AMERICAN COLONIAL FUNERAL BEHAVIOR

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CHAPTER 5

• AMERICAN COLONIAL FUNERAL BEHAVIOR

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American Colonial Funeral Behavior

• American settlements were founded by people
  seeking fortune and freedom from religious
  organization or a chance to acquire a decent
  human existence.
• People brought to America a body of beliefs and
  institutions, skills, arts and crafts.

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Ideological framework for Colonial Funeral
Practices

• Virginia Colony-
• Integrated church and state until after the
  Revolution.
• Death became one of the prime occasions for
  pulpit exhortations on the essential mortality of
  mankind and moral living.
• Puritans disinvolved the clergy from certain
  ceremonial functions including funerals.

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Ideological framework for Colonial Funeral
Practices

• Virginia Colony-
• New England burials were very simple and done
  with quiet dignity. It was their goal to avoid
  the popish (pertaining to the Pope or Roman
  Catholic Church) errors of saying prayers over
  the dead.
• Nevertheless funerals were preached in churches
  starting in 1700s
• Later prayers were said at the graveside
  ceremonies.

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Ideological framework for Colonial Funeral
Practices

• Virginia Colony-
• Colonists shed their legal system of church
  (ecclesiastical) law and formalized the New World
  Society by Common Law-
• If it isnt a reasonable law, it cant be a good
  law.
• England remained the same as before until English
  Burial Acts of 1855 then reflected more of the
  colonists ways.

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Ideological framework for Colonial Funeral
Practices

• Virginia Colony-
• Many common law precedents were set during this
  time, because not all of the existing laws fit
  the exigencies (case or situation that demands
  prompt attention) of colonial existence.
• Most of this came about because there was no
  clear-cut definitions for mortuary behavior
• No Church Involvement Remember.

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Ideological framework for Colonial Funeral
Practices

• Virginia Colony-
• Early colonists believed that work, ownership,
  substance and salvation all became parts of unity
  of existence that made up life in the colonies,
  founded upon the principal that hard work was kin
  to Godliness.

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Ideological framework for Colonial Funeral
Practices

• Industriousness was necessary but not completely
  sufficient for salvationThe state of ones soul
  was, in the end, and individual matter
• Were you righteous or not??
• The ministry was preaching Hell-fire and
  damnation sermons that scared many of the
  colonists, therefore they were forced into a
  realm of philosophical speculation and an in
  depth examination of other ideas.

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Ideological framework for Colonial Funeral
Practices

• This speculation led to the pursuit of mans
  worldly goods as an end in themselves. Common
  laws, industriousness, and an uncertain, fearful
  relation to God formed the major elements of the
  Puritan character.
• It is against these values that figures of
  funeral practice and death customs started to
  form from their own interests.

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Funeral Directing in the 19th Century

• Early New England recognized death as natural,
  common place reality
• The grave was as common as the cradle and the
  New Englander never saw any reason to disguise
  it.
• Cemeteries were familiar to living and the dead
  alike as resting places for the dead

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Funeral Directing in the 19th Century

• Funeral directing became an occupation during the
  19th century by
• providing a set of tasks for the care and
  disposal of the dead.
• taking the form of a personal service.

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Framework for Colonial Funeral Practices

• Virginia Colony- founded in 1607 at Jamestown.
  It had a commercial motif (format). They had no
  quarrel with the Church of England.
• Massachusetts Bay Colony- It had a religious
  motif. It was underwritten by people called
  undertakers.

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Mass. Bay Cont.

• The pilgrims of Mass. Bay rejected all known
  religions and started their own theology
  (Puritian).
• They rejected the use of clergy from ceremonial
  customs.

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Early Puritan Laws and Practices

• No clergy participated in funerals or weddings
  because it was considered a civil matter.
• Therefore, the body was to be interred without
  benefit of ceremony or prayer.
• Burial services consisted of
• procession to the grave and
• placement in and filling of the grave.
• (Pg. 123)

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Early Puritan Laws...

• Because the funerals were so simple the
  tombstones were the only way to show respect, and
  they were often very elaborate.
• They were laden with literary expressions
• They may have been ridiculous, pompous, eloquent
  or serenely simple.

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Early Puritan Laws...

• Yet the fact remained that the dead were not
  alienated from the living.
• Death was never denied!!!!!
• Deaths were common place because of Indian raids,
  accidents, killings, hangings and natural death,
  but sickness was the most feared.

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Early Puritan Laws...

• Small Pox epidemics occurred again and again.
• It was not uncommon to loose children in infancy
  and spouses by 2 or 3 times.
• Remarriages were the order of the day.

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General Practices of Colonial Funerals

• Hearse- a hand carried bier with candles or
  spikes on the corners.
• Had little resemblance to the modern vehicle in
  which the casket is transported in.
• Broadside sheet- a hand bill of sorts, which
  contained the eulogy, the most popular included
  skull and crossbones.
• Colonial press found fruitful in their labors in
  the printing of broadside sheets

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General Practices of Colonial Funerals

• Crudely and gruesomely
• decorated with macabre
• symbols of death skulls
• crossbones scythes, coffins,
• hourglasses, all-seeing eyes,
• skeletons, and winding sheets.

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General Practices of Colonial Funerals

• Funeral sermons of leading men were often
  printed, as were exemplary confessions made by
  criminals prior to their execution.
• Mourning took on an extensive social character.

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General Practices of Colonial Funerals

• Gifts were given to those attending the funerals
  they included rings, scarves, gloves, purses,
  tobacco, liquor, books.
• This was brought from New England and the feudal
  funeral.
• In the case of prominent State or Church or
  Society vast numbers of gloves were given away.
• The gloves varied in quality depending on your
  relationship to the dead.

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General Practices of Colonial Funerals

• Governor Belchers wife in 1736
• Over 1,000 gloves were given away.
• You should know what is coming, right?
• Laws permitting extraordinary expenses at
  funerals (sumptuary laws).

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General Practices of Colonial Funerals

• Some spent over 1/5 of their estate on these
  gifts.
• The funeral of Andrew Fanevil in 1738-
• 3000 gloves were given out and over 1,100 people
  accompanied the funeral cortege to the grave.

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General Practices...

• In 1651 the General Assembly of the Province of
  Massachusetts passed Sumptuary (Excessive)
  Legislation against funeral costs. This was
  because the funeral could leave the widow poor
  because the estate was often used up on the
  funeral.

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The Funeral Process

• Basic Funeral in New England in the 18th century
• A neighbor or nurse usually laid out the body,
  however it was unusual to have a formal viewing.
• The coffin was built usually by a local
  cabinetmaker and was elaborately carved.
• Wood was a quality that fit the social position
  of the deceased.
• Sometimes coffin furniture was added (metal
  decorations).

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The Funeral Process Cont.

• Relatives within a few days travel were notified.
• It was not customary to allow the body to lie in
  state.
• In warm weather the body was disemboweled and
  wrapped in cerecloth.
• (sheets soaked in alum, pitch or wax)

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Funeral Process Cont.

• Gifts were distributed to all who attended.
• (gifts of rings, scarves or gloves)
• Services began in the church with prayers and a
  sermon. A pall was used.
• Ministers began using funerals for their fire
  and brimstone sermons.

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Funeral Process Cont.

• The sermons were
  often printed on the
  broadside sheet.

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Procession to the Grave

• Was usually done on foot.
• Minister
• Honoraries
• Underbearers were used if a hearse was not
  available.
• Pallbearers (men of dignity) carried the pall.
• At the grave prayers were said.
• The grave was filled by all who were present.

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Gravediggers

• Sometimes if no gravediggers were present
  neighbors provided the service.
• Usually the sexton would dig the grave and tolled
  the bell to announce the death.
• Prayers were said at the graveside.
• The grave was filled with all present.

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Widows Duties

• We now see the first instance of friend and
  relatives traveling distances for the funeral
  service.
• The widow had the duty of feeding and housing all
  of the guests.
• Entire neighborhoods usually attended.
• Entertainment was expected.

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Widows Duties

• Food and liquor was expected and consumed in
  large quantities.
• The costs of liquor usually exceed the cost of
  the food and casket combined.
• By a pint of liquor for those who dived for
  him1s
• By a quart of liquor for those who brot him
  home2s
• By two quarts of wine and one gallon of cyder to
  
• jury of inquest....5s
• By 8 gallons of 3 quarts wine for
  funeral.L1-15s
• By barrel cyder for funeral16s
• 1 coffin.12s
• Windeing sheet..18s

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Widows Duties

• The funeral of Calie Dawes (1797)
• At the funeral feast they served
• Rum, wine beer, gin and brandy
• Dinner featured beef, ham, bacon and fowls, for
  funeral baked meats, supplemented by fish and
  oysters, 150 eggs, peas, onions, potatoes,
  followed by cheese, fruit and sweetmeats.
• The total cost
• 844.00
• In 1797 844.00 roughly was equal
• to 8000 to 10,000 today

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Widow Cont.

• Tobacco was given to the men in large amounts.
• The funeral always included the children
  (sometimes as pallbearers) in order to teach them
  about death.
• It was hoped that the little ones might be
  impressed with the significance of death as an
  inevitable end of a life of trial an probation

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Dutch Colony Funeral Customs

• Funerals took place 3 or 4 days after death.
• Intensive and important ceremony.
• The best parlor was used.
• They used a pall covering the coffin and the
  bier.
• Taken to the graveyard (churchyard) by 12
  pallbearers.

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Dutch Colony Funeral Customs

• After the interment they went back to the house
  where food, tobacco and drink were distributed.
• Aansprecker- a licensed official who attended to
  funerals.

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Dutch Colony Funeral Customs

• Monkey-Spoon- an image of a saint on the handle
  of a spoon. They looked more like monkeys then
  humans. The spoons were given to the pallbearers
  as a gift.

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Revolutions which changed funeral customs

• 1775- War of Independence
• Commercial relations between England became
  strained by embargo acts, so there was a
  reduction in trade between the colonists and the
  homeland.
• The colonists started to limit themselves to the
  morning paraphernalia they had on hand.

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Embargo Acts Cont.

• The Economic Wars, mainly the embargo acts,
  occurred before and especially after the War.
• Use of clothing items as gifts decreased.
• Bands of crepe (black arm bands) replaced the
  customary new suit for the funeral.
• Ribbons on bonnets and dresses replaced new
  dresses.
• Gloves were given only to the bearers.
• 8 shillings each was all the undertaker and
  sexton could charge of each service.

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Funerals before the Revolutionary War

• An extremely religious service in the colonies.
• Funeral festivities were always social events and
  apart from the actual service.
• No class distinction, all funerals were fairly
  equal.
• Ostentation was high with gift giving.

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Funerals After the Revolutionary War

• Still religious, but became more secular.
• Class distinction was made on the basis of
  worldly possession rather than family lineage.
• There were no social barriers, as far as social
  climbing was concerned.
• The number of plumes (feathers) on a hearse
  displayed a persons status.

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Funerals After the Revolutionary War

• Colonial Funerals generally combined three
  functions
• Sociability
• Religiosity
• Reaffirmation of established social status of
  deceased.

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American Undertakers

• The authors of the book looked for the earliest
  appearance of the American Undertaker but
  information was very limited.
• In a 1786 directory of New York, most people were
  listed by occupation..
• Interestingly enough a sexton was listed but no
  undertakers.

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American Undertakers

• The role of the American Undertaker actually
  began to emerge in the 19th century.

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