Latest news with #exhumation
BBC News
22-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Canterbury church seeks to exhume severed head of saint
A church is seeking permission to exhume the skull of a saint executed on the orders of King Henry VIII hundreds of years Thomas More was Henry's chancellor and his refusal to acknowledge the king's supremacy over the Church of England saw him put to death in July while his body is lost in an unmarked grave within the Tower of London, his severed head was saved by his daughter and entombed with her in the family vault at St Dunstan's in Sue Palmer said that being in possession of the "only piece of More remaining" will make the church a "centre of global interest" come the 500th anniversary of his death in 2035. Venerated by the Catholic church as a saint in 1935, More's remains are considered holy relics and attract pilgrims from around the world."It's highly unusual for an Anglican Church to have a relic, especially one of a Catholic saint," said Ms Palmer, adding that More's head had to be removed from a spike on London Bridge before finding its way to St Dunstan's."In the wall there is a niche and behind that there is what looks like a leaden squashed football."At some time someone hacked a hole in that and inside is what remains of Thomas More." Although she has not seen the remains herself, the tomb has previously been opened by archaeologists, the most recent occasion being 1997."From what they could see there were a few pieces of skull, a bit of jawbone with a tooth socket, some unidentifiable black matter and lots of dust," Ms Palmer revealed the church is currently consulting the congregation and seeking permission from the Diocesan Advisory Committee to retrieve the while the intention is not to "display" them as such, general feedback suggests that many would like them to be "more accessible" to visitors.
Telegraph
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Council plans homes at cemetery – but hasn't removed all the bodies
Kent residents have criticised 'appalling' council plans to build homes on cemetery land after they said it failed to exhume all the bodies buried there. Tunbridge Wells borough council planned to build 20 new homes on a site inside Tunbridge Wells Cemetery, but were required to exhume the bodies of 15 people, including a baby, buried in pauper's graves. Although the Lib Dem-run council said the bodies had been exhumed in autumn 2020 by a 'specialist exhumation company', a freedom of information request seen by The Telegraph confirms only the remains of four people were found. The document names George Langridge, Maria Thomsett, George Cross and George Payne as the remains found and reinterred in new graves in the cemetery. This means that 11 other bodies, including the body of baby Frances Sarah Day, remain buried at the site, which dates back to 1873. Residents who lived near the cemetery first expressed concern in 2020, when, according to campaigner Justin Quinn, his neighbours were told by people on the site that they were 'unable to find [the bodies]' as they thought they were 'buried too deep'. But when concerns were raised with the council, Mr Quinn said they 'weren't met with a great deal of sympathy'. Mr Quinn said: 'The biggest shock was the tone of the messages we got back from the planning department.' He said they tried to give the impression that it was 'done deal' and 'everything was above board'. Mr Quinn added: 'It was frustrating that it felt like if we didn't escalate our campaigning, it would have got brushed under the carpet'. Eve Wright, another resident, said that the 'inappropriateness of the proposal' was 'appalling'. As well as the issues surrounding the exhumation, or lack thereof, the development raises questions of privacy for residents and visitors to the cemetery. Ms Wright added: 'People who visit graves, it's a very private moment. The last thing they want is to be overlooked.' Another campaign group, Friends of the Tunbridge Wells Cemetery, have also highlighted concerns that the site remains consecrated, and should therefore still be used for burials. Lynee Monkton, secretary of the group, told the BBC: 'As far as we can see, the site was consecrated in 1873. We have no record it was deconsecrated so it should still be able to be used as a cemetery unless they can prove otherwise.' Residents are calling for action by the council, starting with an 'acknowledgement' of the findings revealed by the FOI request. Mr Quinn explained: '[We need] acknowledgement from the council that there are bodies there and they should engage more sympathetically with local residents. 'We felt like we should have deserved a letter through the door saying this is going to happen right next to your house'. Ms Wright also criticised the lack of 'public consultation' throughout the ordeal. She said: 'The council should thoroughly investigate everything that has been brought to light and should certainly put a stop on any further development of the planning. 'I think they should meet with the local residents, some kind of a public consultation.'
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Locals' fury over plans to build 20 luxury homes on old burial site after council 'hid' they had failed to exhume most of the bodies
Residents living in the shadow of a cemetery where developers want to build luxury homes over dead bodies have accused their council of 'taking them for fools' after it emerged a full exhumation did not take place as promised. Calls are mounting to block the council's plans to build 20 homes over 11 'sacred' gravestones, including one belonging to a baby, at Tunbridge Wells Cemetery in Benhall Mill Road. Some 15 paupers were buried between 1873-1928 and it was previously revealed how Tunbridge Wells Borough Council had moved to exhume all of the bodies in 2020 amid plans to build over the former burial site. But a Freedom of Information request, submitted by campaign group Friends of the Tunbridge Wells Cemetery, today reveals that only four of the 15 bodies were exhumed between September 28 and October 6 2020. The graves dug for full exhumation with permission from the Ministry of Justice were named as George Langridge, Maria Thomsett, George Cross and George Payne. It means that at least 11 others, including baby Frances Sarah Day, are still potentially buried underneath the ground at the depot where the council plans to build the 16 houses and four flats. The revelation has sparked accusations that the council has kept residents in the dark, with locals saying it is 'incredibly disrespectful' and 'immoral' to build over land where not all the bodies have been removed. Documents seen by MailOnline show the Ministry of Justice issued directions for the exhumation, which included the demand: 'You must remove all human remains from the area hatched on the attached plan prior to starting any development work.' Following the revelation that only four bodies had been exhumed, campaigner Justin Quinn told MailOnline: 'It's insulting to be told one thing by the local council only to find out via a Freedom of Information request that the facts are very different. 'Many of us in the local community are emboldened by the sense that regardless of the questionable moral and legal implications of the development, we don't like being taken for fools. The campaigners only submitted the FOI after those working on the exhumation told elderly neighbours they thought the remains were buried too deep to find. This allowed them to 'uncover the truth that there are still people buried in the ground where these houses are to be built', Mr Quinn added. 'Our hunch is they are trying to keep it as quiet as possible because they are aware it wouldn't be a popular if people knew what the situation was.' Athanasios Sermbezis, whose parents-in-law are buried together in the working part of the cemetery, is among those fighting to block development on the land which lies within the walls of the working cemetery but is now used as a maintenance depot. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, the 79-year-old said: 'My children were born and live in Tunbridge Wells. My grandchildren were born and live in Tunbridge Wells so obviously to us the cemetery is a very sacred place. The names of those still presumed to be in the cemetery Frances Sarah Day, 1873, (baby) Richard Geer, 1874 Dennis Geer, 1873 Rebecca West 1873 Joseph Austen, 1874 Charles Lee, 1874 Sarah Morley, 1877 William Henry Everest, 1879 Martha Wheeler, 1875 Maria Batting, 1875 Thomas Batting, 1918 Sarah Batting, 1928 'For them to try and hush us and do it so quickly without really providing the evidence that has been cleared. 'My concern is why they are trying to get planning permission and do this when there are people buried there. 'We think from a religious point of view, it is immoral to build something on the top of a burial, even if it is an old burial. It is not morally right to build something where there are dead bodies. 'People might say 'we don't care, we need houses'. Yes we need houses but not on top of dead people.' More than 30 Tunbridge Wells residents have also raised objections to the plans. One resident Tamara Galloway wrote: 'As someone with my grandparents, both my parents and my uncle buried in Tunbridge Wells Cemetery, I'm appalled by this application to build houses on part of this working cemetery. 'The investigations carried out recently did not find all the people buried here. Since these graves were unmarked, there may well be others buried here whose names were not recorded.' Campaigner Robin Parsons, a member of Friends of Tunbridge Wells Cemetery, said: 'I am horrified that you are proposing to build houses over the area in the Cemetery designated as the burial ground of paupers. We know that not all the bodies have been removed. 'What you are proposing is incredibly disrespectful. Would you be doing this if famous or influential people were buried there? 'If the Council wants to erect houses, it should not be at the expense of the cemetery which remains one of the most beautiful areas of Tunbridge Wells.' Another resident, Elaine Lawrence, wrote: 'I particularly can not believe you can build on any burial ground let alone consecrated ground! Please stop this madness! And think of the huge impact on relatives of those buried and instead of a sanctuary of peace it will become a place of noise dirt and lost habitat for wildlife.' Mr Sermbezis, who came from Greece to the UK in the early 1970s, said the land earmarked for development lies within the walls of the cemetery. He said: 'The Church of England in the 1800s would not accept dead people in their cemetery if they were catholic, poor, or if they committed suicide. 'So they created a small space in the corner of the cemetery to put people who did not conform with the church. 'The land was later donated to the council, who are custodians of it.' In total, 15 bodies were buried in the small patch of land, including one of a baby. Sketches show the plans to build homes on land where its feared there are still dead bodies buried In 2019, the then-Conservative council applied for permission to build 11 houses on the land in the cemetery. They were told they had to take precautions to exhume all of the bodies and bury them in the main cemetery. However, the now-Liberal Democrat-run council only found four of the 15 bodies. Mr Sermbezis added: 'Out of those four bodies, one of those was called George Cross, we didn't have his name in our records. 'Either they invented it or they found another body. 'But their excuse is that they found the bodies. We are saying if you only found four, you have to go back and find the other 11. 'I am Greek. In Greece they have just discovered Alexander the Great's father. And your talking about 1000 years ago they have been missing. Bones don't disappear that quickly.' The retired water engineer said that under the The Disused Burial Grounds (Amendment) Act 1981, all bodies must be removed from the ground before any new building can be erected. Campaigners also say this is 'sacred' and 'consecrated' land which cannot be built upon under planning laws. A memorial gravestone was erected which claimed to have the 'reinterred remains' of all 15 paupers. But with only four bodies exhumed, locals say it is designed to portray that 'it's all been dealt with'. The council's plan is to build 16 homes made up of 10 three-bed houses and six two-bed houses. While they also want to build a flat block of four homes, with two two-bed flats and two one-bed flats. Plans show they want to build 30 parking spaces, 20 of which will have electric vehicle charging points. A council source said the council were given a letter from the Diocese of Rochester, which previously had ecclesiastical responsibility for the cemetery, confirming the ground was not consecrated. A spokesperson for Tunbridge Wells Borough Council said: 'We can confirm that the bodies were exhumed by a specialist exhumation company, the detailed surveys and work took place during autumn 2020 once necessary permissions had been granted. 'The found remains were treated with dignity and reburied in a different part of the cemetery. 'A memorial was erected with the names of the deceased in the cemetery grounds and all the works were carried out in consultation with the Friends of the Cemetery.'
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Church bids to exhume head of Catholic martyr Sir Thomas More - five centuries after it was put on spike when he was executed
Sir Thomas More's head could be exhumed 500 years after it was parboiled and put on a spike on London Bridge. St Dunstan's, an Anglican church in Canterbury, Kent, where the remains of Henry VIII's lord chancellor lie, has launched a bid to have them unearthed and placed in a shrine. More was beheaded at Tower Hill in 1535 after he refused to acknowledge the monarch as head of the church following Henry's break from Rome. His body was buried in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London, but his head was taken from the scaffold and put on a spike on London Bridge. Amid fears More's head would be thrown in the Thames, his daughter Margaret Roper rescued it and reportedly kept it in spices for the rest of her life. It was then buried with her and transferred to the Roper family grave at St Dunstan's in 1578, where it has been kept in a vault behind metal bars ever since. More was declared a martyr by the Vatican in 1935 - meaning his remains are now considered a holy relic in the Catholic Church. According to The Times, St Dunstan's is seeking to exhume More's remains in time for the 500th anniversary of his death in 2035. However, the church will need to get permission from the commissary court in Canterbury before any work can go ahead. It is understood that the congregants at St Dunstan's church were told about the plans last Sunday. A statement read: 'What the [parochial church council] PCC has agreed, subject to all the right permissions being granted, is to exhume and conserve what remains of the relic, which will take several years to dry out and stabilise. 'We could just put it back in the vault, maybe in a reliquary of some kind, or we could place the reliquary in some sort of shrine or carved stone pillar above ground in the Roper chapel, which is what many of our visitors have requested. We'd really appreciate your ideas and thoughts.' Thomas More was a lawyer, philosopher and statesman who served as Lord Chancellor to Henry VIII. He is best known for his opposition to Henry VIII's break from the Catholic Church. More refused to recognise the king as head of the Church of England, leading to his execution for treason. He was canonised as a saint in 1935. Historically, More was both devout and intellectual, known for his wit and integrity. However, he actively persecuted Protestants, defending the execution of heretics in The Confutation Of Tyndale's Answer: 'And for heretics, as they be... the clergy doth denounce them. And as they be well worthy, the temporalty doth burn them.' Yet More's kindness in his private life was also noted by his contemporaries. Erasmus, a close friend, described More as gentle and loving, and said his refusal to take the oath was a principled stand.
BreakingNews.ie
01-07-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Council unaware of other next of kin when it granted exhumation of man's remains, court hears
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council was unaware a woman had other living siblings when it permitted her to exhume her father's remains, the High Court has heard. Charlotte Farrell-Quin purportedly did not disclose to the council that she was one of five living children of the late Gerard Farrell when she sought permission to exhume his remains from Deansgrange Cemetery last November, Ms Farrell-Quin's brother, Paschal Farrell, says in a High Court action. Advertisement In proceedings brought against the local authority, Mr Farrell said that he, along with other siblings, were not made aware of his sister's application for exhumation to the council. They were further unaware of the subsequent exhumation of Gerard's remains and reinterment at a cemetery in Ashford, Co Wicklow, where Ms Farrell-Quin resides. Mr Farrell, of Millers Wood, Bray, Co Wicklow, said that had he been aware of his sister's application to exhume their father's remains, he would have objected 'in the strongest possible terms'. In certain circumstances, permission for exhumation of human remains is granted by local authorities in the form of an exhumation licence. Advertisement Mr Farrell was given permission to bring his judicial review proceedings in April, seeking to quash the council's decision to grant an exhumation licence to Ms Farrell-Quin, among other reliefs. Ms Farrell-Quin is a notice party to the proceedings. Ireland Child sexual abuse trial of mother, uncle and fami... Read More On Tuesday, updating Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty on the case, Mr Farrell's barrister, Brendan Hennessy, said the council's position is that it was only aware of one of Gerard's children, Ms Farrell-Quin, when granting the exhumation licence. Mr Hennessy, instructed by Benville Robinson solicitors, said there was some urgency to the case. Ms Justice Gearty said it was possible the case would be assigned a hearing date in December or January. The judge adjourned the case to next month. Gerard Farrell died in August 2009, aged 77. He was initially buried at a family plot in Deansgrange Cemetery, where at least three generations of his family are also interred, Mr Farrell said in his court documents.
