A supplementary report on the results of a special inquiry into the practice of interment in towns.Chadwick, Edwin
History
A supplementary report on the results of a special inquiry into the practice of interment in towns.
Chadwick, Edwin
Burial; Cemeteries -- Great Britain; Mortality -- Statistics; Public health -- Great Britain; Working class -- Great Britain
This chief sexton has a register, in which he enters all the
notifications of interments that have been sent to him, and which, when
asked for, he must lay before the Church and Cemetery Commission.
No grave can be prepared, unless the warrant for it has been signed by
the Church and Cemetery Commission.
Every grave must be six feet deep, three feet and a-half wide, and seven
feet long for an adult.
The measurement for children is regulated by the Church and Cemetery
Inspector on each separate occasion. Between the graves in the ordinary
course there must be an interval of one foot.
(34.) The whole of the sextons, in which is included their assistants,
are under the inspection of the Church and Cemetery Inspector, who must
keep them to their duty, and who is answerable for any misdemeanor, or
offence or neglect of the sextons.
(35.) The sextons must always be respectably dressed in black during the
interment, and those who go to the house of mourning must always appear
in neat and clean attire, and must be studious at all times, whether
engaged within or without the churchyard, to preserve a modest and
proper behaviour. Drunkenness, neglect of duty, or abuse of their
services, will be punished by the Church and Cemetery Commission, and on
repetition of the offence the offender will be dismissed. The sextons
are forbidden, on pain of dismissal, from making any alteration in any
family vault, or grave, or in the ordinary graves, without especial
orders. They shall, on the other hand, keep all the flowers, borders,
and shrubs in the neatest order, and one of the sextons must be an
excellent gardener, whose office it shall be to keep the plantations and
borders in good condition.
Any assistant who has been guilty of any fault which has led to the
dismissal of the sexton, shall not be able to be employed again as
sexton.
(36.) The salary for the making of a grave is settled by the Church and
Cemetery Commissioners, on the roll, and no more than this sum can
either be demanded or received, under pain of dismissal.
An assistant who has to perform the work of a sexton on account of
sickness, must give the sexton half the remuneration. In case the sexton
allows the assistant to do his work, or, on occasion of increased work
requiring the employment of an assistant, the assistant must receive the
full pay.
That assistant who has signalized himself by the exact and excellent
performance of his duties, shall be the first to be promoted when a
vacancy occurs.
When the qualifications are equal, the assistant of the longest standing
shall be promoted, and when this is equal, the oldest shall be made
sexton.
The complaints of the sextons and assistants against the Inspector or
amongst themselves are to be settled by the Church and Cemetery
Commission.
_Of the Cost of Interment._
The Church and Cemetery Commission undertake to conduct the interments
at the price fixed by them in the tax roll.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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