Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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CREMATIONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.
49 Years—1885-1933.
YEAR. | Woking.* | Manchester. | Glasgow. | Liverpool. | Hull. | Darlington. | Leicester. | Golder's Green. | Birmingham | Leeds. | City of London. | Sheffield. | Bradford. | W. Norwood. | Hendon Park. | Pontypridd. | Bristol. | Ipswich. | Edinburgh. | Brighton. | Guernsey. | Nottingham. | Reading. (Opened Aug., 1932) | Southampton. (Opened July, 1982) | No. of Cremations each year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1885 | 3 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 3 |
1886 | 10 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 10 |
1887 | 13 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 13 |
1888 | 28 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 28 |
1889 | 46 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 46 |
1890 | 54 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 54 |
1891 | 99 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 99 |
1892 | 104 | 3 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 107 |
1893 | 101 | 30 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 131 |
1894 | 125 | 47 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 172 |
1895 | 150 | 58 | 1 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 209 |
1896 | 137 | 52 | 10 | 2 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 201 |
1897 | 173 | 51 | 16 | 10 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 250 |
1898 | 240 | 62 | 12 | 27 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 341 |
1899 | 240 | 88 | 16 | 23 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 367 |
1900 | 301 | 83 | 20 | 40 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 444 |
1901 | 273 | 96 | 18 | 40 | 17 | 1 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | .... | ... | 445 |
1902 | 275 | 81 | 20 | 54 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 5 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 451 |
1903 | 143 | 92 | 24 | 35 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 158 | 1 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 477 |
1904 | 138 | 98 | 19 | 40 | 20 | 7 | 8 | 220 | 19 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 569 |
1905 | 95 | 97 | 35 | 35 | 15 | 4 | 16 | 252 | 22 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 1 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 604 |
1906 | 140 | 90 | 44 | 46 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 298 | 25 | 15 | 23 | 6 | 14 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 743 |
1907 | 108 | 98 | 30 | 34 | 29 | 8 | 12 | 290 | 33 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 13 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 707 |
1908 | 119 | 116 | 28 | 32 | 37 | 6 | 14 | 364 | 18 | 24 | 19 | 12 | 6 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 795 |
1909 | 105 | 106 | 30 | 46 | 15 | 9 | 19 | 421 | 30 | 19 | 24 | 18 | 13 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 855 |
1910 | 106 | 114 | 28 | 37 | 21 | 9 | 16 | 415 | 38 | 12 | 22 | 8 | 14 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 840 |
1911 | 114 | 124 | 39 | 50 | 25 | 12 | 13 | 542 | 44 | 17 | 20 | 10 | 13 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1,023 |
1912 | 125 | 149 | 44 | 52 | 27 | 15 | 14 | 591 | 40 | 24 | 32 | 12 | 9 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1,134 |
1913 | 128 | 172 | 49 | 66 | 23 | 11 | 11 | 602 | 59 | 16 | 21 | 15 | 15 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1,188 |
1914 | 124 | 184 | 57 | 48 | 16 | 11 | 7† | 671 | 53 | 28 | 42 | 20 | 18 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1,279 |
1915 | 153 | 165 | 63 | 54 | 34 | 16 | 22 | 730 | 45 | 20 | 45 | 21 | 12 | 30 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | .... | ... | ... | 1,410 |
1916 | 125 | 179 | 71 | 58 | 25 | 10 | 23 | 633 | 63 | 22 | 43 | 14 | 11 | 89 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1,366 |
1917 | 129 | 178 | 67 | 62 | 24 | 15 | 34 | 719 | 49 | 17 | 68 | 25 | 10 | 118 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1,515 |
1918 | 142 | 197 | 74 | 69 | 43 | 17 | 42 | 820 | 64 | 34 | 70 | 50 | 20 | 153 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1,795 |
1919 | 181 | 235 | 84 | 89 | 46 | 26 | 36 | 919 | 76 | 30 | 68 | 41 | 31 | 169 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | .... | ... | ... | 2,031 |
1920 | 149 | 203 | 80 | 69 | 30 | 18 | 32 | 851 | 72 | 26 | 58 | 32 | 20 | 156 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | .... | ... | ... | 1,796 |
1921 | 159 228 | 87 | 75 | 43 | 20 | 36 | 893 | 78 | 31 | 57 | 29 | 24 | 162 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | .... | ... | 1,922 | |
1922 | 193 | 189 | 75 | 74 | 45 | 17 | 23 | 939 | 98 | 31 | 70 | 38 | 25 | 186 | 6 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | .... | ... | 2,009 |
1923 | 170 | 227 | 90 | 62 | 45 | 21 | 36 | 920 | 75 | 27 | 69 | 37 | 23 | 178 | 6 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1.986 |
1924 | 235 | 251 | 82 | 74 | 47 | 28 | 40 | 1,114 | 97 | 47 | 68 | 32 | 24 | 240 | 7 | 4 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 2,390 |
1925 | 271 | 287 | 116 | 75 | 41 | 32 | 57 | 1,214 | 126 | 48 | 66 | 48 | 32 | 266 | 7 | 14 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 2,700 |
1926 | 305 | 303 | 98 | 96 | 55 | 33 | 70 | 1,270 | 128 | 40 | 84 | 43 | 32 | 299 | 8 | 13 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | .... | ... | 2,877 |
1927 | 320 | 357 129 | 101 | 70 | 38 | 68 | 1,459 | 150 | 59 | 95 | 57 | 50 | 279 | 11 | 22 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | .... | ... | ... | 3,265 | |
1928 | 344 | 367 141 | 103 | 72 | 39 | 61 | 1,483 | 157 | 60 | 103 | 51 | 45 | 306 | 11 | 20 71 | 2 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 3,436 | ||
1929 | 426 | 443 185 | 103 | 97 | 55 | 124 | 1,797 | 205 | 66 | 99 | 81 | 47 | 410 | 14 | 28 | 116 | 37 | 20 | ... | ... | .... | ... | ... | 4,353 | |
1930 | 446 | 442 | 121 | 160 | 84 | 52 | 119 | 1,787 | 180 | 73 | 112 | 59 | 49 | 390 | 12 | 40 | 143 | 55 | 125 | 78 | 6 | ... | .... | ... | 4,533 |
1931 | 476 508 | 158 | 163 | 128 | 62 | 89 | 1,866 | 257 | 109 | 112 | 87 | 77 | 415 | 13 | 43 | 177 | 68 | 169 | 144 | 4 | 70 | .... | ... | 5,196 | |
1932 | 446 | 626 | 165 | 171 | 126 | 77 | 94 | 2,245 | 307 | 116 | 158 | 84 | 123 | 480 | 13 | 51 | 237 | 94 | 266 | 263 | 9 | 74 | 13 | 77 | 6,316 |
1933 | 447 | 674 | 202 | 247 | 148 | 128 | 122 | 2,396 | 395 | 153 | 192 | 108 | 101 | 624 | 10 | 84 | 300 | 120 | 359 | 300 | 20 | 90 | 67 | 193 | 7,480 |
Totals | 8,934! 8,150 | 2,613 | 2,622 | 1,497 | 816 1,273 | 28884 | 3,004 | 1196 | 1,868 | 1063 | 870 | 4,951 | 120 | 319 | 1044 | 376 | 939 | 785 | 39 | 234 | 80 270 | 71947 |
Viscount Cross in the year 1879 forbade the practice of cremation there (Woking) under the threat of passing an Act to make it
“illegal But in I884 appeared the well-known judgment of Mr. Justice Stephen, which, in the case of a child's body having been
“burned by its father contrary to the order of the coroner, determined cremation to be a legal act, provided no nuisance be caused there“by
to others.”—Extract from speech made by the late Sir Henry Thompson at the opening of Golder's Green Crematorium, 22nd November,
1902. Vide "Transactions of Cremation Society of England, 1903." p. 31.
†Closed for reconstruction from August, 1913, to July, 1911.
CREMATION.
The Sanitary Committee of the City Corporation, acting as the Burial Board for the
City of London, had before them, in the early part of the year, the question of enlarging
the use of the Crematorium which they had established at the City of London Cemetery,
which is situated at Manor Park, E. It was felt that the excellent provision which it had
made for this the most desirable method of disposal of the dead was not sufficiently known