Public health funerals

Under Section 46 of the 1984 Public Health Act if somebody dies, and it appears that no suitable arrangements have been made, Chorley Council have a responsibility to make sure they receive a proper burial.

This usually happens when someone dies with no known blood relatives or has relatives that do not want to or who are unable to be involved. Where possible, the costs of this are recovered from the estate of the deceased.

Frequently asked questions

Public Health Funerals are the subject of frequent Freedom of Information requests, and the answers to the most commonly asked questions are as follows:

• The council does not use solicitors, probate specialists or genealogical companies to trace relatives. Council officers carry out this function when required
• The council does not have a contract with a designated funeral director
• Placing notices in newspapers would be arranged by the funeral director
• None of these funerals have required a formal notification to the Duchy of Lancaster
• None of these funerals have resulted in notification to the Land Registry, as none of the estates have included land or property
• Due to the infrequent nature of these funerals no individual officer is designated for dealing with these matters

Public health funerals the council has carried out

Since January 2010 the Council has carried out the following Public Health Funerals:

Name: Frigga Hayes 
Date & place of birth: 06/06/1944, Preston 
Date & place of death: 04/02/2023, 1 Grisedale Place, Chorley PR7 2JW
Value of estate: Unknown 

Name: Harold Edward Thomas 
Date & place of birth: 31/10/1952, Unknown 
Date & place of death: 28/05/2022, 22 Marlborough Street Chorley PR6 0DT
Value of estate: Unknown 

Name: Paul William Haggis 
Date & place of birth: 04/02/1960, Unknown 
Date & place of death: 15/02/2022, 3A St Gregory's Place Chorley 
Value of estate: Unknown 

Name: William Barry Cross 
Date & place of birth: 17/11/1946, Unknown 
Date & place of death: 15/02/2022, 127 Greenside Euxton PR7 6AR
Value of estate: Unknown 

Name: Jean Braithwaite 
Date & place of birth: 21/05/1937, Chorley 
Date & place of death: 30/01/2022 Grove House Highfield Road Adlington PR6 9RH
Value of estate: Unknown 

Name: Jeff Ininahazwe
Date & place of birth: 24/07/1968, Burundi (East Africa) 
Date & place of death: 18/10/2021, 17 St Gregory's Place Chorley PR7 3NX
Value of estate: Unknown 

Name: Colin Sharman 
Date & place of birth: 22/10/1938, Preston 
Date & place of death: 08/11/2021, 20 Dale View Close Chorley PR7 3QJ
Value of estate: Unknown 

Name: James William Large 
Date & place of birth: 02/02/1949, Unknown 
Date & place of death: 15/12/2020, Croston Park Town Road,Leyland
Value of estate: Unknown 

Name: John Terrence Simons 
Date & place of birth: 27/05/1945, Melton Mowbray Leicestershire
Date & place of death: 19/02/2020, 21A Corporation Street Chorley
Value of estate: Unknown 

Name: Donald Cooke 
Date & place of birth: 01/02/1934, Ardwick, Manchester 
Date & place of death: 21/05/2019, Chorley 
Value of estate: Unknown 

Name: Barry Cheetham 
Date & place of birth: 07/05/1968, Unknown 
Date & place of death: 10/04/2019, Chorley 
Value of estate: Unknown 

Name: Kathleen Burn 
Date & place of birth: 09.09.1917, Unknown 
Date & place of death: 14.04.2012, Unknown 
Value of estate: £0

Name: Andrew Martyn Swarbrick 
Date & place of birth: 24/03/1957, Unknown 
Date & place of death: 01/03/2017, 110 The Martindales Clayton le Wood Chorley PR6 7TJ
Value of estate: <£1,000

Name: Sylvester John Nickson 
Date & place of birth: 23/06/1932, Unknown 
Date & place of death: 11/03/2016, 25 Halliwell Court Halliwell Street Chorley PR7 2AX
Value of estate: <£1,000

Name: James Wright 
Date & place of birth: 14/09/1977, Unknown 
Date & place of death: 23/07/2015, Unknown
Value of estate: <£1,000

Name: Peter Simon Bontiffe 
Date & place of birth: 20/01/1962, Unknown 
Date & place of death: 10/05/2014, 103A Barn Meadow Bamber Bridge Preston PR5 8EA
Value of estate: <£1,000

Name: Colin Aston 
Date & place of birth: 25/04/1944
Date & place of death: 28/02/2014
Value of estate: Unknown

Name: Kristen John Burrows
Date & place of birth: 25/11/1955, Unknown 
Date & place of death: 19/05/2013
Value of estate: £0

Name: John Charles Wadsworth 
Date & place of birth: 31/12/1932, Unknown 
Date & place of death: 20/02/2013
Value of estate: £0

Name: Alan Derbyshire 
Date & place of birth: 21/01/1952, Unknown
Date & place of death: Approx 17/11/2010, Unknown 
Value of estate: £0

Name: Brian H Whittle 
Date & place of birth:  15/01/1951, Unknown 
Date & place of death: 31/08/2010, Unknown 
Value of estate: £20,000

Name: Ian Derek Kewley
Date & place of birth: 04/11/1940, Unknown
Date & place of death: 08/10/2010, Unknown
Value of estate: £15.00