment when the committal of the body takes place the coffin is obscured from view by means of curtains closing across the catafalque. At the end of the service mourners leave the chapel and may inspect the floral tributes before leaving.
A. It is withdrawn into a committal room where the name plate of the coffin is checked with the cremation order to ensure correct identity. The coffin is then labeled with a card prepared by the crematorium giving all the relevant information. This card will stay with the body from now on until the final disposal of the cremated remains.
A. Where possible the cremation will follow immediately after the service. The Code of Cremation Practice, which is adhered to by the members of the Federation of British Cremation Authorities, requires that the cremation shall take place within 24 hours of the service. This is usually on the same day.
A. Yes. The Code requires that nothing must be removed from the coffin after it has been received from the chapel and it must be placed into the cremator exactly as received.
A. Crematorium regulations require that all coffin and fittings be manufactured from environmentally friendly materials. Normally the handles and name plate are today made of hard plastic. Ferrous nails and screws do not burn and stay with the cremated remains until they are withdrawn from the cremator when they are subjected to a magnetic field, which removes them.
A. The temperature at which a modern cremator operates (between 850°C - 1,000'C) is such that such metals are fused with other material so that they are not recognisable. The Code of Practice states that any metallic material resulting from a cremation should be disposed of in accordance with the instructions of the cremation authority and recommends that this should be done by burial at a depth within the crematorium grounds.
A. The best advice is that it should be removed after death unless it is intended that it should be cremated. Once the coffin has been placed in the chapel there is no way of recovering such items.
A. No. The only exceptions permitted to this rule are in the case of a mother and baby or twin children when the next of kin requests that the two be cremated together.
A. Yes. Normally two persons are permitted to attend and the Superintendent should be advised in advance of this wish.
A. As explained, each coffin is identified on arrival and the identity card is placed on the outside of the cremator as soon as the coffin is placed into it. The card stays there until the cremated remains are removed and it is then transferred to the cooling tray. The cremated remains then go into the preparation room and the card stays with them, finally being placed in the urn, which contains the prepared remains. As each cremator will only accept one coffin and the cremated remains must be withdrawn before the cremator is used again, all cremation ashes are kept separate throughout the process. The size of the cremation chamber is about 7 ft. long by 2 ft. 6 ins. wide by 2 ft. 3 ins. high.
A. When the cremation is complete, that is when there is no further combustion taking place, the cremated remains are withdrawn from the cremator into a cooling tray. When cool, the ferrous material is removed by means of a magnetic field. The remaining cremated remains are then placed into a machine, which reduces the remains to a fine white ash. All non-ferrous metals are cleared and disposed of in accordance with the Code of Practice.
A. The cremated remains are now totally bone ash and weigh usually between 4 and 6 Ibs. They are in a state, which will permit them to be strewn.
A. In such a case it would be necessary to have the cremated remains buried in a cemetery or churchyard where provision is made for this to be done. The gardens at Kingsdown Crematorium are not a burial ground within statutory law and when the cremated remains are buried there it is merely an extension of the idea of strewing and the cremated remains are not enclosed in an urn.
A. The applicant may do what he wishes with cremated remains and may keep them with him if this is desired.
A. Clear instructions in writing should be given to the person who will be responsible for your funeral when you die. Such instructions are not binding in law so you should ensure that the person instructed is someone who is likely to carry out your wishes. The final decision will rest with your executors.
A. Telephone or visit Kingsdown Crematorium and discuss the matter with the Superintendent there. He will be pleased to answer your queries and conduct you through the crematorium to see how it is operated.Telephone Number (01793) 822259.
Issued from the Office of the Secretary of British Cremation Authorities of which Kingsdown Crematorium is a member.
Accessibility Guideline Notes
|