Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-08-27
FUNERAL CUSTOMS.
The Quaint Ceremonies Which Formerly
Obtained in English Country Places

| The Quaint Ceremonies Which Formerly
Obtained in English Country Places
1t is seldom that one hears nova
days of the observance of the quaint
funeral customs which formerly exist
ed in many an English country village,
| the old-world notions which gave rise
to them having died out, owing, per-
| haps, to the Introduction of railways
| and school boards. Thus in the north
of England. only few years ago. it
was usual to carry 1.-The dead with the
sun" to the grave-a practice CORE
spending with the Highland usage of
| making 1.-The deazil,n or walking three
times around person according to the
| course of the sun. On one occasion.
in the village of Scranton, near West
Hartlepoo1 the Vicar was standing at
the church yard gate awaiting the ar
rival OF the funeral procession. when.
much to his surprise. the entire group,
| who had come within a few yards of
him, suddenly turned back and
| marched around the church-yard wall.
thus trayer-ing its west north. and
east boundaries. On inquiring the
one of the mourners quickly replied:
~ nv, We wad no haze them carry the
dead again the sun: the dead maun ay
90 wi the sun This is not unlike
| Welsh custom mentioned 10y Pennant,
who tells US that when a corpse was
conveyed to the churchyard from any
part of the town great care was taken
| that it always should be carried the
whole distance on the right-hand-sd
of the road From time immemorlal
| there has been a strong feeling OF re-
| pugnance among the inhabitants of ru-
raj parishes to burial without the
sanctuary" This docs not mean I'M
| consecrated ground, but on the north
| side of the church, or in a remote cor
ner of the churchyard. The origin of
| this prejudice is said to have been the
notion that the northern part was that
| which was appropr ated to the inter-
ment of unbaptized infants. eXcommu-
nicated persons, or such as had laid
| violent Lands upon themselves. Hence
| it was popularity known as the wrong
| side of the church" In many par
ishes therefore. this spot remained
unoccupiei. while the remaining por-
| ton of the churchyard was crowded.
| White, in the History of Selbourne,'
| abiding to this superstition, SAID that
as most people wished to be buried on
| the south side of the churchyard. it
became such mass of mortality that
no person could be inferred without
disturb ne or displaying the bones OF
| his ancestors. Great attention has
been paid. also, to the position OF the
| grave, the popular one being from
| east to west. while that from the north
l. Il
| only dishonorable but unlucky. A Gu
rions surviving custom at Welsh funer-
| ais is termed the parsons penny
| After reading the burial service in the
| church. the clergyman stands behind a
| table while psalm is being sung. In
| the meantime each of the mournerS
place a piece of money on the table for
| his acceptance. The ceremony Is re-
| garded as a token of respect for the
deceased. although 1t was no doubt
originally intended to compensate the
| clergyman for PRAYING for the soul of the
| deceased. In some Welsh parishes also
| a similar custom called spade money
| is kept up. After the corpse has been
committed to its restin place the
| gravedigger presents his spade as re-
| ceptacle for donations, these ofierin gs,
| which often amount to a goodly sum.
being regarded as his perquisite. In
Yorkshire at the funeral of the rich in
| former days it was customary to hand
| burnt wine to the company in a sill
Yer fiagon, out of which every one
| drank. This beverage seems to have
| been heated preparation of port wine
with sugar and spice, and should any
| remain it was sent round in the Hagen
| TO the houses of friends for distribu-
| ton. This, of course, was species OF
| funeral feast, called in the north of En-
| gland an ..arvar'-a lingering survival
of the offerings that were originally
| made to the ghost of the deceased.
| Among the superstitions that still cling
| to the churchyard may be mentioned
| one that has existed from the most re-
mote period. and WHICH has invested it
with an atmosphere of dread, it having
been generally supposed that they are
| haunted by specters and apparitions.
Indeed it has been truly pointed out by
| Mr. Taylor that, through all the
| changes of religious thought from first
| TO last in the course of human history
the lowering ghosts of the dead make
the midnight battle-ground a place
| where mems flesh creep with terror
| Boston Times.