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Dr William Price (1800-93), Chartist, doctor, druid and cremation pioneer, was born at Tynycoedcae farm, Rudry, near Caerphilly. He was 19th century eccentric whose main legacy was the cremation of his son, changing the future of funerals in Britain.
Dr. William Price (1800-1893) was a notable Welsh physician, Chartist, and eccentric, famously known for his promotion of cremation in Britain and his self-identification as a Druid. Born on March 4, 1800, in Rudry, Glamorgan, Wales, Price was a fervent advocate for Welsh culture, the Welsh language, and radical political causes, including Chartism, a working-class movement for political reform in Britain that peaked during the 1830s and 1840s.
Price’s life was marked by his unconventional beliefs and practices. As a physician, he refused to treat patients who smoked, and he advocated for vegetarianism and the wearing of natural fabrics. His dedication to Druidic beliefs influenced his distinctive appearance, often wearing a fox-skin headdress and carrying a staff or spear.
In 1884, after the death of his infant son, named Iesu Grist (Jesus Christ) Price, he performed what is believed to be the first modern cremation in Britain on a hillside in Llantrisant, South Wales. This act was initially met with public outrage and legal action, as cremation was not legally recognized in Britain at the time. However, Price successfully argued that while the law did not explicitly permit cremation, it also did not prohibit it. This landmark case paved the way for the Cremation Act of 1902, which formally legalized cremation in the United Kingdom.
Cremation
Dr. William Price’s legacy is that of a pioneering advocate for cremation, a promoter of Welsh nationalism, and a defender of individual liberty and eccentricity. His life and work left an indelible mark on Welsh culture and the broader movements for social and legal reform in Britain. Price died on January 23, 1893, and fittingly, his body was cremated on the same hillside where he had cremated his son.