R. Pepperdine & Sons Ltd have a proud history of trust and tradition spanning over 140 years and are more than able to arrange and conduct a traditional funeral for you and your family which is able to suit all religious denominations and backgrounds.
Over the years, we have forged close links with many of the local churches and we are more than happy to contact them for you on your behalf whether or not you have had a previous association. In fact local churches welcome the opportunity to minister to you at this time.
Many families feel more comfortable with a service carried out in a time honoured way in which their family may have been accustomed to in the past, especially in a church environment in which they are familiar.
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CREMATION AND EARTH BURIAL
Cremation
In addition to issuing the Medical Certificate Cause of Death (MCCD), the deceased’s Medical Practitioner must complete and sign statutory cremation medical papers (Form 4) and arrange for an independent doctor to complete the confirmatory section of the forms (Form 5). We can make arrangements for these documents to be issued to the doctors.
Where a death has occurred in hospital, we shall make the necessary arrangements for the completion of these papers with the hospital authorities.
In each case a fee is payable to both doctors, which we can disburse on your behalf. The only instance when the above procedure does not apply is in the involvement of HM Coroner, who will issue a Form “6” which replaces the cremation medical papers (and the Registrar’s Green Certificate).
Following the cremation, families sometimes wish to have a tangible form of memorial at the crematorium which can be linked with the subsequent resting place of the ashes: a niche space or rose tree would provide this. However, crematoria have different facilities for this and it is advisable to check the choices available to you.
If you opt for a cremation service instead of a burial, there are certain personal items that unfortunately cannot be placed in the coffin with your loved one. Items which are made of a large amount of metal, items made of glass or canisters (such as deodorant / perfume/ aftershave), will have to be removed prior to the cremation service taking place as these can all damage the Crematoria.
personal items such as teddies, photographs, letters, flowers, rosary beads, earrings, wedding / engagement rings, can be placed with your loved one.
If you are unsure of what you can place in the coffin, please ask us and we can further advise you.
Alternatively where the ashes are scattered on the Garden of Remembrance, an entry in one of the Books of Remembrance or a suitable inscription on a recordia tablet might be appropriate. The best form of procedure with any of the above is to see the Crematorium Superintendent during normal office hours, who will be able to advise about all aspects of memorials; although if you have any difficulty whatsoever we shall be pleased to help on your behalf.
Earth Burial
We can help arrange the details and documentation for the cemetery authorities. With an existing family grave, in most cases, we shall need to have the official grave deed. This document will have been issued at the time the grave was purchased. If the deed has been lost or accidentally destroyed, there is a form of procedure that can be adopted to permit the grave to be re-opened, and we shall explain this fully to you. However, in some cases, it is the requirement of the cemetery that a formal transfer of grave ownership is dealt with prior to the funeral.
Following the funeral, we will return the deed for your own safe keeping. Where it is necessary to purchase a new grave, facilities are offered by most local authorities for a member of the family to attend the cemetery to select a suitable plot if they so wish; although this can be somewhat distressing and an additional burden. The alternative would be for us to ask the cemetery officials to do this on your behalf.