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From: Steve Hayes <>
Subject: Re: Suicide and Murders
Date: Thu, 02 Mar 2000 08:06:53 +0200

On 26 Feb 00, at 21:41, van Rensburg wrote:

> I would be interested to hear more from others on the list about the
> customs and attitudes held towards those who have committed suicide. With
> kind regards André van Rensburg

A lot of such discussion would probably be off-topic in a genealogy
conference, though of course in genealogical research one comes
across people who have committed suicide, and some knowledge of such
customs would be useful.

The Anglican Church used to have a separate form of service for
people who had committed suicide, and the normal burial service was
not used "for any that die unbaptized, or excommunicate, or in the
act of committing any grievous sin, or that have laid violent hands
upon themselves". The service to be used in such cases omitted
phrases like "in sure and certain hope of the resurrection" and
substituted "the just and merciful judgement of him who alone hath
perfect understanding".

Such people were also not usually buried in church graveyards. Over
the last few decades, this has tended not to be strictly enforced. It
is charitably assumed that those who commit suicide were temporarily
insane, and therefore not to be held responsible for their actions.

Those who committed suicide, therefore, are more likely to be found
buried in municipal cemeteries or to be cremated.

Keep well,

Steve Hayes
Web: http://www.geocities.com/hayesstw/steve.htm
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• Re: Suicide and Murders by Steve Hayes <>