With more than 200 years of experience we can provide you with the answers to almost every question you have about funerals and the formalities involved...
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When should I contact you?
How do I obtain a Death Certificate?
What if Death Occurs Away from Home?
Will the Coroner be Involved?
Must I Involve a Funeral Director?.
Must there be a Religious Ceremony?
I am worried about the cost.
Will you try to make me spend more than I want?
Could you arrange committal of ashes at sea?
Can you help me make arrangements for my own funeral?
Can I have a woodland burial?
I feel I need help to get over my loss?.

As we can guide you through the formalities we strongly recommend that you contact us at the earliest possible moment. We operate a 24 hour service and we can help you through all the procedures.

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How do I obtain a Death Certificate?

You will need to get a "Medical Certificate of Cause of Death" from the Doctor or the Hospital. The hospital may also provide you with a "certificate of release" which will allow you to put the deceased in the care of your chosen Funeral Director. The Medical Certificate will give details of where to Register the Death and who should do so: we can offer guidance although the law does not permit us to register the death on your behalf.

If the cause of death cannot be determined then the Doctor will refer the death to The Coroner.

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What if Death Occurs Away from Home?

If death occurs away from home then the initial formalities will be completed by the Doctor or Hospital staff in that area. If relatives wish to bring the body home for the funeral then we can make all the necessary arrangements in both areas, including transport. We can also give advice about what needs to be done if death occurs abroad.

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Will the Coroner be Involved?

The Coroner will automatically be advised by the Doctor if the cause of death is unexplained, and the Coroner may order a post mortem and an inquest. We can explain the details to you.

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Must I Involve a Funeral Director?.

There is no legal requirement at all to do so, but the majority of people prefer to use a Funeral Director to reduce anxiety and take care of what can be a complex series of arrangements.

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Must there be a Religious Ceremony?

No: it is quite possible to have a quiet, dignified funeral with a minimum of formalities. We can advise you on this, and we can arrange for a non-religious ceremony. Needless to say, we can also arrange funerals for other religious faiths. We have a lot of experience in these matters.

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I am worried about the cost.

This is understandable but there is no need to be anxious about this. We can always tell you what the likely costs of various options are and this will be done with complete discretion. We also have information about sources of financial assistance. A reputable Funeral Director will always be aware of this issue, and will be happy to discuss it.

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Will you try to make me spend more than I want?

Absolutely not. It's a sad fact that many of the large corporations who now own a substantial number of former family firms have incurred bad publicity with aggressive and persistent "selling" to the bereaved. We believe this is unethical and it is no part of our job to force you into asking for something you do not want. All we try to do is to explain your options in a straightforward way. The choice really is yours.

Could you arrange committal of ashes at sea.?

With such a strong maritime history this is not an uncommon request, and we can make all the necessary arrangements.

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Can you help me make arrangements for my own funeral?

This is less rare than you might think, particularly in the case of Pre Payment Plans . We would be happy to discuss your choices and advise you on how best to ensure your wishes are respected.

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Can I have a woodland burial?

We can gladly arrange this for you- ask us for more details.

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I feel I need help to get over my loss.

We can provide you with contact numbers and addresses of the many organisations who can help with advice, counselling, and practical help.

We cannot hope to cover all the questions you may have: but we can certainly help you at any time. We welcome enquiries, and we will always try to help.