Reading the Regency

Funeral Rites and Burials

"The last sad ceremony is to take place on Thursday morning; her dear remains are to be deposited in the cathedral. It is a satisfaction to me to think that they are to lie in a building she admired so much; her precious soul, I presume to hope, reposes in a far superior mansion."
[Letter from Cassandra Austen to Fanny Knight, 20th July 1817]

A Burial would take place as soon as possible after death, particularly in the summer months where heat would speed up the rate of decomposition. Jane Austen died on Friday 18th July and was buried in Winchester Cathedral on Thursday 24th July 1817, although in a small country parish the time between death and burial could be as little as two days.

No two funerals would have been exactly the same, as elements varied depending on the circumstances, but began with the coffin being transported to the church.

Once there, the words of the service were identical, whether you were a duke or a drayman. The clergyman would receive the coffin, either at the entrance to the churchyard or at the church door. He would then hold the traditional Church of England funeral service, which included the commendation of the deceased to God.

Finally, in most cases, the coffin was carried into the churchyard and placed in a prepared grave. At this point the clergyman would finish the committal with the standard words:

"We have entrusted our brother/sister (name of deceased) to God's mercy, and we now commit his/her body to the ground:
earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust:
in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who will transform our frail bodies
that they may be conformed to his glorious body,
who died, was buried, and rose again for us.
To him be glory for ever."

In some parts of the country a stem of Rosemary was handed to each mourner, which they would throw into the open grave once the coffin had been lowered. One source suggests this was originally as disinfectant against the plague, while another mentions that rosemary indicated remembrance.

Common elements of a Funeral

Pallbearers - six men of even height who carried the coffin on their shoulders. A child's coffin might be borne by women, and a baby's coffin could be held in one person's arms.

Pall - the cloth that was draped over the coffin. Usually black, but might occasionally be scarlet for a peer's funeral, and could be embroidered for higher status funerals. In the case of a poor funeral, a pall made of cheap baize fabric might be rented or loaned from the parish. Traditionally the pall covering the coffin of an unmarried male or female, or a woman who died in childbirth, could also be white or black with a white edge.

Hearse - if the coffin was travelling some way, it could be transported in a suitably adapted carriage called a hearse, drawn by black horses. The horses would wear black cloths on their backs and black plumes on their heads, while harnesses and hooves would be muffled to deaden the sound. A four-wheeled hearse had open sides and a roof or top supported on four poles, but was not glazed until the 1870s. The roof would frequently be decorated with plumes of black feathers, to match the horses. The coffin was covered by a pall during transport.

Bier - if the family could not afford a hearse, then a Bier could be used instead. A bier was a simple flat surface raised on four wheels, either pushed by hand or pulled by a horse. The coffin would sit on the flat surface of the bier, covered by a pall. Some larger parishes purchased a bier for use by their poorer parishioners.

Mutes - Men, dressed in black, who accompanied the coffin. They were usually chosen because they had an appropriate mournful face. Young boys were sometimes used as mutes at children's funerals.