ANCESTORS CREMATED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26659, 3 January 1948, Page 5

ANCESTORS CREMATED

REMAINS EXHUMED FROM VAULT ENGLISH EARL’S ACTION N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent Rec. 10 P-m. LONDON, Jan. 2. To provide “ bags of room for the rest of us,” the 55-year-old Earl Spencer has had the remains of 40 of his ancestors removed from the family vault in the thirteenth-century church at Great Brington, Northants, and cremated. The ashes are being placed in urns costing £2O each and returned to the vault. , . . , . , All the coffins were of lead and had name plates with dates going back to the sixteenth century. Two contained the skeletons of former Prime Ministers Others were the first Earl Sunderland, killed at the Battle of Newbury, and the second Earl, who served with Charles and James II and William 111. Another contained the remains of the First Lord of the Admiralty who chose Lord Nelson. A Home Office order was granted to allow the.'exhumations to take place., “ There is nothing morbid or sinister about what I have done,” said the Earl. “The family vault is full. It has not been used for about 100 years, since my grandfather was placed there. The vault was very untidy and I decided it was time the place was cleared up a bit. I am sure my ancestors would approve of my action.”