London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of London 1924
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
This page requires JavaScript
CREMATIONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. 40 YEARS—1885.1924.
| YEAR. | Woking.* | Manchester. | Glasgow. | Liverpool. | Hull. | Darlington. | Leicester. | Golder's Green | Birmingham. | Leeds. | City of London. | Sheffield. | Bradford. | W. Norwood. | Hendon Park. | Pontypridd. | 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 | l | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | 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 | l | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | 445 |
| 1902 | 275 | 81 | 20 | 54 | 13 | 2 | l | 5 | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | 451 |
| 1903 | 143 | 92 | 24 | 35 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 158 | l | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ | 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 | l | ........ | ........ | ........ | 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 |
| 1921 | 235 | 251 | 82 | 74 | 47 | 23 | 40 | 1,114 | 97 | 47 | 68 | 32 | 24 | 240 | 7 | 4 | 2,390 |
| Totals | 5,453 | 4,143 | 1,313 1,403 | 675 | 297 | 472 | 13367 | 1,099 | 472 | 847 | 445 | 316 | 1,481 | 19 | 4 | 31,805 | |
* " Viscount Cross in the year 1879 forbade the practice of cremation there (Wokin;) 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 there.
" by to others."—Extract from speech made by th late Sir Heiry Thomoson at the opening of Golder's Green Crematorium, 22nd Nov.
" ember, 1902. Vide " Transactions of Cremation Society of England, 1903." p. 31.
f Closed for reconstruction from August, 1913, to July, 1914.
EXHUMATION AND REINTERMENT OF BODIES AT THE
CITY OF LONDON CEMETERY.
During the year the bodies of 5 persons buried at the City of London Cemetery
at Ilford have been exhumed and subsequently re.interred in other graves in the
same Cemetery. In accordance with the terms of the licences issued by the
Home Secretary in respect of these cases, the work of removal and re.interment
was carried out in the early morning under the supervision of your Medical Officer
of Health.