The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1892-05-19
Funeral Customs i'm Early New
England.


ny Alice mOrsf fArlP.
The earliest New Englander> had no
religious services AT funeral Not
wishing to '.eoniirm the popiSh error
that PRAYER is to be used for the dead or
over the dead" they said nothing, but
followed the coffin and filled the grave
in silence. There We're aS IL rule, two
sets of hearers appointed: undcrbearcrS,
usually Young men, who carried the cof-
fin on II bier; and pallbearerS, men of
age, dignity or consanguinitv. who held
the corners uf the pail which was spread
over the coffin. The pail or bier cloth,
or mort cloth, as it Was called. wa, usu-
ally bought and owned by the town. and
Was usually of heavy broadcloth or vel
vet. 1t often was kept with the bier in
the porch of the Westinghouse but
in some communities the bier. Il simple
shelf or table of wood ON four legs
about Il foot and half long, was placed
over the freshly tilled-in grave and left
sombcrly waiting till it was needed to
carry another coffin to the burialpace.
In Londonderry. New Hampshire. and
ncighboring towns that had been settled
by the Scotch-lrish planters, the an
nouncement of death wa. a signal for
cessation of daily work throughout the
neighborhood. Kindly assistance WAS at
once given at the house of mourning.
Women hocked to do the household
work and to prepare the funeral feast.
Men brought gifts of food. or household
necessities, and rendered all the advice
and help that was needed. y gathering
was held the night before the funeral
which in feasting and drinking partook
somewhat of the nature of an Irish wake
Much New England rum was consumed.
and the funeral rum bill was often an
embarrassing and hampering expense to
bcreaved family for years.
The liberal serving of Intoxicating
liquor at funeral was not peculiar to
these New Hampshire towns, nor to the
Scotch-lrish, but prevailed in every set
Element in the colonies until the temper
ancc awakening days of this century.
Thu oughout New England bills for fun
eral "baked meats" were large in items
of rum, cider, whisky, lemons, sugar,
spices. Even town paupers had
couple of gallons of rum or Il barrel of
cider given by the town to serve as
speeding libations at their unmourned
funerals. The liquor at the funeral of Il
minister was usually paid for by the
church or town-often interchangeable
terms for the same body. The parish
frequently gave, also, Is in the case of
the death of the Rev. Job Strong. of
Portsmouth, in l75l, 1.-THE widow of our
deceased pastor full suit of mourning"
At this funeral the ''pawl hearers and
their wives. the Governor. Sexton. and
Doctor. and wives had gloves.
\ careful, and above all an expert
cnccd. committee was appointed to SUI
perintend the mixing of the funeral grog
or punch, and to attend to the liberal
and frequent dispensing thereof
This picture has been given by Mr..
Sargent of country funerals in the days
of his youth;
''Whcn was IA boy. and was at an
academy in the country, everybody went
to everybody's funeral in the village.
The population was small funerals.
rare; the preceptor's absence would
have excited remark. and the boys were
dismissed for the funeral. 4 table with
liquors was always provided. Every
one. as he entered, took of his hat with
his lcf' hand, smoothcd down his hair
with his right, walked up to the the cot
fin, gazcd upon the corpse, made Il crook
ed face, passed on to the table, took
glass of his favorite liquor, went forth
upon the plat before the house and talk
Ell politics, or of the new road, or com
pared crops, or snapped heifers or
horses until it was time to lift. \ clcr-
gyman told me that when settled at Con
cord, y. H., he officiated at the funeral
of "A little boy. The body was borne in
Il chaise, and six little nominal ball
bearers, the oldest not thirteen. walked
by the side of the vehicle. Before they
left the house Il sort of master of cerc-
monies took them to the table and mixed
Il tumbler of gin. water and sugar for
each
1t was a hard struggle against c-iab-
lished customs and ideas of hospitality,
and even of health. when the use of liq-
uor at funerals was abolished. Old pco-
Pile sadly dcplored the present and re-
GREETED the past. One worthy old gen
tlenan said, with much bitterness
''Tcmpcrance has done for funerals.