Not so much a euphemism as a legal term (surely it is latin?)
http://www.lectlaw.com/def/f106.htm
FELO DE SE
A felon of himself; a self-murderer.
To be guilty of this offence, the deceased must have had the will and
intention of committing it, or else he committed no crime. As he is
beyond the reach of human laws, he cannot be punished. English law
used to inflict a punishment by a barbarous burial of his body, and by
forfeiting to the king the property which he owned and which would
belong to his relations. The charter of privileges granted by William
Penn to the inhabitants of Pennsylvania contains the following clause:
'If any person, through temptation or melancholy, shall destroy
himself, his estate, real and personal, shall notwithstanding, descend
to his wife and children, or relations, as if he had died a natural
death.'
Eliz
Not Today and Not without a Fight
(Anon)
For all that has been, thanks.
For all that will be, yes.
(Dag Hammarskjold)
On Thu, Jul 23, 2015 at 3:06 PM, Mary Zorkoczy via <powys(a)rootsweb.com> wrote:
In the burial register of St Michael's, Cwmdu, Breconshire one
entry in
1824 has this additional note:
/"Felo de se. Buried by the churchwardens and constables between 9 and
12 o'clock at night without service in obedience to the coroner's warrant"/
It was written by Rev. Thomas Price (Carnhuanawc). He was recording that
the burial was in accordance with an 1823 change in the law for the
burial of suicides. This permitted them to be buried in their parish
church yard and forbade their burial on the highway with a stake through
the body. The new law did not allow a burial service; the interment had
to be as Rev Thomas Price described.
Has anyone seen any mention of this change in the law in other parish
registers?
Or any use in parish registers of the term /Felo de se/, a medieval term
which seems to have been used as an euphemism?
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