Church of England - Scattering Ashes

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Exhumation the rules broken down and explained

Exhumation Rules for consecrated and unconsecrated ground For the exhumation of a body or cremated remains from consecrated ground, it will be necessary to obtain a Faculty from the Chancellor of the Diocese. It is no longer necessary to obtain an Exhumation Licence from the Ministry of Justice, even if it is intended that the […]

Mother left distraught after council ‘vandalise” grave

A grieving mother has railed against the council for what she considered to be the vandalising of her son’s grave: they removed ancillary memorial items – flowers, vases etc from the grave. This is not uncommon, the reason it makes the news is the sensitivity of the individual balanced with the reaction of the council. […]

Does the act scattering ashes release the soul?

I don’t tend to write about spiritual matters very often, mainly because I don’t feel qualified. However, a phone call from a customer the other day got me thinking, the conversation went something like this: Are you still operating boats for scattering through COVID-19? Yes, but with reduced number of attendees. Is it true the […]

Glastonbury Abbey no longer allows scattering ashes

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Glastonbury Abbey – Policy on Scattering Ashes Glastonbury is a magical place, steeped in myths and traditions. It holds a special place in the imagination for many people. The tor that looks out over the Somerset levels, the town itself and its ancient Abbey. As the story goes the abbey was founded by Joseph of […]

Exhumation of Ashes, Rounders and Drug Dealing

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If you have buried ashes and you want to move them it can be difficult if not impossible, particularly if they the ground they are buried in has on blessed (consecrated ground). In which case it is up to the Church of England’s court to decide whether they can be removed. And they don’t like […]

The Church of England has granted atheist parents the right to exhumation their daughter ashes

Beverley Wilson and Michael Hughill lost their 10-month-old daughter back in 1982, a hugely traumatic experience. The child (Lizzie) was cremated and her ashes were buried the same month at Chestnut Cemetery in Hertfordshire. The parents, due to the trauma they were feeling, left the arrangements for the funeral to Mr Huhgill’s farther. Mrs Wilson, […]

Splitting Ashes and the Church of England

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The good old CofE don’t really like ashes to be split, and the Catholic Church specifically prohibits it. I was speaking at a resent Church of England conference on the subject of ashes and this thorny issue was raised. From a secular point of view I never realised the extent to which this vexed the […]

Hawking’s Ashes are buried with the greats

The late great professor Stephen Hawking ashes have been interred at Westminster Abbey between those of Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton. He was buried under an are at a ceremony conducted on 15 June 2018 Quite rightly so, not only achieving so much for science but for his positive impact on attitudes towards disability. And […]

Council mix-up: an exhumation because an ashes burial plot was sold to two people!

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Jennifer Phillips bought a plot in Welton Road Cemetery, Daventry, Northamptonshire back in 1987 so that when the time came she and her husband could be buried next to her parents. However, on a visit her parents grave she noticed a small wooden cross on the plot that she owned. It transpires that the council, […]

Church of England rules on Exhumation of Ashes: what are Exceptional Circumstances

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The Church of England considers the burial of ashes final. To get ashes removed from consecrated land is difficult if not impossible, you will need to demonstrate exceptional circumstances and navigate the very formal language used by the church. Set out below is what you need to know. You would need to get permission (known as […]

Cemetery Error Deemed Exceptional in Exhumation Case

At Scattering Ashes we report on as many exhumation cases as we hear about so we can pass the learning onto you. Without wishing to repeat myself, getting permission for exhumation of ashes from consecrated ground is difficult: it must be exceptional circumstances – here is our main page on exhumation of the subject, here […]

Family ashes plots a way to persuade the church to allow exhumation?

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I have written on the subject of exhumation of ashes many times because each case is slightly different and it interesting to see the church’s stance. As usually the salient points from the judge get reported. In case you are not aware, if ashes are buried on consecrated land the decision whether to allow exhumation rests with […]

Exhumation granted due to proximity to footpath

As you may have seen from other posts I try and highlight as many examples of formal exhumation for Church of England cemeteries as possible so I can give you an idea of what constitutes exceptional circumstances as possible. If you are not aware exceptional circumstances are the criteria the Church of England puts in […]

Mar Thoma Syrian Church – Cremation is now allowed

The various religions in the world is a constant source of wonder to me. The various sects seems never ending, here is a new one on me, the Mar Thoma Syrian Church – never heard of it? It has over a million followers. Although as religions go this fairly unique. It is a Syrian Christian […]

A change of mind is not a good enough reason

Seeking to exhume a loved one’s ashes is difficult when they are buried on Church land, you will need to apply to the Consistory Court of the diocese and demonstrate: exceptional circumstance. On the blog we like to report any case we come across so that you can get a better pictures as to what […]

Is the Church of England softening its stance on exhumation of ashes?

We feedback any reports we come across in the press on exhumation of ashes, we do this so you can start to understand the stance and precedents set by the Church of England. We hope to help you in deciding whether your case may be considered worthy enough to meet the CoE’s stance of ‘exceptional circumstance’. Recently a lady wanted […]

The Ministry of Justice response to our question on exhumation of ashes

This was our enquiry: Hello Since the recent interest in exhumation articles in various national papers, I am trying to clarify a couple of things The MoJ gets around 25 applications per week for exhumation what is the percentage spilt (roughly) between whole body / standard burial and burial of cremated remains? As I understand […]

Exhumation is getting the Church hot under the (dog) collar

It seems the national paper picked up on the case of Mrs Gooch, who wanted her mums cremated remains moved as she could not access the grave as she was wheelchair bound. The church refused as it was not exceptional circumstances. The Sunday Express, the Guardian and the Telegraph all picked up on this growing […]

exhumation pensioner Norfolk church yard

Pensioner failed to get exhumation order on the grounds of access

A pensioner from Norfolk has failed in her attempt to get the ashes of her mother exhumed. She had partitioned the Church of England’s Consistory Court but to no avail. Mrs Queenie Ivy Gooch wanted the ashes of her mother moved from the Churchyard in Gunton to the nearby Kirkley Cemtery so that she could […]

Columbarium – coming to a Parish Church near you!

Modern takes on the concept of Columbaria are springing up in a number of places from the Long Barrow in All Canning in Wiltshire to the Secure Haven (one rented by the day) in Essex. However these are away from traditional places of worship and there a members of society who feel a very deep connection with their parish […]

Ashes dumped in Hampshire cemetery: fee dodging?

The Vicar of the charming village of Lyndhurst in Hampshire has got hot under the collar. The Rev Dr James Bruce spoke out after it was revealed that the ashes, of what appeared several people, had been tipped onto the grass at the graveyard near his church. The ashes were discovered by a maintenance worker, […]

A Bell Ringer fails in her attempt to move her parents ashes closer

A lady bell-ringer from Northchapel a village in West Sussex, who wished to exhume and relocate her parents ashes to bring them closer, has had her appeal been rejected. The chancellor of the diocese of Chichester and a judge of the Church of England’s Consistory Court, refused Mrs Lacey’s request to move her parents ashes from […]

Exhumation of ashes order not granted: plea not considered to be exceptional

© Copyright Oast House Archive Previously we have reported on success stories where a family has managed to secure the approval for exhumation of ashes via the Church of England’s Consistory Court. We had pointed out exhumation orders on church consecrated land were rare. Here is a story from the news website KentOnline about a lady […]

Scattering Ashes biblical reference Psalm 147:16 – Origins Part IV

Psalm 147:16 Here is how it is written in the King James Bible: He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. Firstly, in no way do I express to be a translator of the Bible. So sorry to those of you that are, please don’t mind my thoughts they designed not […]

Cremation Ashes – Church of England’s stance

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We contacted the Church of England as one of the country’s biggest land owners and obviously it’s leading religious faith, unsurprisingly this matter is dictated by a Canon and this is what they said: “So far as the Church of England is concerned, the matter is governed by Canon B 38.4(b) which provides as […]