Chapter 19: Death in the 1800s - Victorian Era

with mourning timetables included

When was the Victorian Era? (according to our textbook)

1837 - 1901

Prior to the start of the Victorian funeral, what did they have?

a funeral feast

What items were given to family members, the clergy, and close friends at the Victorian funeral?

ostrich feathers and white or black kid gloves

Victorian Custom: Walked at the head of the procession, hired to lend a pensive mood to the service (not always accomplished since they sometimes took advantage of the liquor offering in the feast).

“mutes” or professional mourners

Victorian Custom: After the mutes came the ______, followed by other coaches with their blinds drawn

hearse

What method of disposition was commonly used in Victorian England?

underground burial

The Victorian funeral ended in the…

cemetery

Those buried in Victorian custom were transported to the gravesite and _______ were strewn over the grave.

flowers

what “waste removal” problem plagued 19^th century London?

the disposal of the dead

the stench from poorly interred decaying bodies in 19^th century London

miasma

Why did clergymen and sextons turn a blind eye to the unpleasant practices that gravediggers performed in 19^th century London?

burial fees formed a large portion of their income

American Customs in the Victorian Era: the concept of dying at home, among family, and with a clear Christian conscience

a good death

Reinterment of the dead in commercial “garden cemeteries”, spacious parks built in the semi-rural suburbs, such as Kensal Green (opened in 1832) and Highgate (opened in 1839)

the upper and middle class solution to 19^th century London’s “waste removal” problem

Could the poor afford interment in “garden cemeteries”?

no, the costs were too high.

For Victorian families, the use of an undertaker was…

optional

Most families cared for their own dead until when?

the mid 1800s

Each community had a group of women who came in to help families prepare the deceased called:

“the layers out of the dead”

How were the deceased dressed for the funeral in the Victorian Era?

in their Sunday best

Victorian Custom: During the preparation of the deceased, what were the coins used for?

to keep the eyes shut and to “pay the Ferry-master as the soul journeyed across the River Styx”

What were the deceased buried in during the Victorian Era?

a coffin made by family or friends

At the time of death, what did Victorians do to the mirrors?

covered them with crape or veiling

Why were mirrors covered at the time of death?

to prevent the deceased’s spirit from getting trapped inside

At the time of death, clocks were…

stopped

What was the symbolism in restarting the clocks after burial?

beginning another period in the family’s life

what was hung on the front door to alert passersby that a death had occured in Victorian Custom?

a wreath of laurel, yew, or boxwood tied with black crape or black ribbons

The Victorian “wake” served as a safeguard against what?

burying a person who wasn’t dead but in a coma

How long did most wakes last in Victorian custom?

3-4 days

Victorian Custom: What was used to help mask the unpleasant smells during the wake before embalming became common?

flowers and candles

Victorian Custom: To prevent the spirit from looking back into the house and beckoning another family member to follow, how were the deceased carried out of the home?

feet first

Victorian Custom: At the time of death, what was done with family photos?

they were turned face-down

Why were family photos turned face down at the time of death in Victorian custom?

to prevent the spirit from possessing a family member

Victorian Custom: What became popular in the mid-1800s?

family photographs

coffins with a bell or a flag attached to the headstone with a chain that led down into the coffin to a ring that went around the finger of the deceased

life signal coffins

Victorian Custom: When were final words spoken by anyone who wished to speak?

at the burial

Victorian Custom: What did mourners toss onto the coffin lid as a ritual farewell before the grave was filled?

a branch, some straw, or a handful of earth

Lasted one year, required a widow to wear all-black dress and accessories, including a heavy black crepe veil. Jewelry was forbidden unless it was made of polished coal, a lock of hair from the deceased, or a small picture of the deceased.

“deep” or “heavy” mourning

Lasted 9-12 months, during which a widow’s black dress and veil could be accented by lighter shades of lace and cuffs.

“second mourning”

Lasted 6 months, permitted shades of lavender and gray.

“half mourning”

a husband

2 years

a wife

1 year

a parent

6 months - 1 year

children over 10 years old

6 months - 1 year

children under 10 years old

3 - 6 months

infants

6 weeks and up

siblings

6 - 8 months

aunts and uncles (blood relatives)

3 - 6 months

cousins

6 weeks - 8 months

aunts or uncles (through marriage)

6 weeks - 3 months