London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

City of London 1905

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]

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54
welcomed by them. Prejudice for many 'years has to a great extent been
responsible for the slow growth of cremation in this country ; there are,
however, clear indications of its coming into greater favour.
That such is the case is shown by the following tabulated statement giving
the number of bodies cremated annually since the Woking installation was
established in 1885.. The several towns where Crematoria are erected are
shown, and the date of opening them indicated in the first column.
Thirteen Crematoria are now in operation in this country, four of which
were opened during 1905.

Table: CREMATIONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, 21 Years—1885.1905.

CREMATIONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM,

21 Years—1885.1905.

188610....................................10
188713....................................13
188828....................................28
188946....................................46
189054....................................54
189199....................................99
18921043.................................107
189310130.................................131
189412547.................................172
1895150581..............................209
18961375210..............................199
189717351167...........................247
1898240621223...........................337
1899240881623...........................367
1900301832040...........................444
190127396183717........................441
19022758120541315..................449
190314392243818515831............482
1904138981942208220177............569
190595973535151625222416971604
Totals2,74893819129983306354212169715,011

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. "Viscount Cross in the year 1879 forbid the practice of cremation there (Woking) under the threat of
" passing an Act to make it illegal .... But in 1884 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 thereby 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.