Making Arrangements

Unless there are special circumstances, a death must be registered within five days. The law requires that all deaths are registered in the sub-district where they occur.

The doctor who attended the deceased will issue a medical certificate of cause of death, which must be taken to the district registrar with the deceased’s medical card. The registrar will issue a form 344/BD8 for social security purposes and a copy of the entry in the register (Death Certificate). It is worth thinking about how many copies might be required and obtain them all at once.

You will also receive a green certificate which must be given to the funeral director before the funeral can take place. Sometimes, a doctor is not able to issue a medical certificate of cause of death. He will then refer the death to the coroner. This is done quite often and the registrar cannot register the death until the coroner gives consent. Sometimes, a post mortem is required, and in a few cases where the coroner thinks it necessary, he will hold an inquest.

If a post mortem is ordered, there is nothing that a family can do to stop it. You will be informed by the coroner’s officer when it has been completed. You will be advised on when the death can be registered. In this case, you may not be given a green certificate: the funeral director will receive the necessary paperwork direct from the coroner. An inquest is in a court of law, albeit an informal one.

The coroner always takes care to make things as easy as possible for the family. If the coroner can deal with the whole matter at once he will do so, but where there is likely to be any delay he will issue a certificate so that the funeral can take place.

The experience of the Funeral Directors sympathetic ear is all the more valuable because we are dealing with the practicalities of the Funeral. We will listen to you, the bereaved, as you decide what sort of funeral you want.

We ensure that all the necessary liaisons and deadlines are met and all the paperwork is completed and handed in at the right place at the right time. A full written estimate detailing the costs will be given with every funeral arranged.
When we are contacted in the first instance, we will take preliminary details from you and may suggest removal of the deceased to our private chapel at your convenience.

The funeral arrangements themselves can be made at anytime just by contacting us. We can call and see you or you may visit our premises here in Grove Road. In selecting ourselves as your Funeral Director, we will ensure that each and every detail is discussed with you thoroughly to ensure your wishes and those of the deceased are correctly carried out.

We will liaise with you regarding the time and location of the funeral service. We will also advise you on ways that you could make the service very personal – a member of the family may wish to say a few words or recite a favourite prayer or poem.

Once we have taken your instructions and have arranged a funeral at a given time on a given day, we will carry it out regardless of circumstances. All the arrangements made for the funeral are confirmed in writing, so that details may be checked and agreed.

Viewing or paying your last respects may help people to accept that the death has occurred and often gives comfort to the remaining family. We have our own private chapel of rest on the premises and would be pleased to make it available to you at any time by appointment.

We do recommend that the deceased is embalmed before your chapel visit. This would be discussed when making the funeral arrangements.

If viewing is agreed, then you may wish to bring your loved ones’ favourite outift or clothing to be dressed in. Alternatively we will dress them in one of our handmade gowns.

If you have any personal possessions of sentiment that you would like to go in the coffin, we will also undertake this, or you are welcome to place them yourself.

The Funeral ceremony is the culmination of the work that has taken place since the death occurred. The funeral director will take on the role of master of ceremonies, carrying out the task of guiding, directing and overseeing the funeral.

As well as the funeral director, four members of staff will also be present. These pallbearers will be attired in smart appropriate dress and will ensure professional, dignified attendance and supervision throughout the service.

On the day, the hearse can either meet the family at the crematorium/cemetery, arrive at a private address first, or start the cortege from our office in Grove Road. Where needed, following Limousines are available which can also pick up from an address, and then return to a local location of your choice after the service has taken place.

At Eastbourne Crematorium, there are two chapels – the Family Chapel which will seat 30 comfortably, and the Main Chapel which will seat up to 80. The choice of chapel will be decided by the family during the arrangements. Each service has a maximum slot allowance of 45 minutes, though the service itself will last no longer than 20-25 minutes. This allows time for the congregation to both enter and leave the chapel without overrunning onto the following funeral service.

No one can be cremated until the exact cause of death has been established.

In order for the cremation to take place, there are two cremation certificates (Forms 4 and 5) which need to be completed by two separate doctors that note the cause of death. There are fees for the completion of these certificates known as Doctors fees, which are classed as Disbursements.

If the death has been referred to the coroner and a post mortem has taken place, then these forms are not required, and thus the Doctors Fees are not applicable.

Generally, cremation is less expensive than burial by quite a margin.

Where burial is chosen over cremation there are a few things to bear in mind. A person can only be buried in a churchyard if they are a parishioner, and the position of a grave is decided by the church minister – a single or double grave is allowed. Anyone can be buried in a public cemetery, however if they are not a parishioner they will be liable for higher fees. (In Eastbourne a non-parishioner must pay double the fees).

When a new grave is to be purchased in a public cemetery it is wise to consider how many people are likely to be buried in that grave – an exclusive right of burial will be granted which means that no burial or monumental work can be carried out without the permission of the owner of the exclusive rights. When a purchased grave is to be reopened, we will need to know who the owner is, whether there is a memorial to be removed, and we will also need the deed of grant relating to that grave.

Compared to cremation, the cost of burial is very high and this is an important factor for many.

In a lot of cases, a family would like a place to visit, to know where they can sit and reflect on the life of the loved one they have lost, and you have a few options with what to do with the cremated remains….

Some family members have them either scattered in the Garden of Remembrance at the Crematorium, or interred there. If scattering is chosen, then this can happen with yourselves present at the time of scattering, or not. Either way, there will be a written record held at the Crematorium of the exact location of the scattering should you wish to visit and pay your respects at any time.

If internment is chosen, you may wish to place a memorial such as a headstone on the plot also. We can discuss this at the time of arranging the funeral, or wait until you are ready to do so.

In many instances, the family are unsure of what to do with the cremated remains at the time of making arrangements. In these cases, we are more than happy to collect the cremated remains on your behalf and hold on to them for you until you have made a decision on where to place them. We make no extra charge for this, and there is no time limit on how long we will look after them for you.

When contemplating memorial masonry such as a headstone, if the grave is ‘earth’ rather than ‘bricked’ then the grave will take six months or more before the ground is firm enough to place the weight of a headstone. If the grave is ‘bricked’ inside, then it does not take as long.

If internment of ashes is chosen, you also have the option to place a memorial such as a headstone on the plot.

Eastbourne Borough Council offer the option of Presentation Seats (benches) with a plaque to commemorate someone, details of which can be found here.

There are other more unique, modern methods of remembering a loved one these days…you might consider having the ashes turned into glass to form a piece of  jewellery, or have a locket made to store some of the cremated remains.

We can discuss this at the time of arranging the funeral, or wait until you are ready to do so.