Social Life in the Reign of Queen Anne, Taken from Original SourcesAshton, John
History
Social Life in the Reign of Queen Anne, Taken from Original Sources
Ashton, John
Great Britain -- History -- Anne, 1702-1714; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 18th century
We see in the invitation to Mr. Newborough's funeral that it was to
take place on an evening in January. This probably was so arranged by
the Undertaker (indeed, the custom was general) to increase his costs,
for then the mourners were furnished with wax tapers. These were
heavy, and sometimes (judging from the illustrations to undertakers'
handbills) were made of four tapers twisted at the stem and then
branching out. That these wax candles were expensive enough to excite
the thievish cupidity of a band of roughs the following advertisement
will show: 'Riots and Robberies. Committed in and about Stepney Church
Yard, at a Funeral Solemnity, on Wednesday the 23rd day of September;
and whereas many Persons, who being appointed to attend the same
Funeral with white Wax lights of a considerable Value, were assaulted
in a most violent manner, and the said white Wax lights taken from
them. Whoever shall discover any of the Persons, guilty of the said
Crimes, so as they may be convicted of the same, shall receive of Mr.
William Prince, Wax Chandler in the Poultry, London, Ten Shillings for
each Person so discover'd,' &c.[63]
[Footnote 63: _Daily Courant_, Sept. 30, 1713.]
We get a curious glimpse of the paraphernalia of a funeral in the Life
of a notorious cheat, 'The German Princess' who lived, and was hanged,
in the latter part of the seventeenth century, and the same funeral
customs therein described obtained in Anne's time. She took a lodging
at a house, in a good position, and told the landlady that a friend of
hers, a stranger to London, had just died, and was lying at 'a pitiful
Alehouse,' and might she, for convenience sake, bring his corpse
there, ready for burial on the morrow. The landlady consented, and
'that Evening the Corps in a very handsome Coffin was brought in a
Coach, and plac'd in the Chamber, which was the Room one pair of
Stairs next the street and had a Balcony. The Coffin being cover'd
only with an ordinary black Cloth, our Counterfeit seems much to
dislike it; the Landlady tells her that for 20_s._ she might have the
Use of a Velvet Pall, with which being well pleas'd, she desir'd that
the Landlady would send for the Pall, and withal accommodate the Room
with her best Furniture, for the next Day but one he should be bury'd;
thus the Landlady perform'd, getting the Velvet Pall, and placing on a
Side-Board Table 2 Silver Candlesticks, a Silver Flaggon, 2 Standing
gilt Bowls, and several other Pieces of Plate; but the Night before
the intended Burial, our counterfeit Lady and her Maid within the
House, handed to their Comrades without, all the Plate, Velvet Pall,
and other Furniture of the Chamber that was Portable and of Value,
leaving the Coffin and the suppos'd Corps, she and her Woman descended
from the Balcony by Help of a Ladder, which her Comrades had brought
her.' It is needless to say that the coffin contained only brickbats
and hay, and a sad sequel to this story is, that the undertaker sued
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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