Get It Together Organize Your Records

So Your Family Won t Have To 8th

Edition Melanie Cullen
Visit to download the full and correct content document:
https://textbookfull.com/product/get-it-together-organize-your-records-so-your-family-
won-t-have-to-8th-edition-melanie-cullen/
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...

Broke Millennial Stop Scraping by and Get Your

Financial Life Together Erin Lowry

https://textbookfull.com/product/broke-millennial-stop-scraping-
by-and-get-your-financial-life-together-erin-lowry/

How to Manage Your Money When You Don t Have Any Second
Edition Erik Wecks

https://textbookfull.com/product/how-to-manage-your-money-when-
you-don-t-have-any-second-edition-erik-wecks/

Back in the game why concussion doesn t have to end

your athletic career 1st Edition Gerstner

https://textbookfull.com/product/back-in-the-game-why-concussion-
doesn-t-have-to-end-your-athletic-career-1st-edition-gerstner/

Get Your Life Together ish A No Pressure Guide for Real

Life Self Growth Julia Dellitt

https://textbookfull.com/product/get-your-life-together-ish-a-no-
pressure-guide-for-real-life-self-growth-julia-dellitt/
Winning the publications game: the smart way to write
your paper and get it published 4th Edition Albert

https://textbookfull.com/product/winning-the-publications-game-
the-smart-way-to-write-your-paper-and-get-it-published-4th-
edition-albert/

Get to the Point Sharpen Your Message and Make Your

Words Matter 1st Edition Schwartzberg

https://textbookfull.com/product/get-to-the-point-sharpen-your-
message-and-make-your-words-matter-1st-edition-schwartzberg/

My Perfect Family Melanie Price

https://textbookfull.com/product/my-perfect-family-melanie-price/

Healing Through the Akashic Records Using the Power of

Your Sacred Wounds to Discover Your Soul s Perfection
Linda Howe

https://textbookfull.com/product/healing-through-the-akashic-
records-using-the-power-of-your-sacred-wounds-to-discover-your-
soul-s-perfection-linda-howe/

So, You Have to Write a Literature Review 1st Edition

Catherine Berdanier

https://textbookfull.com/product/so-you-have-to-write-a-
literature-review-1st-edition-catherine-berdanier/
 “ Offers a detailed, step-by-step process for gathering records
and key documents and organizing them for future use.”
SACRAMENTO BEE
With
Downloadable
FORMS
8TH EDITION

Get It
Together Organize Your Records So
Your Family Won’t Have To
Melanie Cullen • Organize tax, property, and insurance records
with Shae Irving, J.D. • Safely store passwords
• Help your family find essential information

OVER
100,000
SOLD

Includes Shortcut Tips

This Book Comes With Lots of
FREE Online Resources
Nolo’s award-winning website has a page
dedicated just to this book. Here you can:
And that’s not all.
Nolo.com contains
KEEP UP TO DATE. When there are important
thousands of articles
changes to the information in this book, we’ll
on everyday legal and
post updates.
business issues, plus
GET DISCOUNTS ON NOLO PRODUCTS. Get a plain-English law
discounts on hundreds of books, forms, and dictionary, all written by
software.
Nolo experts and available
READ BLOGS. Get the latest info from Nolo for free. You’ll also find
authors’ blogs. more useful books,
software, online apps,
LISTEN TO PODCASTS. Listen to authors
downloadable forms,
discuss timely issues on topics that interest you.
plus a lawyer directory.
WATCH VIDEOS. Get a quick introduction to a
legal topic with our short videos.

With
Downloadable
FORMS

Get forms and more at

LAW for ALL www.nolo.com/back-of-book/GET.html
 The Trusted Name
(but don’t take our word for it)

“ In Nolo you can trust.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES

“ Nolo is always there in a jam as the nation’s premier publisher

of do-it-yourself legal books.”
NEWSWEEK

“ Nolo publications …guide people simply through the how,

when, where and why of the law.”
THE WASHINGTON POST

“ [Nolo’s] …material is developed by experienced attorneys who

have a knack for making complicated material accessible.”
LIBRARY JOURNAL

“ When it comes to self-help legal stuff, nobody does a better job

than Nolo…”
USA TODAY

“ The most prominent U.S. publisher of self-help legal aids.”

TIME MAGAZINE

“ Nolo is a pioneer in both consumer and business self-help

books and software.”
LOS ANGELES TIMES
 8th Edition

Get It Together
Organize Your Records So Your
Family Won’t Have To

Melanie Cullen with Shae Irving, J.D.

LAW for ALL

EIGHTH EDITION SEPTEMBER 2018
Editor BETSY SIMMONS HANNIBAL
Cover Design SUSAN PUTNEY
Proofreading IRENE BARNARD
Index RICHARD GENOVA
Printing BANG PRINTING

ISSN 2578-8620 (print)

ISSN 2578-8639 (online)
ISBN 978-1-4133-2566-9 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-4133-2567-6 (ebook)

This book covers only United States law, unless it specifically states otherwise.
Copyright © 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 by Nolo. All rights reserved.
The NOLO trademark is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Printed in the U.S.A.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without
prior written permission. Reproduction prohibitions do not apply to the forms contained in
this product when reproduced for personal use. For information on bulk purchases or corporate
premium sales, please contact the Special Sales Department. Call 800-955-4775 or write to Nolo,
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, California 94710.

Please note
We believe accurate, plain-English legal information should help you solve many of
your own legal problems. But this text is not a substitute for personalized advice from
a knowledgeable lawyer. If you want the help of a trained professional—and we’ll
always point out situations in which we think that’s a good idea—consult an attorney
licensed to practice in your state.
Acknowledgments
I admit it: I’ve suffered an unflagging obsession with this book. Many others
have suffered from it, too, enduring my insatiable curiosity about organizing their
affairs, planning for death, and working through loss and grief. For the latter, if I
seemed more curious than compassionate, I apologize for not simply extending my
condolences.
Despite my enthusiasm, this book would not have made it to market without
help from others. The book you hold in your hands is evidence of my indebtedness
to several people.
Shae Irving, a talented editor and writer, brought sage judgment to bear. Her
dedication to simplicity—while acknowledging complexity—fulfilled my prayers.
Betsy Simmons Hannibal, editor, cheerfully brought her talents to bear on recent
editions. My Nolo design team for this edition—including Jaleh Doane, Rebecca
Bond, and Susan Putney—helped make the book easy to use and a pleasure to hold.
Evelyn Crabtree, Gloria Fudim, Betty Harrison, Marilyn Moyle, Becky Tobitt,
and Karen Witesman gave me thoughtful feedback on initial drafts—from
practical questions to spiritual issues and emotional challenges.
I owe a debt of gratitude to the many class participants at Davis Adult School
and Acalanes Adult Education. With your thoughtful and varied contributions
(and unrivaled humor), Get It Together becomes ever more robust.
Suzanne Rotondo helped to envision this book, then responded to my seemingly
endless questions and dilemmas with helpful direction.
Finally, but first of all, my mom, Bonnie Harris, and my daughters, Tanya Jones
and Sasha Swanson, provided the inspiration, love, and faith that initially—and
ultimately—inspired this book.
Melanie Cullen
About Melanie Cullen
Melanie Cullen holds an MBA from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford
University. She has served in executive management and business consulting in
support of technology, operations management, and strategic management.
Melanie herself enjoys the blessings of Get It Together, relying on her own
personal planner for many years. She rests easy knowing that her binder will guide
her loved ones when the time comes. She wishes the same for you and yours.
Melanie welcomes your inquiry—including your questions, comments, or
requests to schedule an interview, presentation, or signing. You can contact her at
MelanieCullenSchultz@gmail.com.

About Shae Irving

Shae Irving graduated from Berkeley Law at the University of California in 1993.
She is the author or coauthor of many Nolo products, including Prenuptial
Agreements: How to Write a Fair & Lasting Contract, Living Wills & Powers of
Attorney for California, and Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker Plus software. She has
edited many of Nolo’s estate planning books, among them The Executor’s Guide:
Settling a Loved One’s Estate or Trust and Plan Your Estate.
Table of Contents

Your Get It Together Companion...............................................................................................................1

About This Book.......................................................................................................................................................3

Who Needs to Plan Ahead?.................................................................................................................................... 4
How It Works................................................................................................................................................................. 6
The Importance of Complete Planning............................................................................................................ 6

Completing Your Planner..................................................................................................................................9

What the Planner Contains..................................................................................................................................10
Seven Steps to Preparing Your Planner..........................................................................................................11

1 Instructions................................................................................................................................................................ 19
In Your Planner............................................................................................................................................................21
Keeping Your Documents Up to Date............................................................................................................23

2 Letter to Loved Ones..........................................................................................................................................25

Tips for Writing Your Letter.................................................................................................................................26
Where to Get Help....................................................................................................................................................29
In Your Planner............................................................................................................................................................29
Keeping Your Letter Up to Date....................................................................................................................... 30

3 Biographical Information............................................................................................................................... 31
Where to Get Help....................................................................................................................................................32
In Your Planner............................................................................................................................................................37
Keeping Your Information Up to Date...........................................................................................................39

4 Children........................................................................................................................................................................ 41
Arranging Care for Children.................................................................................................................................42
Where to Get Help................................................................................................................................................... 44
In Your Planner........................................................................................................................................................... 44
Keeping Your Information Up to Date.......................................................................................................... 46

5 Others Who Depend on Me......................................................................................................................... 47

In Your Planner........................................................................................................................................................... 48
Keeping Your Information Up to Date...........................................................................................................49
 6 Pets and Livestock................................................................................................................................................ 51
Arranging Care for Pets...........................................................................................................................................52
Where to Get Help....................................................................................................................................................53
In Your Planner............................................................................................................................................................53
Keeping Your Information Up to Date...........................................................................................................55

7 Employment.............................................................................................................................................................. 57
In Your Planner............................................................................................................................................................58
Keeping Your Information Up to Date...........................................................................................................59

8 Business Interests.................................................................................................................................................. 61
Estate Planning for Small Business Owners.................................................................................................62
Where to Get Help................................................................................................................................................... 64
In Your Planner........................................................................................................................................................... 64
Keeping Your Information Up to Date.......................................................................................................... 68

9 Memberships and Communities..............................................................................................................69

Types of Memberships and Communities....................................................................................................70
Online Connections After You’re Gone.........................................................................................................71
Membership Benefits for Survivors..................................................................................................................73
Transferring Frequent Flyer Miles......................................................................................................................73
Where to Get Help....................................................................................................................................................74
In Your Planner............................................................................................................................................................75
Keeping Your Information Up to Date...........................................................................................................75

10 Service Providers...................................................................................................................................................77
In Your Planner............................................................................................................................................................78
Keeping Your Information Up to Date.......................................................................................................... 80

11 Health Care Directives...................................................................................................................................... 81

Types of Health Care Directives.........................................................................................................................82
How Health Care Directives Work...................................................................................................................83
Choosing Your Health Care Agent.................................................................................................................. 84
What You Can Cover in Your Health Care Directives........................................................................... 86
Duty of Medical Personnel to Honor Your Health Care Directives................................................89
Where to Get Help....................................................................................................................................................89
In Your Planner........................................................................................................................................................... 90
Keeping Your Documents Up to Date............................................................................................................91
12 Durable Power of Attorney for Finances............................................................................................ 93
How Durable Powers of Attorney for Finances Work............................................................................95
Choosing Your Agent...............................................................................................................................................97
Where to Get Help.................................................................................................................................................100
In Your Planner.........................................................................................................................................................100
Keeping Your Documents Up to Date.........................................................................................................101

13 Organ or Body Donation..............................................................................................................................103

Do You Want to Be a Donor?...........................................................................................................................104
Where to Get Help.................................................................................................................................................106
In Your Planner.........................................................................................................................................................107
Keeping Your Information Up to Date........................................................................................................107

14 Burial or Cremation......................................................................................................................................... 109

Burial or Cremation?.............................................................................................................................................. 110
Related Decisions.................................................................................................................................................... 115
Where to Get Help................................................................................................................................................. 118
In Your Planner......................................................................................................................................................... 119
Keeping Your Information Up to Date........................................................................................................123

15 Funeral and Memorial Services................................................................................................................125

Types of Memorial Services............................................................................................................................... 126
Where to Get Help................................................................................................................................................. 129
In Your Planner.........................................................................................................................................................130
Keeping Your Information Up to Date........................................................................................................134

16 Obituary.....................................................................................................................................................................135
What to Include in Your Obituary.................................................................................................................136
Where to Get Help................................................................................................................................................. 137
In Your Planner......................................................................................................................................................... 137
Keeping Your Obituary Up to Date.............................................................................................................. 139

17 Will and Trust.........................................................................................................................................................141

Which Estate Planning Documents Do You Need?.............................................................................. 142
An Overview of Wills and Trusts....................................................................................................................144
Choosing Your Executor or Successor Trustee.......................................................................................148
Avoiding Probate.....................................................................................................................................................150
Where to Get Help................................................................................................................................................. 153
In Your Planner......................................................................................................................................................... 155
Keeping Your Documents Up to Date.........................................................................................................156
18 Insurance...................................................................................................................................................................157
What Kind of Insurance Do You Need?......................................................................................................158
Where to Get Help.................................................................................................................................................168
In Your Planner.........................................................................................................................................................169
Keeping Your Information Up to Date........................................................................................................ 170

19 Bank and Brokerage Accounts.................................................................................................................171

Making Your Accounts Accessible.................................................................................................................172
Avoiding Probate for Bank and Brokerage Accounts.......................................................................... 173
Where to Get Help................................................................................................................................................. 174
In Your Planner......................................................................................................................................................... 174
Keeping Your Information Up to Date........................................................................................................ 175

20 Retirement Plans and Pensions................................................................................................................177

Planning for Your Retirement........................................................................................................................... 178
What Happens to Retirement Accounts When You Die?................................................................. 178
Where to Get Help................................................................................................................................................. 181
In Your Planner.........................................................................................................................................................183
Keeping Your Information Up to Date........................................................................................................185

21 Government Benefits.......................................................................................................................................187
About Social Security...........................................................................................................................................188
Where to Get Help.................................................................................................................................................190
In Your Planner.........................................................................................................................................................192
Keeping Your Information Up to Date........................................................................................................ 193

22 Credit Cards and Debts..................................................................................................................................195

Evaluating and Reducing Debt.........................................................................................................................196
Where to Get Help.................................................................................................................................................199
In Your Planner.........................................................................................................................................................200
Keeping Your Information Up to Date........................................................................................................202

23 Secured Places and Passwords..................................................................................................................203

Who Has Access to Your Safe Deposit Box?.............................................................................................205
In Your Planner.........................................................................................................................................................206
Keeping Your Information Up to Date........................................................................................................209
24 Taxes..............................................................................................................................................................................211
Tax Basics..................................................................................................................................................................... 212
Estate and Inheritance Taxes............................................................................................................................ 213
Where to Get Help................................................................................................................................................. 214
In Your Planner......................................................................................................................................................... 214
Keeping Your Information Up to Date........................................................................................................ 216

25 Real Estate.................................................................................................................................................................217
Ways to Own Property........................................................................................................................................ 218
Special Rules for Married Couples.................................................................................................................220
Where to Get Help.................................................................................................................................................222
In Your Planner.........................................................................................................................................................222
Keeping Your Information Up to Date........................................................................................................225

26 Vehicles.......................................................................................................................................................................227
Leaving Your Vehicles to Others.....................................................................................................................228
Where to Get Help.................................................................................................................................................229
In Your Planner.........................................................................................................................................................229
Keeping Your Information Up to Date........................................................................................................230

27 Other Income and Personal Property................................................................................................231

In Your Planner.........................................................................................................................................................233
Keeping Your Information Up to Date........................................................................................................235

28 Other Information.............................................................................................................................................237
Appendixes
A Using the eForms................................................................................................................................................ 239
Downloading the Files..........................................................................................................................................240
Reviewing the Files ................................................................................................................................................240
Editing RTFs................................................................................................................................................................ 241

B Lawyers and Other Experts.........................................................................................................................243

What Kind of Expert Do You Need?.............................................................................................................244
Finding an Expert.................................................................................................................................................... 245
Working With an Expert.....................................................................................................................................246
Making a Fee Agreement.................................................................................................................................... 247
My Planner
Cover Page and Table of Contents
1. Instructions
2. Letter to Loved Ones
3. Biographical Information
4. Children
5. Others Who Depend on Me
6. Pets and Livestock
7. Employment
8. Business Interests
9. Memberships and Communities
10. Service Providers
11. Health Care Directives
12. Durable Power of Attorney for Finances
13. Organ or Body Donation
14. Burial or Cremation
Index
15. Funeral and Memorial Services
16. Obituary
17. Will and Trust
18. Insurance
19. Bank and Brokerage Accounts
20. Retirement Plans and Pensions
21. Government Benefits
22. Credit Cards and Debts
23. Secured Places and Passwords
24. Taxes
25. Real Estate
26. Vehicles
27. Other Income and Personal Property
28. Other Information
Your Get It Together Companion
M
y mother died unexpectedly a
few years ago. She had fallen and
broken her leg. We knew, of course,
that no one dies from a broken leg. But her
mending was slow and difficult—a difficulty
that, blessedly, foreshadowed her death. One
blessing was that I knew I needed to spend more
time with her, to share with her, to listen more
closely. Another blessing was the nagging sense
that I should be asking some tough questions:
Where is that burial plot you and Dad
purchased years ago? Where is the paperwork?
What kind of funeral service do you want?
Whom should we call for help winding up
your estate—an attorney, a financial adviser,
your insurance agent?
With the answers to these questions jotted
down in a notepad, my siblings and I were
marginally prepared for the dawn of Mom’s
passing. We didn’t find the paperwork for the
cemetery plot; it wasn’t where she thought she had
filed it. We were awash in a sea of decisions and
telephone calls, each of which needed to be made
in the first day or two. And we were in shock,
moving into unfamiliar, Mom-less territory.
With this experience as a backdrop, I began
to get my own affairs in order. I started the
process with one goal in mind: Creating a
planner to make my death far less burdensome
for my daughters. I wanted to provide some
direction, reducing their confusion in the first
hours, days, and weeks. Yet, as the process
unfolded, I found that helping my children was
only the first of three benefits.
The second benefit was that, when document­
ing information, organizing materials, and
making end-of-life arrangements, I was often
thinking of my own eventual death. As sad as
that made me, I soon moved on, taking with
me this truth: Facing the certainty of death
generates a freedom to live life more fully. I am
less fearful about death and more joyful about
life. I am increasingly aware of the precious
moments that I have been given—and of the
finite nature of that grant.
Living out my days as though each might be
my last is a wake-up call, a call to be more fully
aware of each day. Living each of my remaining
days with attention and appreciation is an
enormous challenge—and a marvelous gift.
The third benefit was a simple one: a bounty
of relief and satisfaction at having my affairs in
order. Despite my innate tendency to organize,
I found that my portfolio—birth certificate to
retirement benefits to final arrangements—was
a thing of beauty. Never before had my insur­
ance policies been gathered in one location—
including even the accident policy offered with
my major credit card. The process of pulling
together my documents, information, and
wishes has helped me to feel informed, up to
date, and in control of my affairs.
I share with you this process:
• to reduce the eventual, inevitable burden
on your loved ones
• to help you experience the freedom
of facing your mortality, addressing
unfinished business, and valuing your
days, and
• to convey my hope that you will enjoy the
satisfaction of organizing your affairs.
May you find direction, organization, and a
certain freedom in the process of creating your
planner. Ultimately, may your loved ones find
direction, solace, and love in the planner that
you leave behind.
●
About This Book

Who Needs to Plan Ahead?..........................................................................................................................................4

Seniors................................................................................................................................................................................4
People Facing a Serious Illness...............................................................................................................................4
Family Members and Other Caretakers...........................................................................................................4
Parents and Young Adults.......................................................................................................................................5
People Planning Travel or Deployment............................................................................................................5
How It Works........................................................................................................................................................................6
The Importance of Complete Planning................................................................................................................6
4 | GET IT TOGETHER

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.
—DANNY KAYE, ENTERTAINER AND UNICEF AMBASSADOR (1913–1987)

T
his book will help you get organized for
your own benefit and, eventually, for the
benefit of your loved ones. You’ll use it
to complete a planner that contains everything
your caretakers or survivors need to know,
including critical personal, legal, and financial
information.
Your planner will be a thorough and easy-to-
follow guide for your family and close friends.
With your planner in hand, your loved ones can
more easily step in and take care of things if you
become incapacitated or when you die.
Who Needs to Plan Ahead?
If you picked up this book, you’re probably
feeling the need to get organized. Or perhaps
you want to help someone else put things in
order—maybe an elderly parent or an ailing
friend. Any adult can benefit from making
a planner, even those without a lot of money
or property, but some people might find the
process particularly useful.
Seniors
As we age, most of us feel some concern about
what would happen if we became ill and unable
to make our own medical or financial decisions.
And we wonder how our loved ones will take
care of things after we die. If you’re elderly,
making a planner can smooth the way for your
caretakers and survivors. You can gather together
your health care wishes, financial plans, legal
documents, and important personal information,
and arrange these things in a format that will
make sense to others. Those close to you will
likely view your planner as a small miracle—and
a wonderful gift.
People Facing a Serious Illness
If you are ill and concerned that at some point
you may no longer be able to care for yourself,
making a planner can help you find some peace
of mind. While you’re able, you can document
your wishes for medical care, name someone
to take care of your finances, write down what
you want to have happen to your property and
your body after death, and organize personal
information and important paperwork for your
family and friends. This book is designed to help
you organize things a little bit at a time, with
help if necessary; you can pick and choose the
issues that are most important to you.
Family Members and
Other Caretakers
If you are caring for an older or ailing person—
such as a parent, grandparent, or friend—
you’re probably grappling with both strong
emotions and lots of practical tasks. You may
find it useful to help your family member or
friend complete a planner. It will probably be
a great relief to have personal wishes, financial
information, and important legal paperwork at
your fingertips.

If you have been named as an agent for health
care or financial matters, executor of a will,
or successor trustee of a living trust, a good
planner will provide the framework that you
need to carry out your eventual responsibilities
in an orderly, informed way.
If you’re using this book to help someone
else make a planner, keep in mind that the
instructions are written primarily for people
who are making planners for themselves—but
there’s no reason you can’t use the instructions
to help another person through the process.
Parents and Young Adults
If you are young, you may want to use this book
to get off to a good start—getting and staying
organized. This book will show you how to
under­stand and keep track of your important
records, providing a solid foundation for years
to come.
If you have young children, this book can
help you ensure that they are provided for if
something happens to you. It alerts you to the
important documents you need and shows you
how to organize important information so your
wishes for your children will be carried out if
the need arises.
People Planning Travel
or Deployment
When we’re leaving town—especially if we’re
leaving family for an extended period—many
of us think about what might happen if we were
injured, or worse, while away from home. This
book can help you get organized so that, when
you leave, you will know that your affairs and
records are in order and will be easily available
to those who may need to step in.
ABOUT THIS BOOK | 5
Working With a Parent
It’s easy to use this book to help your parent get
organized. First, if the situation is urgent, see “If
Time is Short,” in Completing Your Planner, below.
Then, work through each chapter of the book,
paying particular attention to the section at the
end of each chapter called “In Your Planner.” That’s
where you’ll find the step-by-step instructions you’ll
need. As your parent is able, share the steps with
them, completing the planner together.
If your parent doesn’t want to participate, these
tips may help.
• Encourage collaboration. Consider inviting
a trusted sibling or friend to join the
conversation. Calmly, kindly, and clearly state
that you want to help, for today’s ease and
tomorrow’s comfort—and that to do so, your
parent needs to share information with you.
Emphasize that you and your parent have a
long-term shared objective.
• Promote peace of mind. Let your parent
know that your goal for them is peace of
mind. By organizing important documents,
wishes, and business affairs, you can help
make your parent’s life easier today. Help
your parent imagine how useful the planner
will be if (or when) you must step in to
help with medical decisions, pet care, or
scheduling home repairs.
• Schedule ahead. Set “work dates” in advance,
helping your parent share control and,
importantly, maintain dignity. Aging brings
loss of control, which may be threatening,
frightening, and just plain sad for your
parent. Make sure your parent feels valued as
a partner in the work. You may also be able
to lighten the emotional load by scheduling
social time—for example, a shared meal or an
outing—following your work together.
• Keep in touch. Make regular contact with
your parent between organizing sessions. Call
or write with your thoughts, suggestions, and
questions. Your contact will not only keep
the effort rolling, but will help build trust and
camaraderie.
6 | GET IT TOGETHER
How It Works
This book contains both instructions and
companion forms. These two parts of the book
are the guide and the planner:
• The guide. The first part of the book is
your instruction manual. Each chapter
describes a topic and shows you how
to pull together the information and
documents you will need.
• The planner. The second part of the book
contains the forms where you’ll actually
record your information. If you prefer to
use a computer to organize and store your
information, you can download the pages
of the planner from this book’s companion
page at:
www.nolo.com/back-of-book/GET.html
To make your work easier, the guide and
planner follow the same chapter sequence. For
example, the second chapter in the guide helps
you write a letter to your survivors, and that
letter is also the second section of the planner.
Making Legal Documents
In the guide, you’ll find lots of material to help
you make the important legal documents you
may need: health care directives, powers of
attorney, your will, a living trust, and more. The
guide also shows you how to add information
about these documents to your planner. But it
doesn’t contain legal forms for you to fill out.
Instead, you’ll find basic information about
each document and suggestions for how to
prepare them—either on your own or with a
lawyer’s help.
The sequence of your planner is designed to
create an easy, ready reference for your survivors.
The planner begins with the materials that
your loved ones will need immediately if you
become incapacitated or die, and progresses to
information they will need over time. But don’t
think you have to tackle the most daunting
tasks right away. Rather than completing your
planner from front to back, you can skip ahead
and complete some of the simplest sections
first. (You’ll learn more about this in the next
chapter, which contains specific suggestions and
tips for completing your planner.)
You may want to take a moment now to page
through the entire book, familiarizing yourself
with the layout and the various topics.
The Importance of
Complete Planning
Using this book will help you think through all
the details so your family won’t find themselves
in a situation like this:
An organized, thoughtful woman worked
diligently, pulling together information that
her loved ones would need when she died. She
studiously wrote out her wishes, secured burial
arrangements, gathered documents, and stored
all of the papers in a bank safe deposit box.
She was conscientious about reviewing and
updating the information over time. She taped
her spare safe deposit box key to an index card,
and carefully wrote the number of the safe
deposit box on the card. She showed the key and
box number to her grown children and stored
the index card conveniently in the top drawer of
her desk.
 ABOUT THIS BOOK | 7

When she died, her children met at her
home. They retrieved the index card from her
desk. Only then did they realize that she had
neglected to tell them one small detail: the
location of her safe deposit box. She had moved
several times, and they didn’t know where to
start—which bank, at which branch or address,
or even in which town.
And even if they had known where to look
for the box, they would have been in for a
shock. The papers that would have authorized
them to look inside were locked in the box itself!
As this story shows, documenting the details
of your life can make a huge difference to your
survivors. Of course, getting all of those details
into your planner is a bit of a project, about 12
hours for most people, and it is normal to feel
overwhelmed at the beginning. Thankfully,
this book provides the simple framework you
need. It shows you how to get started and how
to tackle each section until your planner is
complete. Read on to learn how.

Get the Planner, Updates, and More Online

You can download an eForm version of each section of this book’s planner at
www.nolo.com/back-of-book/GET.html
And if there are important changes to the information in this book, we’ll post
updates there, too.

l
Completing Your Planner

What the Planner Contains....................................................................................................................................... 10

Seven Steps to Preparing Your Planner..............................................................................................................11
STEP 1: Get Started................................................................................................................................................... 13
STEP 2: Prepare Planner Pages........................................................................................................................... 13
STEP 3: Get a Planner Binder.............................................................................................................................. 14
STEP 4: Store Your Planner Securely............................................................................................................... 15
STEP 5: Complete Each Section........................................................................................................................ 16
STEP 6: Talk to Loved Ones.................................................................................................................................. 17
STEP 7: Update Your Planner.............................................................................................................................. 17
10 | GET IT TOGETHER
Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex …. It takes a touch of
genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction.
—ALBERT EINSTEIN (1879–1955)
T
his chapter will familiarize you with the
contents of the planner and with the
step-by-step process you can use to put
yours together.
What the Planner Contains
The guide and planner follow the same
sequence, leading you through 28 topics.
This section provides a brief introduction
to each.
For many of the topics, you will find that you
have related documents or other materials—
birth or marriage certificates; a will, trust,
or power of attorney; insurance policies;
certificates of title; and so on. In each section
of your planner, you can state where these
materials are located. If possible, you can file
them directly in your planner; it’s a great place
to get organized—handy for you and easy for
your caretakers and survivors.
1. Instructions: Directions for the first few
days, weeks, and months following your
incapacity and death, referring your loved
ones to each section of your planner as
needed.
2. Letter to Loved Ones: A personal letter,
written to those you expect will survive
you. The letter is one of the first things your
survivors will read when they turn to your
planner after your incapacity or death.
3. Biographical Information: Facts and vital
statistics about your life and the lives of
those closest to you, including your mother,
father, spouse, and children—and the
locations of important documents such as
birth, marriage, and death certificates.
4. Children: A list of the children in your care,
describing the guardians and property
managers you have named and contact
information for others who provide care—
relatives, teachers, medical professionals,
and so on.
5. Others Who Depend on Me: A list of people
other than children for whom you regularly
provide care, including what you do to help
them and contact information for others
who can help.
6. Pets and Livestock: Instructions and wishes
for the care of your animals.
7. Employment: Important information about
your current and former jobs, including
benefits and the location of related
documents.
8. Business Interests: A list of businesses in which
you have an ownership interest, including the
locations of related documents.
9. Memberships and Communities: A summary
of your memberships and communities,
including contact or login information and
any accrued benefits.
10. Service Providers: Contact information for
your current service providers, including
medical, dental, personal care, property care,
and others.
11. Health Care Directives: Information about the
legal documents that set out your wishes for
medical treatment and that name someone
to make medical decisions if you are unable
to speak for yourself.

12. Durable Power of Attorney for Finances:
Information about the legal document that
names someone you trust to handle money
matters if you are incapacitated.
13. Organ or Body Donation: Wishes and plans for
donation of your body, organs, and tissues,
including the location of related documents.
14. Burial or Cremation: Wishes and plans for
burial or cremation, including the location
of any related documents.
15. Funeral and Memorial Services: Wishes and
plans for a viewing, visitation, wake, funeral,
memorial, or other service, including the
locations for related documents.
16. Obituary: An obituary you’ve written for a
newspaper or other publication, or details
you’d like your survivors to include if they
write an obituary for you.
17. Will and Trust: Information about your will
and other estate planning documents you’ve
made, including trusts. Here, you can also
include details about any documents that
affect how your property will pass after
death, such as a prenuptial agreement or
marital property settlement agreement.
18. Insurance: A description of insurance policies
that you own or that cover you, including
the location of the policy documents.
19. Bank and Brokerage Accounts: A list of your
bank and brokerage accounts, including the
location of related documents.
20. Retirement Plans and Pensions: Information
about any retirement accounts you own or
pension benefits to which you are entitled,
including the locations of related documents.
21. Government Benefits: Information about
Social Security or other government benefits
to which you are entitled.
22. Credit Cards and Debts: A list of your credit
cards, outstanding debts, and automatic
bill-pay arrangements.
23. Secured Places and Passwords: All the places
you keep under lock and key (or protect
by password), including safe deposit boxes,
COMPLETING YOUR PLANNER | 11
property and vehicle alarms, and password-
protected software devices or accounts.
24. Taxes: Information to help your survivors
complete your final tax returns, including
the locations of related documents.
25. Real Estate: Information about real estate
that you own, lease, or rent, including the
locations of related documents.
26. Vehicles: A list of your vehicles, including
locations of related documents.
27. Other Income and Personal Property:
Information about sources of income and
important items of personal property
not described elsewhere in your planner,
including where the property is located and
how you wish it to be handled upon your
incapacity or death.
28. Other Information: Anything else you want
to include with your planner or that you
want your caretakers or survivors to know.
Couples: Make Separate Planners
If you’re married or partnered, you and your
mate should prepare separate planners—or
one planner with separate sections for each of
you. While some sections will contain shared
information or documents (such as information
about your home and joint bank accounts), most
sections are distinctly personal. Preparing an
individual planner—or individual sections within
the same planner—makes it easier for loved ones
to manage your unique affairs over time.
Seven Steps to Preparing
Your Planner
Completing your planner need not overwhelm
you. Some of the planner topics may not even
apply to you; you can skip those that don’t.
As to the rest, you can take them one step at a
time, as described in this section.
12 | GET IT TOGETHER
TIP
If you skip sections. If you don’t fill
out some sections of the planner, don’t tear them
out or throw them away. It’s better to keep the
planner whole and make a simple note at the top
of the unused section, such as “N/A.” This way your
loved ones will be clear that you considered the
information and had nothing to include. For example,
if you don’t have life insurance and you note “N/A”
in the life insurance section of your planner, your
survivors won’t have to wonder or worry whether
there’s a policy somewhere that you forgot to include.
CROSS REFERENCE
Learn more about using the eForms.
You can find step-by-step help with the eForms in
Appendix A, near the center of this book (following
the guide and before the planner).
Don’t expect to complete your planner in one
or two sittings. It will take some time. Often
you’ll simply be filling in blanks with informa­
tion you already have or know, but sometimes
you’ll have to stop and take care of a more
complex task. For example, you may have to:
• track down paperwork—birth certificates,
military discharge papers, account
statements, pension records, insurance
policies, and the like
• prepare or update estate planning
documents, such as your health care
directives, power of attorney for finances,
will, or living trust, or
• complete an organ donor card or arrange
to donate your body to a medical school.
The list of potential tasks is a long one; what
you’ll have to do depends on your unique
circumstances. Help yourself succeed by setting
aside one- or two-hour windows to work on
your planner until you’re done. Begin to collect
important documents. Make short lists of
follow-up tasks and check off each item as you
finish it. Pacing yourself this way will help you
make progress without becoming discouraged.
The seven steps described here will help you
complete your planner with a minimum of
hassle and stress.
Choosing Paper or Digital Files
Should you write on paper or use electronic files
to fill out your planner? You have several options:
You can use the workbook pages in the back of
the book; print blank PDF pages; or type directly
into the RTF files. Choose the option that feels
most comfortable, so that you can get started on
your planner with few obstacles. You can always
start with paper, then later move your work to
your computer.
Using the planner in the back of the book.
If you wish to work with paper and don’t mind
tearing out pages from the book, you can
remove the perforated planner pages at the
back of this book, photocopy two additional
sets, and then use one set for a messy draft, one
for your tidy final version, and one for a future
update (or additional photocopying).
Using the PDF version of the planner. If you
wish to keep your book intact but still work
with paper and pencil, you can download and
print the book’s planner in PDF. (The file is
named Planner PDF.) This file contains the very
same planner you’ll find printed in the second
half of this book, but in electronic form. You can
print it as many times as you’d like, but you can’t
type into or edit it.
Typing onto the RTFs. If you prefer to use
your computer to enter your information, you
can download and use the RTF files with your
word processing software. With these eForms,
you can enter your information, save, print, later
open and modify, print again, and so on. For
more help, see Appendix A, Using the eForms.

If Time Is Short
If it’s urgent that you complete your planner
quickly, there are certain topics on which you’ll
want to focus to provide the most benefit to your
survivors. Here’s a list of critical topics you should
try to cover:
Section Topic
4 Children
5 Others Who Depend on Me
11 Health Care Directives
12 Durable Power of Attorney for Finances
13 Organ or Body Donation
14 Burial or Cremation
15 Funeral and Memorial Services
17 Will and Trust
18 Insurance
19 Bank and Brokerage Accounts
23 Secured Places and Passwords
STEP 1: Get Started
Familiarize yourself with the layout of this book
and with the process of preparing your planner.
• First, finish reading the two introductory
chapters, About This Book and Completing
Your Planner.
• Then take a few minutes to examine
your book. Look at a few chapters in the
guide (the first half), then review the
corresponding planner sections in the
back. For example, read over Chapter 6,
Pets and Livestock, up front in the guide,
and then review Section 6, Pets and
Livestock, in the planner in the back.
• Also take a look at Appendixes A and B
near the center of this book, at the end of
the guide and before the planner.
COMPLETING YOUR PLANNER | 13
STEP 2: Prepare Planner Pages
If you will use the forms printed in the back of
the book to complete your planner, it’s a good
idea to make a full set of photocopies before you
start working. Treat one set as worksheets where
you can make notes—and make a mess if you
need to. You’ll have a clean set of pages ready
when it’s time to make a final draft.
If you’re going to print out the forms using
the eForms, you don’t have to worry about
making copies. You can print out as many
copies of each form as you need. If you will
print out blank forms and fill them out by hand
or with a typewriter, go ahead and print a set.
You’ll then be ready for the next step.
If you plan to type directly onto the eForms
using your computer, download the forms
from Nolo.com (see Appendix A, Using the
eForms) and save them to a logical and easy-
to-remember place on your computer. If you
go this route, you may want to familiarize
yourself with the password protection feature
of your word processing software. After you’ve
saved your files, and have considered password
protecting them, you are ready to move onto
the next step.
TIP
Use ink and initial pages. If you use your
computer to complete your forms, print out the
completed planner pages, initial and date each page
in ink, then insert in your planner. If you complete
the forms by hand, write your final draft in ink, then
initial and date each page. This will deter others from
tampering with or modifying your planner.
14 | GET IT TOGETHER
TIP
Don’t read this book! Your job is to
create your planner and enjoy peace of mind, so don’t
try to read this book cover to cover! Follow these tips
to make the job easier:
• Sequence. Work on sections one at a time in
the sequence shown on the next two pages—
Simple Topics, Essential Topics, and so on.
• Focus. Focus on the planner pages—complete
the planner pages with your personal informa-
tion, add your related materials, and insert
both into your planner. Unless you want more
information or need help, do not read the
guide pages (the first 247 pages of the work-
book). This way, you won’t get bogged down,
wading through materials you don’t need
to read.
Online Storage Services
These days, new online services pop up regularly,
promising safe electronic storage for your impor-
tant records and information. At first blush, such an
arrangement may seem smart—especially given our
increasingly digital lives. But there are many reasons
why printed, physical storage is your better solution.
On one hand, the advantages of online storage
include:
• Easy access for you. An online data bank is
highly portable.
• Simple to use. Online storage services
say that all you need to do is type in your
information and upload your documents—
and voilà, you’re done!
• Easy use by multiple people later on. Anyone
who has permission can view your materials at
any time, from anywhere in the world.
• Protection. While documents stored in the
cloud are more vulnerable to cyber risk, they
are less vulnerable to natural risks such as fires,
floods, or earthquakes.
On the other hand, the disadvantages are
considerable:
• Remember. As you work, remind yourself that
your completed planner will be so handy for
you—and, ultimately, it will be a valuable road
map for your loved ones.
STEP 3: Get a Planner Binder
You can keep your planner pages intact in
this book or put them in a binder, folder, or
envelope, keeping in mind that the goal is to
make the planner easy to use—for you, as
well as for your survivors. If you want to take
your organization a step further, these planner
materials have been specially designed for use
with a binder, with tabs and storage pockets,
so that you can keep many of your important
materials right with your planner forms. If you
• Easy access equals security risks. Typically,
you’ll want only one or two people other
than yourself to have access to your
planner. For security, your home safe is
a far better bet.
• Simple isn’t always easy. You’ll have to render
every document in digital form—for example,
by scanning it—before uploading it.
• You can’t scan everything. What about
stored credit cards, keys, or your passport? It
can be a great help to store physical objects
like these with your planner.
• Your loved ones may be overwhelmed.
Grieving, hurried, and feeling lost, it may be
difficult for your survivors to figure out how
to unlock your online data and print the
materials needed by banks and lawyers. For
many documents, they will need to produce
the originals as well.
Given these complications, it’s best to organize
your materials in physical form and store them in
your home safe. Your survivors will be grateful for
your choice.

want to set up your planner in this way, here’s
what you’ll need:
• binder (at least 2")
• tab divider pages (labeled, one for each
topic or section)
• pocket divider pages for inserting related
documents or other materials
• plastic sleeves or sheet protector pages (for
inserting related documents), and
• plastic binder pouches, such as those made
to hold pencils and pens, for storing small,
irregular items.
As you finish each topic, put the corresponding
planner pages into your binder. To make it easy
to find each section, create a tab divider for each
topic. Following each section in the planner,
include a pocket divider to hold topic-related doc-
uments. You may want to get some plastic sheet
protector pages for protecting documents such
as birth certificates and certificates of title, and a
few zippered binder pockets for small or irregular
items such as your passport, credit cards, or keys.
BINDER
As you read through the guide, you’ll
see binder icons like this one. These tips will provide
suggestions to help you organize and file related
documents and other materials in your binder.
BINDER
Ordering a ready-made binder for your
planner. To make it extra easy to organize your
planner, you can order the Get It Together Binder &
Tab Set. The sturdy three-inch binder comes with tab
dividers for each of the 28 sections of your planner.
For a complete description and ordering information,
see the ad in the back of this book.
STEP 4: Store Your Planner Securely
Once you get started, your planner will contain
significant personal details and confidential
COMPLETING YOUR PLANNER | 15
information. Now’s the time to decide where
you’ll store it. The best place to store your
planner is in a waterproof, fireproof home safe.
You may be tempted to store your planner
in a safe deposit box or with a lawyer. Unfor­
tunately, these options limit access to your
planner—at least until the first business day
following your incapacity or death.
Safe deposit boxes can be particularly tricky:
Even if you have a co-owner on the box, or if
you have previously arranged safe deposit box
access for a trusted friend or relative, access to the
box—and to your planner—may be delayed until
well after your survivors need it. (See Section 23,
Secured Places and Passwords, for more
information about accessing safe deposit boxes.)
If you have concerns about the security of your
planner in a home safe, or if a home safe is not
available to you, you can store the materials in
any location that feels safe to you. Keep in mind,
however, that your survivors will most likely
need the information in the first half of your
planner—Sections 1 through 16—immediately
upon your incapacity or death. The information
contained in this first part of your planner is
sensitive, but does not include information about
your assets or how to access them. Make sure you
keep these first sections within easy reach.
The most sensitive information in your planner
is contained in the second half—Sections 17
through 28. Your survivors won’t need these
sections until at least the first business day after
your incapacity or death. If you don’t have a
secure location in your home, you can think
about storing these sections in a safe deposit box,
with a lawyer, or with a close relative or friend
who has a home safe—keeping in mind the
caveats mentioned above. Also remember that
you’ll want relatively easy access to your planner
yourself, so you can keep it up to date.
Essentially, how you store your planner
depends on your own options and comfort level.
Do what feels best for you.
16 | GET IT TOGETHER

STEP 5: Complete Each Section that the guide provides suggestions for
completing each step.
Start by dispatching the simplest, most straight­
forward topics. These are very personal topics
for which you’ll have most of the information Essential Topics
readily at hand. Section Topic
Feel free to skip around from one section of 11 Health Care Directives
your planner to another. By doing so, you’ll 12 Durable Power of Attorney for Finances
achieve some early successes while familiarizing 13 Organ or Body Donation
yourself with the whole planner and the process. 14 Burial or Cremation
Simple Topics 15 Funeral and Memorial Services
17 Will and Trust
As you complete the easiest sections, begin to
collect your important documents for other
sections and store them with your planner. This
will help you do the work that comes later. Complex Topics
The following topics may be a bit more difficult
for you. You might have to work harder or
Simple Topics
longer to obtain the necessary information or
Section Topic
related documents. As with the steps above, start
4 Children with the topics for which you have the most
5 Others Who Depend on Me information—or those you feel will be easiest
6 Pets and Livestock for you—and then move on to the others.
9 Memberships and Communities
10 Service Providers
Complex Topics
23 Secured Places and Passwords
Section Topic
3 Biographical Information
7 Employment
Essential Topics 8 Business Interests
After you’ve warmed up with some of the easier 16 Obituary
topics, turn to the core of your planner. These
18 Insurance
are the things that your loved ones will most
19 Bank and Brokerage Accounts
need to know if you become incapacitated or
die. Each of the following topics may require 20 Retirement Plans and Pensions
you to complete a small project, depending on 21 Government Benefits
the work you’ve already done. For example, if 22 Credit Cards and Debts
you’ve already made a will or if you have other 24 Taxes
estate planning documents, completing Section 25 Real Estate
17 won’t be difficult at all; you should start 26 Vehicles
there. If you haven’t yet done any planning,
27 Other Income and Personal Property
take these topics one at a time, remembering
28 Other Information
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The danger of
premature interment
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United
States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away
or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the
laws of the country where you are located before using this
eBook.

Title: The danger of premature interment

Proved from many remarkable instances of people who
have recovered after being laid out for dead, and of
others entombed alive, for want of being properly
examined prior to interment

Author: Joseph Taylor

Release date: October 31, 2023 [eBook #71993]

Language: English

Original publication: London: W. Simpkin and R. Marshall, 1815

Credits: Aaron Adrignola, Gísli Valgeirsson and the Online

Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
(This file was produced from images generously made
available by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE

DANGER OF PREMATURE INTERMENT ***
 THE
DANGER
OF
Premature Interment.
Plummer and Brewis, Printers,
Love-Lane, Eastcheap.
 H. Corbould del. Hopwood sc.
The body of Tulliolæ, the daughter of Cicero, discovered entire
and uncorrupted, in a Sepulchre, 1500 Years after Burial.
Vide Page 127.
Publish’d by W. Simpkin & R. Marshall Decʳ 1815.
 THE
DANGER
OF
Premature Interment,
PROVED FROM MANY
REMARKABLE INSTANCES

Of People who have recovered after being laid out for dead,
and of others entombed alive, for want of being
properly examined prior to Interment.
Also a Description of
The Manner the Ancient Egyptians, and other Nations,
Preserved and venerated their Dead,

And a curious Account of their

SEPULCHRAL EVER BURNING LAMPS
And
Mausoleums.
Likewise the pernicious effects of burying in the body of
Churches, and confined Church Yards pointed out,
whereby many valuable lives have been lost
to the Public, and their Friends.

SELECTED FROM HISTORICAL RECORDS.

BY
JOSEPH TAYLOR.

“To revive nailed up in a Coffin! A return of

Life in Darkness,
Distraction, and Despair! The Brain can
scarce sustain the
reflection, in our coolest moments.”
 LONDON:
PRINTED FOR W. SIMPKIN AND R. MARSHALL,
Stationers Court, Ludgate-Street.

1816.
 INTRODUCTION.

Amongst the many dreadful calamities incident to human nature,

none surely is more horrid, nor can the thought be more appalling,
than even in idea to be buried alive;—the very soul sickens at the
thought. Yet terribly frightful as the imagination paints such a dire
event, these things have been. Historical record clearly
demonstrates the melancholy truth, and many a valuable member of
society, has, I am fully persuaded, times past, been prematurely
consigned to the grave before the vital spark has been extinct. To
prevent, if possible, such deplorable events from ever again
happening, is my principal motive in forming the present volume. The
substance of a motto, I have somewhere seen, several years since,
on a silver medal, whereon is prettily displayed the figure of a boy
blowing with his mouth at a piece of lighted charcoal nearly
extinguished, in hopes of again re-invigorating the flame, has ever
since been indelibly impressed on my mind. “Who knows,” says the
motto, “but one spark, may yet remain alive.” And I would
recommend a similar impression to be deeply fixed on the minds of
every person, as a standing criterion in all doubtful cases between
life and death. It is a duty incumbent on ourselves, our friends and
relatives, and the community at large, to be thus particular in such a
momentous affair. Who amongst us, give me leave to ask, that has
the least pretensions to common humanity, would hesitate for a
single moment to perform so generous, though painful a duty, as that
of carefully attending to the sad expiring moments of a departing
friend? The duty must be reciprocal to every benevolent being, as
sooner or later, the dreadful trial must be our own. From a sad
mistaken humanity, surrounding friends are sometimes apt to
persuade the nearest relatives that nothing more can be done for the
dying person, and therefore prevent them from performing those kind
offices of closing the eyes, and other marks of attention, which can
only be expected from those who are deeply interested. Surely such
a bounden duty as this, ought not to be left (as is too often the case)
to some wretched mercenary nurse, or greedy hireling? forbid it
humanity! I would recommend it to all surviving relatives, and others,
who are interested, and have been attending with the kindest
assiduity on the sick, not to desert their post, the moment the nurse
has reported the death of her patient, but in this trying hour, if grief
has not too much overpowered them, to exert every necessary
recollection, to calm their feelings as much as human nature will
permit, and if possible, not be persuaded to quit the room too hastily,
(unless contagion is apprehended) nor suffer the poor departed
friend to be stripped and pulled about, until indubitable signs clearly
demonstrate life is no more. Many of the stories in this volume, well
attested by regular bred professional gentlemen, of the highest
respectability, expatiates largely on this humane, and interesting
subject, and I would fain flatter myself, such necessary advice as
they impart on so very important a subject, will cause in future in
every family, a more than usual care and examination of their friends
in the hour of death, and prior to interment. Were we but to bear in
our minds the following animated lines from a celebrated poet, our
attention to dying friends would be unremitting.

“Spirits fly swift (our friend’s) perhaps is gone

A thousand leagues beyond the sun,
Or twice ten thousand more twice told,
Ere the forsaken clay is cold.

“And yet, who knows; the friends we lov’d,

They may not be so far remov’d;
Only the veil of flesh between,
May oft glide by us, tho’ unseen.

“While we (their loss lamenting) say,

They’re out of hearing, far away;
Guardians to us, perhaps they’re near
Conceal’d in vehicles of air.”
 The danger which has arisen from burying in churches, and
confined church yards, is so clearly proved by several remarkable
instances in the present volume, that I shall say little more on the
subject, but refer my readers to those important truths for
information. Where it is absolutely necessary, a great number of
dead bodies must be deposited in one small piece of ground, I would
recommend a plan to be observed, something similar to the
following, which I am of opinion, would prevent great confusion and
danger, when a new grave is about to be opened. Let burying
grounds in future, be divided into regular sections, of sufficient length
and breadth, to admit of the largest human body, male or female.
Over each of these divisions, regularly and distinctly mark in
numerals from 1 to 100, more or less, according to the size of the
ground. Then let the parish clerk, sexton, or some other proper
person, keep an alphabetical ruled form, whereon must be regularly
entered the day of the month, and year the person died in, christian
and sir name of the deceased, parish where they resided, and a
space annexed for the number and side of the wall, under which the
defunct was buried, in like manner.
REGISTER OF FUNERALS.
Name of the Time of Of what Parish No. Under what
Deceased. Death. belonging. wall buried.
Addison, 1816. St. Leonard’s 1. South wall.
Richard. January Shoreditch.
1.
Barckley, February St. Vedast, 12. North wall.
Thomas. 18. Foster Lane.
I know not whether any similar plan to the above has ever yet
been adopted, if not, I think great waste of ground may be
prevented, and impure vapours greatly kept under. By duly attending
to this register of death, (if I may be allowed the term) a regular
gradation will constantly be attended to: this, will in a great measure
prevent danger to the grave-digger, and the surrounding inhabitants.
For instance, suppose a body to be laid in the grave under No. 1, a
second under No. 2, a third under No. 3, and so on in like manner,
until the whole number of spaces in the cemetery is filled up. By the
time the last numbered grave is opened, if the burying ground is
large, the first body buried under No. 1, will very probably be
reduced to ashes, so that there will then be room to begin again in
the same progressive manner: and if the body should not be quite
dissolved (which can easily be ascertained by a reference to the
above register) a few layers of earth and straw must be allowed as a
barrier between the first and last corpse interred in the same grave.
A little attention to some such method as this, would I am inclined to
think, tend greatly to prevent danger in all confined church yards,
preserve very frequently the life of the grave-digger, and render the
air more pure and wholesome to the surrounding inhabitants of such
doleful places. Another improvement may likewise be introduced,
which would greatly tend to disperse all noxious effluvia, and make
these dormitories less gloomy and unwholesome, I mean where the
ground is sufficiently capacious, to plant it with certain shrubs and
flowers. Many of the Eastern Nations are very particular in this
respect, and set us a rare example for improvement. In the Great
Mogul’s dominions, no places afford more delight to travellers, than
their burying grounds. Their tombs are either built round, square, or
with six or eight corners, and covered over archwise, and the
remaining part of the ground is planted with fruit trees, and flowers,
just as if they were laying out and planting an elysium. How
preferable must places of this description be to our confined, and too
often dirty habitations for the dead.
Respecting the sepulchral Lamps of the Ancients, however some
people may be inclined to ridicule and discredit such reports, the
descriptions are most certainly too curious and interesting to be
omitted in a work of this kind. I have therefore selected from the
most respectable documents, those records I conceived applicable
to my work and deserving of notice. They are such descriptions, as I
think ought to be paid much attention to, for in this age of invention,
when chemistry is brought to great perfection, and many modern arts
are on investigation, only found to be improvements of the Ancients,
as is the case with the Gas-lights which shine so refulgent through
our streets, it may probably by the philosophic experimentalist, at
some future period be discovered by what art the Ancients
constructed those perpetual lights which have so often been found in
their sepulchres. Surely nothing can be too great for imitation. If the
Mausoleums of our monarchs, and the tombs of the great could be
illuminated, with a durable pale, silvery, phosphoric light, (which I do
not conceive at all impracticable) it would render the mansions of the
dead less terrific, be awfully grand and sublime, and transmit to
posterity the improvements of the age. The idea of a continual light
burning in our tombs after our decease, would to many, I am well
convinced be so comfortable an anticipation, that the fear of death
would be less dreadful, than when we expect, after the dread
catastrophe, to remain for years in darkness.
That these, my humble efforts for the public good, or that any of
the subsequent stories may be instrumental in preserving the life of
but one fellow-creature, or that the hints I have treated so
superficially, may induce some abler pen to enlarge on a subject so
very important to all mankind, then will my utmost ambition be fully
gratified.
J. TAYLOR.
Newington,
Nov. 18th, 1815.
 THE
DANGER
OF
Premature Interment,
&c. &c.

Aristotle asserted, that it was more just to assist the dead than the
living. Plato, in his Republic, does not forget, amongst other parts of
justice, that which concerns the dead. Cicero establishes three kinds
of justice; the first respects the Gods, the second the manes, or
dead, and the third men. These principles seem to be drawn from
nature, and they appear at least, to be necessary for the support of
society, since at all times civilized nations have taken care to bury
their dead, and to pay their last respects to them.
We find in history, several traces of the respect which the Indians,
the Egyptians, and the Syrians entertained for the dead. The Syrians
embalmed their bodies with myrrh, aloes, honey, salt, wax, bitumen,
and resinous gums; they dried them also with the smoke of the fir
and the pine tree. The Egyptians preserved theirs with the resin of
the cedar, with aromatic spices, and with salt. These people often
kept such mummies, or at least their effigies, in their houses, and at
grand entertainments they were introduced, that by reciting the great
actions of their ancestors, they might be better excited to virtue.—
How different is this respect for the dead, from that practised at
present?
The Greeks, at first, had probably not the same veneration for the
dead as the Egyptians. Empedocles, therefore, in the eighty fourth
Olympiad, restored to life Ponthia, a woman of Agrigentum, who was
about to be interred. But this people, in proportion as they grew
civilized, becoming more enlightened, perceived the necessity of
establishing laws for the protection of the dead.
At Athens, the law required that no person should be interred
before the third day; and in the greater part of the cities of Greece, a
funeral did not take place till the sixth or seventh. When a man
appeared to have breathed his last, his body was generally washed
by his nearest relations with warm water mixed with wine. They
afterwards anointed it with oil, and covered it with a dress, commonly
made of fine linen, according to the custom of the Egyptians. This
dress was white at Messina, Athens, and in the greater part of the
cities of Greece, where the dead body was crowned with flowers. At
Sparta it was of a purple colour, and the body was surrounded with
olive leaves. The body was afterwards laid upon a couch in the entry
of the house, where it remained till the time of the funeral. At the
magnificent obsequies which Alexander honoured Ephestion, the
body was not burned till the tenth day.
The Romans in the infancy of their empire, paid as little attention
to their dead as the Greeks had done. Acilius Aviola having fallen
into a lethargic fit, was supposed to be dead; he was therefore
carried to the funeral pile; the fire was lighted up; and though he
cried out that he was still alive, he perished for want of speedy
assistance. The Praetor Lamiæ met with the same fate. Tubero, who
had been Praetor was also saved from the funeral pile. Asclepiades
a physician, who lived in the time of Pompey the Great, about one
hundred and twenty years before the Christian æra, returning from
his country house, observed near the walls of Rome, a grand convoy
and a crowd of people, who were in mourning assisting at a funeral,
and shewing every exterior sign of the deepest grief. Having asked
what was the occasion of this concourse, no one made any reply. He
therefore approached the pretended dead body, and imagining that
he perceived signs of life in it, he ordered the by-standers to take
away the flambeaux, to extinguish the fire, and to pull down the
funeral pile. A kind of murmur on this arose throughout the whole
company. Some said that they ought to believe the physician, while
others turned both him and his profession into ridicule. The relations
however yielded at length to the remonstrances of Asclepiades; they
consented to defer the obsequies for a little, and the consequence
was the restoration of the pretended dead person to life. It appears
that these examples, and several others of the like nature, induced
the Romans to delay funerals longer, and to enact laws to prevent
precipitate interments.
At Rome, after allowing a sufficient time for mourning, the nearest
relation generally closed the eyes of the deceased, and the body
was bathed with warm water, either to render it fitter for being
anointed with oil, or to reanimate the principle of life, which might
remain suspended, without manifesting itself. Proofs were afterwards
made, to discover whether the person was really dead, which were
often repeated during the time that the body remained exposed; for
there were persons appointed to visit the dead, and to prove their
situation. On the second day, after the body had been washed a
second time, it was anointed with oil and balm. Luxury encreased to
such a pitch in the choice of foreign perfumes for this purpose, that
under the consulship of Licinius Crassus, and Julius Cæsar, the
senate forbad any perfumes to be used, except such as were the
production of Italy. On the third day the body was clothed according
to its dignity and condition. The robe called the prætexta was put
upon magistrates, and a purple robe upon consuls; for conquerors
who had merited triumphal honours, this robe was of gold tissue. For
other Romans it was white, and black for the lower classes of the
people. These dresses were often prepared at a distance, by the
mothers and wives of persons still in life. On the fourth day the body
was placed on a couch, and exposed in the vestibule of the house,
with the visage turned towards the entrance, and the feet near the
door; in this situation it remained till the end of the week. Near the
couch were lighted wax tapers, a small box in which perfumes were
burnt, and a vessel full of water, for purification, with which those
who approached the body besprinkled themselves. An old man,
belonging to those who furnished every thing necessary for funerals,
sat near the deceased, with some domestics clothed in black. On the
eighth day the funeral rites were performed; but to prevent the body
from corrupting before that time, salt, wax, the resinous gum of the
cedar, myrrh, honey, balm, gypsum, lime, asphaltes, or bitumen of
Judea, and several other substances, were employed. The body was
carried to the pile with the face uncovered, unless wounds, or the
nature of the disease had rendered it loathsome and disgusting. In
such a case, a mask was used made of a kind of plaister, which has
given rise to the expression of funera lavasta, used in some of the
ancient authors. This was the last method of concealment which
Nero made use of, after having caused Germanicus to be poisoned:
for the effect of the poison had become very sensible by livid spots
and the blackness of the body, but a shower of rain happening to fall,
it washed the plaister entirely away, and thus the horrid crime of
fratricide was discovered.
The Turks have, at all times, been accustomed to wash the bodies
of their dead before interment: and as their ablutions are complete,
and as no part of the body escapes the attention of those who assist
at such melancholy ceremonies, they can easily perceive whether
one be really dead or alive, by examining, among other methods of
proof, whether the sphincter anis has lost its power of contraction. If
this muscle remains still contracted, they warm the body, and
endeavour to recal it to life; otherwise, after having washed it with
water and soap, they wipe it with linen cloths, wash it again with rose
water, and aromatic substances, cover it with a rich dress, put upon
its head a cap ornamented with flowers, and extend it upon a carpet,
placed in the vestibule, or hall, at the entrance of the house.
The Jews, after having washed the body, and anointed it with
aromatic substances of a more or less agreeable odour, according to
the rank and riches of the deceased, bind it round afterwards with
bandages of linen, and cover the head with a handkerchief.
In the primitive church the dead were washed and then anointed;
the body was wrapped up in linen, or clothed in a dress of more or
less value, according to circumstances, and it was not interred till
after being exposed, and kept some days in the house. The custom
of clothing the dead is preserved in France only for princes and
ecclesiastics.
In other countries, more or less care is taken to prevent sudden
interments. At Geneva, there are people appointed to inspect all
dead bodies. Their duty consists in examining whether the person be
really dead, and whether they died naturally, or by violence. In the
North, as well as at Genoa, it is usual not to bury the dead till three
days have expired. In Holland people carry their precautions much
farther, and delay the funerals longer. In Spain, the dead are
generally clothed in the dresses of the religious. And in Germany
they are dressed in clothes more or less splendid, with their faces
uncovered, and are generally laid in that apartment, which is nearest
the door.
In England, the poorest people keep their dead four or five days,
and sometimes longer and the nearest relations are invited to see
them exposed. If they happen to be buried sooner, this precipitation
excites suspicions among the neighbours, who never fail to address
themselves to the magistrates, and to take the body from the grave,
that they may examine whether it bears any traces of violence.
It is not only in Europe that precautions are taken against
precipitate burials. In Asia, when an inhabitant of the kingdom of
Boutain dies, the body is kept in the house three days all of which
are spent in singing and prayers.
If we instead of following the example of those people, have
forgotten that respect which the ancients entertained for the dead, it
is owing to the prejudices of our education imbibed in infancy. In that
early age nurses and ignorant servants instil into children those
absurdities which they themselves have adopted, and such
prejudices are the most difficult to be overcome. Scarcely has one
ceased to live, when he becomes an object of horror.
The body is abandoned to a set of mercenary people, who begin
by dragging it from a warm bed to place it on some cold straw. Soon
after devotion, or the desire of gain, draws together the undertakers,
who first cover the head and face with a kind of cap, in the shape of
a bag. Sometimes they put cotton into the mouth, the ears, and even
into the fundament, if the last precaution has not been taken before
their arrival. This cotton is placed there to prevent the body from
staining the linen in which it is wrapped up. They then bind the
breast and arms round with a bandage, and make another pass