A headline which recently caught the attention of the volunteer Burial Research team was from The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent of 9th April 1890 and told of a husband who ‘neglected to bury his wife’!
Charles Brown and his wife Selina lived at 25 Rufford Road, Abbeydale Road. When Selina Brown died on 4th April 1890, her husband visited Reuben Thompson, undertaker, ordered a coffin and made arrangements for her burial. However, before the arrangements were confirmed, Charles Brown lost the burial certificate, stopped completing the arrangements and disappeared. The Brown’s four children were looked after by neighbours while Selina Brown’s body was left alone in the house. As the body began to decompose, the smell came to the attention of the neighbours.
When Reuben Thompson realised that Charles Brown had not turned up at his offices to make the final arrangements for Selina’s funeral he enquired into what had happened. On discovering the body was alone in the house and the husband missing, Reuben Thompson informed Mr A Dearden, relieving officer for Ecclesall Union. Mr Dearden hurried down to the Highfield Police Station from where Superintendent Walsh telephoned Reuben Thompson for a hearse before going to see Mr Dale James, surgeon, from whom he obtained another burial certificate.
Meanwhile the order from the General Cemetery originally obtained by Charles Brown was found in the possession of a friend and despatched immediately in a cab to the Cemetery so that the grave could be prepared as speedily as possible. After registering the death, Mr Dearden returned to Rufford Road where a large crowd had gathered, many of whom expressed their intention of mobbing Brown. As Charles Brown did not appear, it was thought at first that someone would have to break into the house to obtain the body. Fortunately, the key had been left with a neighbour, and the body was removed by the police to the General Cemetery. The owners of the house contacted the Health Committee officials to have the house disinfected.
The story had a satisfactory ending thanks to the quick thinking and actions of Messrs Thompson and Dearden. Selina Brown was buried in plot H3 150 in the Anglican area of the Cemetery on 8th April 1890, only four days after her death. We do not know what happened to Charles Brown.