Dr William Price

Not quite a paranormal story but thought you may like to know a bit about this man who is responsible for those of us who think cremation is a good idea.
Dr William Price believed himself to be a druid and was as far as I can find out, a ladies man and radical thinker.

He was born in Rudry Wales in 1800, and died there in 1893.
He was eccentric and radical in the fact that he believed in vegetarianism, nudity, free love and unusual style of dressing. He also believed that burial was deterimental to the environment.
He was trained as a doctor in Caerphilly and London and was ahead of his times in being a doctor famously known for refusing to treat patients who smoked.
He claimed he was an arch druid and used Herbal rememdies frowned on or dismissed by others in the medical field.

However it was 18th January 1884, that the then 83 year old doctor finally made his entry into the history pages when in Llantrisant he cremated the body of his five month old son Iesu Grist Price (Jesus Christ Price)

It was against the law to cremate bodies at that time, it was believed that only a 'Christain' burial will do.
Taken to court, it was Dr Price's victory at the courts that allowed the way for cremations to take place in Britain.
The court case brought about the Cremation Act 1902.

Although he was 83, at the time of his son's cremation, he had at his death at 92, fathered another son and a daughter by his copanion Gwenllian Llwellyn.
After his death, his body was cremated as he instructed on top of two tons of coal.
He ded in Llantrisant 23rd January 1893



The tower where he cremated his son, can be seen from the lounge window of my husbands' neices house, it is a lovely view across the Llantrisant valley. My nephew in law, is from Llantrisant and was surprised that someone outside the area knew of the story.
Also oh's mother's family were Prices so you never know he may be a distant relative.

This was modified to prevent copyright violation.

Maggs that was an interesting read I had heard of him as a few years ago now there was some tv show which did a clips about his life and the connection to cremation etc.

Next time we go down to see them I will try and get a photo of the tower from their house.

That would be good maggs I remember how lovely the place was.

When we went recently I forgot the camera, which is a shame because toward the end of the day, the church and the tower had a light on them.