history L12

“funeral undertaking”

began in the early 1800’s

Early “undertakers” were underwriters for ______

commercial ventures

Funeral Undertaker –

provided services of organizing and facilitating funeral details as an occupation; aka undertaker, different from furnishing undertaker

Furnishing Undertaker –

provided suppliers and merchandise (i.e. door badges,
carriages, etc.) to funeral undertakers who were dealing directly with the public

Sexton –

church caretaker who had responsibility for church property, ringing of bells and digging of graves in the churchyard cemetery

Undertaker –

original term applied to those whose occupation included responsibility to organize and facilitate funeral activities; used by some for the term funeral director

Layers Out of the Dead

became an occupational specialty practiced by women in many larger U.S. cities by the end of the 18th century; predecessor to the undertaker

Inviter to Funerals -

a specialty connected with funerals in colonial America;
called personally upon those expected to attend funerals; often a municipal
appointment

Undertakers Mutual Protective Association –

first formal organization of undertakers; kept a black book of objectionable and delinquent customers to be shared among members only; originated in Philadelphia, January 1864

when embalming started to get reinforced from the assassination of president lincoln

1865 in Germantown, PA