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Frequently Asked
Questions
How many people use cremation today
in Great Britain?
Are there any religious groups which
forbid cremation to their members?
Is cremation dearer than burial?
What religious ceremony can I have
with cremation?
Must there be any religious ceremony
with cremation?
How is a cremation arranged?
Do I have to sign anything else
at this stage?
What can happen to the ashes then?
What is the Garden of Remembrance
at a crematorium?
What memorials are possible at
the crematorium?
What happens at the crematorium
on the day of the funeral?
How can I be sure that the correct
body is cremated?
What happens to the coffin after
the committal?
Does the cremation take place immediately
or are the coffins stored up until a number are
ready to be cremated?
Is the coffin cremated with the
body?
What happens about the handles
and other coffin fittings?
What about precious and other metals?
What would you recommend to people
about leaving items of jewellery on a body?
Is more that one coffin cremated
at one time in a cremator?
Can relatives witness the committal
of the coffin to the cremator?
How do I know I shall get the right
ashes?
Preparation of the ashes has been
mentioned. What does this entail?
What do the prepared ashes consist
of?
If ashes are strew on the ground,
what happens to them?
What can I do if I want to bury
the ashes and have a gravestone?
Can I keep the ashes if I want
to or must I dispose of them?
How can I ensure that I am cremated
when I die?
How
many people use cremation today in Great Britain?
1968 was the first year in which there were more
cremations than burials. Now cremation is used
in almost 70% of all funerals.
Are
there any religious groups which forbid cremation
to their members?
Yes. It is forbidden by the Orthodox Jews and
Moslems. It is normal method for Sikhs, Hindus,
Parsees and Buddhists. All Christian denominations
allow cremation.
Is
cremation dearer than burial?
No. Generally the cost of a grave is much higher
than the fees 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 dose not apply to burials. With cremation
there are no later costs for headstones, grave
care, etc., which arise with burials.
What
religious ceremony can I have with cremation?
The service for burial and cremation is the same
apart from the form of committal sentences. 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, which usually
lasts for 20 minutes. You may arrange for your
own minister to conduct the service or you may
use the service of the Church of England rota
minister. The form of service should be arranged
with the minister and if hymns are to be sung
at the crematorium, the organist there should
be advised in advance.
Must
there be any religious ceremony with cremation?
No. This is not obligatory. A civil ceremony can
be conducted or there may be none at all. On occasions
a memorial service is conducted separately from
the cremation ceremony.
How
is a cremation arranged?
The Cremation Regulations are still quite complicated
and it is wisest to approach a funeral director
immediately death occurs and ask for a cremation
to be arranged. Discuss how soon you wish the
cremation 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 get
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.
Do
I have to sign anything else at this stage?
You will probably be asked how you wish to dispose
of the ashes. 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 ally authority.
Most crematoria will keep ashes for a month, giving
you time to make a decision.
What
can happen to the ashes then?
In most cases the ashes are strewn in the Gardens
of Remembrance at the crematorium. The alternative
is to remove the ashes from the crematorium in
a suitable urn for elsewhere. This may be by burial
in a family grave, by purchasing an Ash Plot for
burial of ashes in a cemetery, or by strewing
the ashes at another crematorium or in some favourite
spot. However, it must be borne in mind that when
ashes are strewn in other places, e.g. graves,
churchyards, etc., prior permission must be sought
and any local rules or regulations obeyed.
What
is the Garden of Remembrance at a crematorium?
The Garden of Remembrance consists of areas set
aside for the disposal of ashes. Usually these
areas have been dedicated for the representatives
of Christian churches. Ashes may be strewn without
any spot being reserved any one person nor are
individual memorials permitted to mark the spot.
This is because the areas are used again and again
over the years and will be for as long as the
crematorium is in operation.
What
memorials are possible at the crematorium?
Usually the only permanent form of memorial available
is an entry in the Book of Remembrance. This book
is displayed in a room in the Chapel and each
day the entries for that day are on display so
that a person is remembered on the anniversary
of the death. In some crematoriums it is also
possible to dedicate a rose bush or tree with
a small plaque but this is for a limited period
with the option of renewal on further payment.
The crematorium is able to accept donations of
such items as seats with a memorial inscription.
If you are anxious about memorial facilities at
the crematorium you should ask the funeral director
at the time of making the arrangements. This can
avoid disappointment at a later date.
What
happens at the crematorium on the day of the funeral?
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 may be obscured from view by
means of curtains closing in front of the catafalque
or the coffin may remain on view. At the end of
the service mourners leave the chapel and may
inspect the floral tributes before leaving.
How
can I be sure that the correct body is cremated?
The name plate on the coffin is checked with the
cremation order to ensure correct identity before
the service begins.
What
happens to the coffin after the committal?
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 labelled 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 ashes.
Does
the cremation take place immediately or are the
coffins stored up until a number are ready to
be cremated? 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 on the same day as the cremation service.
Is
the coffin cremated with the body?
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.
What
happens about the handles and other coffin fittings?
Crematorium regulations require that all fittings
shall be combustible material and normally the
handles and name plate are made of hard plastic.
Ferrous nails and screws do not burn but stay
with the ashes until they are withdrawn from the
cremator, when they are subjected to a magnetic
field which removes them
What
about precious and other metals?
The temperature at which a modern cremator operates
(between 800`C and 1000`C) is such that the 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 instruction
on the cremation authority and recommends that
this should be done by burial within the crematorium
grounds.
What
would you recommend to people about leaving items
of jewellery on a body?
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.
Is
more that one coffin cremated at one time in a
cremator?
No. The only exemptions permitted to this rule
are in the case of mother and baby or twin children
when the next of kin requests that the two be
cremated together.
Can
relatives witness the committal of the coffin
to the cremator?
Yes. Normally two people are permitted to attend
and the cemetery office should be advised in
advance of thin wish.
How
do I know I shall get the right ashes?
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 put into
it. The card stays there until the ashes are removed
and it is then transferred to the cooling tray.
The ashes then go to
the preparation room and the card stays with them,
finally being put in the urn which contains the
prepared ashes. As each cremator will only accept
one coffin and the ashes must be withdrawn before
the cremator is used again, all ashes are kept
separate throughout the process. The size of the
cremation chamber is 7ft. 6in. long by 2ft. 8in.
wide by 1ft. 10in. high.
Preparation
of the ashes has been mentioned. What does this
entail?
When the cremation is complete, that is when there
is no further combustion taking place, the ashes
are withdrawn from the cremator into a cooling
tray. Often cooling is accelerated by fan blowing
air. When cool, the ferrous material is removed.
The remaining ashes 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.
What
do the prepared ashes consist of?
The ashes are totally bone ash and usually weigh
between 4 and 6lbs. They are in a state which
will permit them to be strewn.
If
ashes are strew on the ground, what happens to
them?
As the highest biochemical activity exists at
the surface of the soil and the cremation ashes
are in a small granular form, weather and biochemical
action quickly break down the ashes to for part
of the earth and within a short time there is
no trace of them. Where ashes are strew it is
the practice to dress the area with suitable loam/sand
mixtures to cover the remains.
What
can I do if I want to bury the ashes and have
a gravestone?
In such a case it would be necessary to have the
ashes buried in a cemetery or churchyard where
provision is made for this to be done. The gardens
of the crematorium are not a burial ground within
statutory law.
Can
I keep the ashes if I want to or must I dispose
of them?
Applicants can do what they wish with the ashes
and may keep them.
How
can I ensure that I am cremated when I die?
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. |
