The rise of cemetery companies in Britain, 1820-53
Cemetery companies were the principal agency of the transition from a traditional reliance on graveyards to the use of modern extra-mural cemeteries. The thesis comprises a study of the 113 cemetery companies established from 1820 to 1853, a period which saw the origin of this type of enterprise and its spreading throughout Britain. The companies are not analysed as economic entities, but rather as representations of a range of attitudes towards the problems associated with intramural interment. To facilitate discerning different trends relating to the public perceptions of the burial problem, the companies have been classified according to type. This is an exercise which relies on textual analysis of company documents to understand the principal motivation of each group of directors. Three different types of company are examined in the thesis. Directors of enterprises within the first group to emerge saw the burial problem as a religious-political issue, and used cemetery companies as a means of providing extended space for burial which was independent of the Established Church. The new cemeteries had unconsecrated ground, and offered the freedom for Dissenters to adopt any burial service they wished. The
Rugg, Julie
Undertakers and undertaking Great Britain History ; Cemetaries Great Britain History 19th century
The rise of cemetery companies in Britain, 1820-53. Cemetery companies were the principal agency of the transition from a traditional reliance on graveyards to the use of modern extra-mural cemeteries. The thesis comprises a study of the 113 cemetery companies established from 1820 to 1853, a period which saw the origin of this type of enterprise and its spreading throughout Britain. The companies are not analysed as economic entities, but rather as representations of a range of attitudes towards the problems associated with intramural interment. To facilitate discerning different trends relating to the public perceptions of the burial problem, the companies have been classified according to type. This is an exercise which relies on textual analysis of company documents to understand the principal motivation of each group of directors. Three different types of company are examined in the thesis. Directors of enterprises within the first group to emerge saw the burial problem as a religious-political issue, and used cemetery companies as a means of providing extended space for burial which was independent of the Established Church. The new cemeteries had unconsecrated ground, and offered the freedom for Dissenters to adopt any burial service they wished. The
rise cemetery company britain cemetery company principal agency transition traditional reliance use modern extra mural cemetery comprises study cemetery company establish period_saw origin type enterprise spread throughout_britain company analyse economic_entity rather representation range attitude_towards problem_associate interment facilitate discern different trend relate public_perception burial problem company classify_accord type exercise relies textual_analysis company document principal motivation group director three_different type company examine_thesis directors enterprise within first group emerge saw burial problem religious_political issue use cemetery company mean provide extended space burial independent established_church new cemetery ground offer freedom dissenters adopt burial service wish