So, were ring roads created where the bodies were so rotten that their
fingers fell off en route, thus scattering their rings all over the
ground?
Jackie Davenport
Archives and Administration Manager
-----Original Message-----
From: Archivists, conservators and records managers.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Shawcross Kath
Sent: 01 April 2008 11:32
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: coffin roads;corpse paths; rights of way etc
I've had a query regarding corpses and the creation of rights of way
across private land. On asking our highways seciton this is the reply I
got.
Kath
This is an ancient law that has yet to be repealed. For a piece of land
to fall within the criteria of a public right of way the body needed to
be carried under the arms, if the bearers of the body measured over 6
foot in height or at least two foot above the head if the bearers of the
corpse were shorter i.e. 5' 8" .
It was quite unusual for corpses to be carried in this fashion as the
families often preferred the bodies to be carried in coffins or shrouds
so that the bodies were hidden from view of the public.
When corpses were carried out of the coffin and across land the land in
the fashion described above then that piece of land became highway and
obtained highways rights the ' r ' in corpse was removed and the
highways were named 'Copse', hence Copse Hill Sutton, Copse Hill Purley
etc.
In some instances the bodies were so rotten and fragile that they would
fall apart or explode and often got scattered over large areas. In this
instance the land was designated as a 'super highway', and they were
given numbers to identify them, the number was dependant on the number
pieces that the body ended up in, these 'super highways' then became
motorways and kept the number associated with the 'super highway' hence,
M3, M4 or if really bad M25.
Hope that this helps.
How long did it take you??? Seriously - any real comments gratefully
received
Borough Archivist & Local Studies Manager
London Borough of Sutton, Central Library, St Nicholas Way, SUTTON,
Surrey SM1 1EA
Tel: +44 (020 8770 4745), FAX: (020 8770 4777)
web site: www.sutton.gov.uk
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