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June 17th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda By MATTHEW BELL
19:32 EST, 16 June 2012
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19:53 EST, 16 June 2012
Interred together: Spike Milligan with his third wife Shelagh, who now lies beside him in his grave in East Sussex
Spike Milligan’s gravestone quip – ‘I told you I was ill’ – was recently voted the nation’s favourite epitaph.
But pilgrims to the comedy legend’s grave will search in vain because it has been unmarked for a year.
The headstone has been at the centre of a bizarre family wrangle between various branches of the Milligan clan since his third wife, Shelagh Sinclair, was buried alongside him last June.
Her family want Shelagh’s name and dates added to the stone, but Milligan’s son from an another relationship says it would be against his father’s wishes.
While the gravestone sits in a funeral parlour, the matter may have to be settled by a rarely used Church of England court.
Milligan’s headstone was removed after Shelagh, 67, was buried in the same plot at St Thomas’s Church in Winchelsea, East Sussex.
It could not go back for several weeks because the grave needed time to settle, but that was more than a year ago and the stone has still not been returned, with the executor of Shelagh’s will blaming a ‘breakdown in communication’.
Milligan’s son, James, 36, has written to Shelagh’s brother Peter to insist that the headstone isn’t altered.
He said: ‘It’s always been abundantly clear what my father wanted written on his headstone.
‘It’s bad enough the stone has not been on his grave for a year, and now to find out Shelagh’s family are trying to add an inscription is infuriating and totally unacceptable.
‘My family feels my father’s wishes are not being respected and it’s absolutely outrageous. I am prepared to take legal action over this.
‘I have spoken to the vicar and he has told me the wording cannot be changed if there’s a dispute so I’m hopeful it won’t be allowed.’
‘I told you I was ill’: Spike
Milligan’s headston in the grounds of St. Thomas the Martyr
Church, Winchelsea, East Sussex. His famous epitaph is written in Gaelic
Canon Howard Cocks, the vicar of St Thomas’s, said: ‘I’ve spoken to James Milligan, although I haven’t heard anything from Shelagh’s family. If they want to put something on it relating to her and I am made aware of an objection, then I would refer the matter to the Archdeacon of the Diocese of Chichester.
‘If the families cannot resolve the dispute between themselves it may be that he would call for a sitting of the Church’s Consistory Court.’
Solicitor Kevin Harper, the executor of Shelagh’s will, said: ‘We are establishing the wording to put on the gravestone in relation to Shelagh. It’s likely to be just her name and the dates relevant to her life and death. The gravestone will be back soon.’
Milligan’s family were given permission to have his much-quoted epitaph on his grave, but only on condition it was in Gaelic. He became an Irish citizen in 1962.
When Milligan died in 2002 there was also a dispute over his will after he left his entire estate to Shelagh.
Several of his six children objected but a High Court judge ruled that Shelagh, a former BBC production assistant, was entitled to the estate and his children should receive only ‘what was surplus to requirements’.
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Something like this happened in my husband’s family – his uncle died and was buried with his late first wife. When his second wife died her family wanted her buried with him…and the first wife…but husbands remaining uncles and aunts refused to allow it. The only reason her family wanted her buried in his grave was because they were looking to avoid paying out for a new plot and stone…which is what they ended up having to do. I think it was the right decision. Shelagh should have had her own grave.
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Sevva,Northland, I hope you come down with a nasty case of The Dreaded Lurgy or a severe case of Spon!
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Spike himself might say: This is matter of grave concern!
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Another reason why cremation is preferable – no need for a gravestone if you don’t want one!
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What a nasty, bitter man.
If it was against his fathers wishes for the stone to have his wifes name on it, why would he have consented to the shared plot?
This woman shared years of his life and he clearly wanted to be buried with her. She should be on the stone – its her resting place too.
What a vile human being.
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Milligan was an ill-mannered, bad-tempered boor who’d been told far too many times by sycophants that he was a genius. This is not news.
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In this case, I must agree with Spike’s family. Not for selfish reasons, but because the gravestone, with its famous motto, to me seems to be a piece of national heritage. His epitaph, “I told you I was ill,” has passed into legend and as such may merit some sort of Listed status in planning terms? This may be an avenue Spike’s family should explore. Meanwhile I do quite support the idea of giving the wife space on the reverse as a compromise. But = = = = @ Dee, Kent How about a compromise – put Shelagh’s details/epitaph on the back of the stone thus not interfering with Spikes text. – Dee, Kent, 17/6/2012 09:48 = = = = that’s a great idea.
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The solution is a compromise. There is no law which states that only one side of a grave stone must be engraved. So Shelagh’s name and dates should be carved on the reverse side.
Stones do from time to time carry an epitaph on both sides. More common in the early 19th century than today, but that would resolve the issue fairly.
Spike’s insciption on one side for fans to read and his children to admire, then the reverse engraved for Shelagh’s family. Same plot, Same stone, Problem solved.
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How about a compromise – put Shelagh’s details/epitaph on the back of the stone thus not interfering with Spikes text.
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This man should leave his bitterness behind and Spike and Shelagh lie in peace. They were married for almost 20 years so of course she was left his estate – as happens with almost every next of kin. This other man was the result of an affair and his dreadful behaviour suggests that Spike new exactly what he was doing and what his personality was like when he left him out of his will.
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