CHAPTER 5
AMERICAN COLONIAL
FUNERAL BEHAVIOR
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.
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.
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 1700’s
• Later prayers were said at the graveside
ceremonies.
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 isn’t a reasonable law, it can’t be a good law.
– England remained the same as before until
English Burial Acts of 1855 then reflected
more of the colonists ways.
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….
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.
Ideological framework for Colonial
Funeral Practices:
– Industriousness was necessary but not
completely sufficient for salvation…The 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.
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.
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”
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.
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”.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
General Practices of Colonial
Funerals
• Governor Belcher’s 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).
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.
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.
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).
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)
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.
Funeral Process Cont.
• The sermons were
often printed on the
broadside sheet.
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.
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.
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.
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 him……1s
By a quart of liquor for those who brot him home…2s
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 funeral…………………………16s
1 coffin…………………………………………….12s
Windeing sheet……………………………………..18s
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Funerals After the
Revolutionary War
• Colonial Funerals generally combined
three functions:
• Sociability
• Religiosity
• Reaffirmation of established social status
of deceased.
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.
American Undertakers
• The role of the American Undertaker
actually began to emerge in the 19th
century.