Westminster Abbey politicians, doctors and scientists such as Isaac Newton, buried on 4 April 1727, Charles Darwin, buried on 26 April 1882, and Stephen Hawking, buried on 15 June 2018. Another was William Wilberforce who led the movement to abolish slavery in the United Kingdom and the Plantations, buried on 3 August 1833. Wilberforce was buried in the north transept, close to his friend, the former Prime Minister, William Pitt. During the early 20th century it became increasingly common to bury cremated remains rather than coffins in the abbey. In 1905 the actor Sir Henry Irving was cremated and his ashes buried
Westminster Abbey (British Columbia) abbot, was elected. The abbey currently has around 30 monks. Benedictine monks live by the motto of their order, "Ora et Labora", ("Pray and Work"). The roughly 30 monks at Westminster Abbey also follow this. In 1950, Benedictine sisters came to help the abbey, and continued there until they left in 1968. Since then, all kitchen, farm, and most other work at the abbey has been done by the monks themselves. The monks pray the Liturgy of the Hours, namely Lauds, Midday Prayer, Vespers and Vigils at four times different times throughout the day. These are usually sung publicly in