Attitudes to a suicide in the 1920s

[oldcrone]

I've just found out that my great-grandfather committed suicide in 1922, fairly gruesomely.

I know that, at this time, suicide was considered a crime, but I haven't been able to ascertain (via a quick google search) whether he would have been buried in unconsecrated ground; or would he have been cremated?  Is it likely in either case that there's a headstone?

The other thing I'm wondering is the effect on his wife and children; how would they have been regarded/treated in view of the suicide?

Clara

[carol8353]

I have a family member who committed suicide age 36 in 1932.
She has a normal grave in a cemetery but no headstone until her grandaughter sorted one out in the last 2 years.
I think that was more through lack of money in the 1930's though.

She was the mother of two girls aged 7 and 10 at the time.
Dad had to go out to work and couldn't cope with them so they were put in a Dr Barnado's home.

Cremations weren't that popular back then.

Carol

[oldcrone]

Many thanks, Carol 

It might mean that there's a headstone somewhere.  I got the impression that suicides were buried out of sight/mind at this time.

Clara

[clayton bradley]

They seem to have changed the law about suicide in the 60s but the refusal to bury suicides in Church of England grounds changed much earlier, about the 1870s I think, but i am not sure of the exact date, claytonbradley

[Redroger]

A suicide victim in my family in 1901 was buried in the Free Church section of the local municipal cemetary. This in Boston, Lincs.

[stanmapstone]

I understand that an 1823 statute (Burial of Suicide Act 1823 (4 Geo. IV) legalized the burial of suicides in consecrated ground, but religious services were not permitted until 1882. In the year 1823 it was enacted that the body of a suicide should be buried privately between the hours of nine and twelve at night, with no religious ceremony. In 1882 this law was altered by the Internments (felo de se) Act, 1882. where every penalty was removed except that internment could not be solemnised by a burial service, and the body could now be committed to the earth at any time, and with such rites or prayers as those in charge of the funeral thought  fit or werre able to procure.

Stan

[meles]

One of the shocks I discovered when I embarked on the family tree was that my grandfather committed suicide in 1929.

Dad never mentioned it, and I have no idea where he was buried. Clearly, for him and his siblings, it was a shameful episode. For me, a surprise, but not shameful and I just wonder what drove him to such a desperate act.

meles

[oldcrone]

Thank you, for all your thoughts/opinions: I appreciate it.

And thanks Meles: I'm waiting for the newspaper report about my g-grandfather.  I only have my uncle and my mother alive, and neither of them have any recollection of the death of their grandfather (he died before they were born, in fact, before my grandfather married my grandmother, so it was easy to keep the suicide secret).   However, I can't imagine what could drive someone to cut their own throat - such a desperate and bloody act.

Clara

[Daisy Loo]

Hi Clara

If you do find a newspaper report, it can tell you quite a lot.

My great-grandfather also committed suicide - he drowned himself, on a second attempt.  He was in his 60's, but his reason was that his first wife died at the age of 46, of cancer...he met another lady, remarried, and she was also diagnosed with cancer.  He actually killed himself and she was still living.  Tragic.  What she must have felt like!

He was buried with his first wife    I learned most of this from the newspaper cutting.  This was in 1946.