Santa Drops Dead!

1937 newspaper article, Pittsburgh, PA

Death Mask 1880

A Bit of Olde English Slang

British writer Andrew Foster penned the book, "Passing English of the Victorian era, a dictionary of heterodox English, slang and phrase," under his pseudonym James Redding Ware.  This is just a taste of the colorful and fanciful phrases that have fallen out of use.

1. AFTERNOONIFIED
A society word meaning "smart.” Forrester demonstrates the usage: "The goods are not 'afternoonified' enough for me.”

2. ARFARFAN'ARF
A figure of speech used to describe drunken men. "He's very arf'arf'an'arf," Forrester writes, "meaning he has had many ‘arfs,'” or half-pints of booze.

3. BACK SLANG IT
Thieves used this term to indicate that they wanted "to go out the back way.”

4. BAGS O' MYSTERY
An 1850 term for sausages, "because no man but the maker knows what is in them. ... The 'bag' refers to the gut which contained the chopped meat.”

5. BANG UP TO THE ELEPHANT
This phrase originated in London in 1882, and means "perfect, complete, unapproachable.”

6. BATTY-FANG
Low London phrase meaning "to thrash thoroughly,” possibly from the French battre a fin.

7. BENJO
Nineteenth century sailor slang for "A riotous holiday, a noisy day in the streets.”

8. BOW WOW MUTTON
A naval term referring to meat so bad "it might be dog flesh.”

9. BRICKY
Brave or fearless. "Adroit after the manner of a brick," Forrester writes, "said even of the other sex, 'What a bricky girl she is.'”

10. BUBBLE AROUND
A verbal attack, generally made via the press. Forrester cites The Golden Butterfly: "I will back a first-class British subject for bubbling around against all humanity."

11. BUTTER UPON BACON
Extravagance. Too much extravagance. "Are you going to put lace over the feather, isn't that rather butter upon bacon?”

12. CAT-LAP
A London society term for tea and coffee "used scornfully by drinkers of beer and strong waters ... in club-life is one of the more ignominious names given to champagne by men who prefer stronger liquors.”

13. CHURCH-BELL
A talkative woman.

14. CHUCKABOO
A nickname given to a close friend.

15. COLLIE SHANGLES
Quarrels. A term from Queen Victoria's journal, More Leaves, published in 1884: "At five minutes to eleven rode off with Beatrice, good Sharp going with us, and having occasional collie shangles (a Scottish word for quarrels or rows, but taken from fights between dogs) with collies when we came near cottages."

16. COP A MOUSE
To get a black eye. "Cop in this sense is to catch or suffer," Forrester writers, "while the colour of the obligation at its worst suggests the colour and size of the innocent animal named.”

17. DADDLES
A delightful way to refer to your rather boring hands.

18. DAMFINO
This creative cuss is a contraction of "damned if I know.”

19. DIZZY AGE
A phrase meaning "elderly," because it "makes the spectator giddy to think of the victim's years." The term is usually refers to "a maiden or other woman canvassed by other maiden ladies or others.”

20. DOING THE BEAR
"Courting that involves hugging."

21. DON'T SELL ME A DOG
Popular until 1870, this phrase meant "Don't lie to me!” Apparently, people who sold dogs back in the day were prone to trying to pass off mutts as purebreds.

22. DOOR-KNOCKER
A type of beard "formed by the cheeks and chin being shaved leaving a chain of hair under the chin,

and upon each side of mouth forming with moustache something like a door-knocker."

23. ENTHUZIMUZZY
"Satirical reference to enthusiasm." Created by Braham the terror, whoever that is.

24. FIFTEEN PUZZLE
Not the game you might be familiar with, but a term meaning complete and absolute confusion.

25. FLY RINK
An 1875 term for a polished bald head.

26. GAL-SNEAKER
An 1870 term for "a man devoted to seduction.”

27. GAS-PIPES
A term for especially tight pants.

28. GIGGLEMUG
"An habitually smiling face.”

29. GOT THE MORBS
Use of this 1880 phrase indicated temporary melancholy.

30. HALF-RATS
Partially intoxicated.

31. JAMMIEST BITS OF JAM
"Absolutely perfect young females,” circa 1883.

32. KRUGER-SPOOF
Lying, from 1896.

33. MAD AS HOPS
Excitable.

34. MAFFICKING
An excellent word that means getting rowdy in the streets.

35. MAKE A STUFFED BIRD LAUGH
"Absolutely preposterous.”

36. MEATER
A street term meaning coward.

37. MIND THE GREASE
When walking or otherwise getting around, you could ask people to let you pass, please. Or you could ask them to mind the grease, which meant the same thing to Victorians.

38. MUTTON SHUNTER
This 1883 term for a policeman is so much better than "pig."

39. NANTY NARKING
A tavern term, popular from 1800 to 1840, that meant great fun.

40. NOSE BAGGER
Someone who takes a day trip to the beach. He brings his own provisions and doesn't contribute at all to the resort he's visiting.

41. NOT UP TO DICK
Not well.

42. ORF CHUMP
No appetite.

43. PARISH PICK-AXE
A prominent nose.

44. PODSNAPPERY
This term, Forrester writers, describes a person with a "wilful determination to ignore the objectionable or inconvenient, at the same time assuming airs of superior virtue and noble resignation.”

45. POKED UP
Embarrassed.

46. POWDERING HAIR
An 18th century tavern term that means "getting drunk.”

47. RAIN NAPPER
An umbrella.

48. SAUCE-BOX
The mouth.

49. SHAKE A FLANNIN
Why say you're going to fight when you could say you're going to shake a flannin instead?

50. SHOOT INTO THE BROWN
To fail. According to Forrester, "The phrase takes its rise from rifle practice, where the queer shot misses the black and white target altogether, and shoots into the brown i.e., the earth butt."

51. SKILAMALINK
Secret, shady, doubtful.

52. SMOTHERING A PARROT
Drinking a glass of absinthe neat; named for the green color of the booze.

53. SUGGESTIONIZE
A legal term from 1889 meaning "to prompt.”

54. TAKE THE EGG
To win.

55. UMBLE-CUM-STUMBLE
According to Forrester, this low class phrase means "thoroughly understood."

56. WHOOPERUPS
A term meaning "inferior, noisy singers" that could be used liberally today during karaoke sessions.

Source:  Passing English of the Victorian era, a dictionary of heterodox English, slang and phrase, by J. Redding Ware; 1909; Routledge, London.

What is the Hobo Code?

The Language Late-19th Century Migrant Workers Created In Order To Survive
By Krissy Howard - May 3, 2017

Around the mid to late 1800s, poor, migrant workers roamed the country from coast to coast in search of work. Usually hopping onto train cars for a free, albeit illegal, ride to their next destination, the life of the transient worker was quite often a dangerous one, and in order to stay out of harm’s way, these men developed what is known as the “hobo code” to communicate with their fellow traveler.

Hobo culture after Civil War veterans, many of them now homeless, roamed the country in search of work.

The term “hobo,” now a somewhat offensive jab at those who make up homeless or vagrant populations, originated during this time and was used to describe impoverished migrant workers traversing the coasts in search of work and a place to call home, even if only for a few days.

Just how did one go about crossing the country with no money around the turn of the 20th century?

Train hopping, specifically freight cars which carried the train hoppers from state to state. A lucky worker may have even found himself employed by a railroad company on a part-time basis, making the tracks a common place for migrant workers to meet their needs.

Of course, hitching a free ride on a train traveling the countryside wasn’t exactly a leisurely endeavor, as train hopping was illegal even back then, forcing these workers to hide in cramped spaces for fear of being caught and kicked off, or hauled to jail.

Depending on what part of the country a hobo may have found themselves in, the weather conditions could be harsh and even life threatening — especially in the winter months up north, where many froze to death in search of their next day’s work.

In between rides and jobs, migrants were usually limited to squatting in abandoned buildings or other unusual places, an already difficult pursuit made even harder by law enforcement and area residents who considered them to be bad news.

This prompted the development of a language known as the “hobo code,” a series of characters and symbols hobos would use to communicate with one another, and most importantly to aid in their survival.

Although typically loners by circumstance, this group of vagabonds understood the importance of solidarity and helping their peers. They used the esoteric hobo code for everything from warning someone about vicious dogs, unfriendly owners, judges, cops, and anything else that would serve them well to avoid.

In addition to cautionary signs, the hobo code would allow migrants to share the wealth of valuable information they had picked up along the way, cluing others in on a home that may have a gracious host, a hayloft one could sleep in for the night, a place to seek care if others happened to be sick, and good, safe drinking water, among others.

The glyphs of the hobo code also helped hobos learn which systems were easiest to exploit, indicating churches that would provide them a free meal in exchange for a “religious talk,” easily manipulated by the sound of a “pitiful story,” or even, to put it simply, an “easy mark, sucker.”

While hobo culture, in its traditional sense, more or less disappeared sometime during the 20th century, the hobo code remains in use to this day, its symbols sometimes seen in areas which typically employ migrant workers or day laborers, such as docks and ferry crossing, as depicted in the photo above, which was seen at the Canal Street ferry in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Mourning Portrait ~ Claudia Severine Groth and Millie Cecelia Groth

Mourning Portrait ~ Claudia Severine Groth and Millie Cecelia Groth

An authentic postcard showing two sisters laid out in matching coffins.

An inked inscription verso in a fine period hand identifies the girls as:

Claudia Severine Groth ~ Born Sept. 30, 1908 and Died Feb. 20, 1911 and
Millie Cecelia  ~ Born Dec. 25, 1910 and Died Feb. 21, 1911

George Lee Mills ~ Victorian Memorial Card

Memorial Card for George Lee Mills

10 Creepily Ironic Historical Deaths

10Creepily Ironic Historical Deaths

By Pauli Poisuo

10 – John horrocks

As a pioneer and explorer of 19th-century Australia, John Horrocks always ran a fair risk of getting killed by a wild animal. Ultimately, that was indeed the hand fate dealt him. However, he wasn’t bitten by a spider, stung by a medusa, eaten by a shark or even kicked by a kangaroo. In fact, he didn’t get killed by any of the thousands of lethal creatures Australia has to offer.

He was shot to death . . . by a camel.

Horrocks was a camel enthusiast and was keen to introduce the animals to Australia, as he felt they would do well there. This mission came to an an abrupt end, as one day his foul-tempered expedition camel managed to shift its weight so that pack it was carrying caught Horrocks’ weapon, causing it to go off. Sadly, Horrocks was loading the gun at the moment, so the shot took off a few of his fingers before moving on to his face.

John Horrocks died of his injuries, but not before giving orders for the camel to be shot as well. This means that the first and only camel/human gunfight in history technically ended in a draw.

9 – JIMMY HESEIDEN

Segways are the (in)famous self-balancing electric scooters that are steered by tilting your weight. Although they may appear an affront to nature, the company that makes them insists they’re an extremely easy to use and the “green future” of commuting. However, the ease of their use and their validity as a vehicle took a bump in 2010, when Jimi Heseiden, the owner of the company, was testing a new Segway model on his grounds. He promptly lost control of the vehicle in the most ridiculous manner possible: Somehow, he managed to drive straight off a cliff and into the river below.He was pronounced dead on the scene.

8 – DAVID GRUNDMAN

David Grundman had two things: A shotgun and a massive need to shoot at things. So one day in 1982, David drove into the desert with his friend, in order to go nuts with his weapon. He opened fire at some small saguaro cacti (large, vaguely man shaped cactus plants), obliterating them with his shotgun shells. However, destroying small saguaros was way too easy: He needed a bigger, more powerful target. So Grundman focused his attention on a huge, 26-foot (7.92 meter) saguaro they found nearby. He opened fire at it, and with just one shot managed to blast off a whole, massive chunk of the plant’s “arm.” Some accounts report he even started shouting “Timber!” as the cactus fell, although he only got as far as “Tim–” before he was interrupted. In an impressively instant case of revenge on the part of mother nature, the wounded cactus fell directly on Grundman and crushed him to death.

7 – PIETRO ARETINO

Pietro Aretino was an unrelenting Venetian 16th Century satirist, notable for his saucy humor aimed at the aristocrats. As such, it’s only fitting that this famous humorist’s death was brought on by a dirty joke. Aretino was never one to shy away from a naughty story. One day, he was told a particularly dirty one about his (possibly imaginary) sisters and the brothel they worked in. Instead of getting offended, Aretino found this hilarious. He laughed and laughed and laughed—until he collapsed backwards in his chair, dying as he hit the ground. He literally laughed himself to death.

6 – BASIL BROWN

Most people who pay attention to their diet are likely to live longer than those who eat lard at every meal. However, Basil Brown was not most people. He was a die-hard health advocate—literally. In 1974, Mr. Brown managed to drink himself to death with one of the healthiest imaginable drinks in existence: Carrot juice. The problem was that he was drinking way too much of it: a gallon each day, for 10 days. However, despite warnings, he didn’t realize that too much of a good thing can become very bad indeed: The massive dose gave him a severe vitamin A poisoning, a bright yellow skin and a completely ruined liver. He ended up getting killed by his “healthy” obsession.

5 – NITARO ITO

In 1979, Nitaro Ito was a political hopeful vying for a seat at the Japanese House of Representatives. Ito wasn’t happy with how his campaign was going, so he decided it was time for drastic action: In an effort to gain some sympathy votes, he decided to stage an attack against himself. After all, what would be the better way to get the public’s attention than to be hospitalized in an attack by a mysterious enemy wielding a knife? Ito couldn’t trust anyone with the “attack,” so he decided to stage the stabbing himself. Sadly, he was not too handy with a knife: He managed to hit his own thigh artery and ended up bleeding to death.

4 –SIEMUND "ZISHE" BREITBART

According to many, Siegmund “Zishe” Breitbart was the strongest man of his time. A 20th century strongman, Zishe was a hit on the circus circuit and even appeared in movies to show his incredible feats of strength. He could hammer huge nails into planks with his bare hands and bend iron bars like they were candy. He could even lift baby elephants—while climbing a ladder and supporting three men in a locomotive wheel by a rope in his teeth. He was the closest thing there was to Superman. That is, until one day in 1925, when a nail scratched his knee during a routine performance. This seemingly laughable injury gave the invincible strongman blood poisoning and killed him.

3 – JAMES OTIS, JR.

James Otis Jr. was a famed American Revolutionary and a political force to be reckoned with: He invented the famous phrase “Taxation without representation is tyranny,” which became one of the rallying cries of the revolutionaries. At his peak (before an unfortunate head injury sent him to sidelines), Otis Jr. was a solid, level-headed man except for one thing: He had a peculiar tendency to insist that he would like to be killed by a bolt of lightining. He repeated this so often to many friends and relatives that it became something of a meme.Apparently, some thunderbolt-throwing entity had been paying attention to his words. On May 23, 1783, it is said James Otis Jr. was standing in a doorway of a friend’s house when a lightning suddenly struck the chimney, killing him instantly without leaving a mark. Strangely, no one else was harmed and no further lightning bolts—or, for that matter, thunderclouds—were seen.

2 – GOUVERNEUR MORRIS

Gouverneur Morris, a revered American legislator, was a no-nonsense kind of guy. Nowhere was this more evident than in the events that led to his death. When he was experiencing a urinary blockage, he didn’t trust the doctors to take care of the situation. Instead, he decided to settle the matter himself. Sadly, he was far better at determination than doctoring. His solution to the problem was extreme, to say the least: He stuck a piece of whalebone up his urinary tract and wiggle it around in an effort to remove the blockage. This cringe-inducing procedure failed to do anything to heal him—instead, it caused enough damage to kill him.

1 – ARRICHION

In 564 BC, Arrichion the Wrestler became the only person to win the Olympic gold by dying. Arrichion was a superstar of his age, a nigh-unbeatable wrestling god who went from victory to victory. But one day in the Olympic finals, he finally met his match. Arrichion found himself caught in a deadly ladder hold, a choke move that completely prevented him from breathing. He was out of options: If he wouldn’t submit, he’d asphyxiate. Clearly, the only reasonable thing to do was to submit and suffer a loss. However, Arrichion opted for the unreasonable and, in fact, unbelievable. Inspired by the shouts of his coach (who probably didn’t realize how dire the situation was), the wrestler rolled into an even more painful position, thus gaining access to the opponent’s foot. This brave move ended up killing him, but he was able to twist the other wrestler’s foot so painfully that he submitted at the exact same moment Arrichion’s life left him. Arrichion had won the Olympic gold, and all it cost him was his life.

+ DRACO THE GREEK

Draco was one of the earliest notable Greek politicians. He was a very popular lawmaker and a powerful orator. Sadly, history books say that his popularity ended up causing his untimely death. Draco was so loved that when the people saw him, he was pelted with hats and cloaks in a display of honor. Sadly, one particular body of people that chose to give him such honor was very large and had an extremely good aim. Draco was smothered to death under the massive pile of cloaks.

Irish Death Superstitions

Irish Death Superstitions

1.  The hand of a corpse was believed to be a cure for all diseases.  Sick people would be brought to a house where a corpse was laid out so that the hand could be laid on them.

2. The candles used at funerals were also thought to have curative powers. The butts of the candles would be saved to cure burns. Another Irish cure for burns is said to be raw potato.

3. Nettles gathered from a churchyard and boiled down were believed to cure water retention when boiled down into a drink.

4. It is believed that the souls of the dead that die abroad, wish to be buried in Ireland. The dead will not rest peaceably unless buried with their forefathers and people of their own kind.

5. The spirit of the dead last buried has to watch in the churchyard until another corpse is buried.

Duties include carrying water for the dead that are waiting in Purgatory. This keeps them very busy. Purgatory is a very hot place. This superstition has been known to cause fights when two funeral processions try to enter the same churchyard at the same time. No one wants their loved one to be the last buried and have to perform these duties.

6. If anyone stumbles at a grave it is considered a bad omen. If you fall and touch the ground you will most likely die by the end of the year.

7. If you meet a funeral you must turn back and walk at least four steps with the mourners.

8. If the nearest relative touches the hand of a corpse it will shout out a wild cry if not quite dead.

9. On Twelfth Night the dead walk the Earth. On every tile of your house a soul is sitting waiting for your prayers to take it out of purgatory.

10. If a magpie comes to your door and looks at you it is a sure sign of death. Nothing can be done to avert the doom.

11. When a swarm of bees suddenly quits the hive it is a sign that death is hovering near the house.

12. Similarly the corner of the sheet used to wrap a corpse was used to cure a headache or a swollen limb.

13. When someone dies you should close the curtains because should a moonbeam shine through the window onto the corpse or coffin then the devil sends his demons down it to steal the soul.

14. Stop all clocks at the time of death to confuse the devil and give the soul time to reach heaven.

15. In Ireland the dead are carried out of the house feet first, in order to prevent the spirit from looking back into the house and beckoning another member of the family to follow him.

16. Family photographs were also sometimes turned face-down to prevent any of the close relatives and friends of the deceased from being possessed by the spirit of the dead.

17. Cover all mirrors at the time of a death in the house or the soul will be trapped within the mirror.

Superstitions About the Dead, Dying, Graves & Cemeteries

Superstitions About the Dead, Dying, Graves & Cemeteries

(Gathered from various sources)

Superstitions About The Dying

• Sudden deaths, especially ones with delirium, are attributed to witchcraft.
• If two people in the same house are sick, and one dies, the other will improve in health.
• If a person has a prolonged or painful death, he will haunt the survivors, so all attempts are made to make the passing have as little suffering as possible.
• The bed of a gravely ill person should never be placed north and south, and always east and west, with the head toward the west. This will speed the process of dying and reduce suffering.
• It was thought that a person could not die on a mattress with feathers of wild fowl, so when someone was dying a slow death, the person would sometimes be carried to a different mattress to ease the suffering.
• The last person’s name called by the dying will be the next to follow in death.
• You will die if a dying person hits or bites you. In order to prevent your own death, you must hit or bite them back in the same place.
• At the beginning of the year, if the first person to die in a community is elderly, the community will suffer from many of the elderly passing.

Superstitions Concerning Death & Mirrors

• As soon as death occurs, the mirrors and pictures in the room should be covered or turned where they can’t be looked upon. It is bad luck to let the reflection of the corpse be seen in the mirror. Some people believe it is bad luck to see your own reflection in the mirror until the corpse is taken out of the home.
• Some others believe that if mirrors are not covered, they will never be able to be fully cleaned again. A variation on that states that the reflection of the corpse may never leave the mirrors or pictures. A European tradition says that if you look into the mirror before the body is removed, you can see the deceased looking over your shoulder.

Death and Clocks

• Clocks were stopped upon the death of a person in a home to show the departed that “time was over” for him or her. If the head of the household dies, it is particularly important to stop the clocks, lest all the other inhabitants of the home die as well. (E) Others believed that once a clock in the house with a dead person ran down, they would never work again. (AA)

Death, Bees & Fruit Trees

• When the head of the household dies, one must go out and whisper the news of the death to the bees, or all in the home will meet the same fate. Bees were believed in ages past to be the messengers of the gods, so when informed, bees would take the news to them.
• Likewise, if the deceased cared for an orchard or any fruit trees, they must be informed of the passing, or all in the household will decay.

Superstitions About Death and Preparation

• As soon as the person is dead and in the clothes in which they are to be buried, a dish of salt should be put on their chest to keep evil spirits off. It is also said to help prevent swelling and putrefaction.
• If the body of the deceased is limp for some time after death, another member of the family will soon follow.
• None of the family of the dead should help prepare the body for burial, or ill luck will follow.
• Coins were often placed over the eyes of the deceased to keep them from coming open. If the eyes of the corpse remained open, he was said to be looking for a “follower”, and another death would soon happen.
• Sweeping the home before the corpse is taken out will ensure that the person who does so will be the next to die.
• Likewise, removing the bed clothes from the home before the corpse ensures that another member of the family will soon die.
• A European belief is that the intestines of the deceased will rumble when the body is touched by his murderer. Also, that blood will flow from the bones when touched by the murderer, regardless of how old the corpse is. Another superstition says that if a corpse’s nose bleeds, it is a sign that the murderer is in the room.
• Do not put the clothes of a living person on a corpse. That person will die once the clothes decay.
• If you shave with a dead man’s razor, your beard will turn prematurely gray.

Superstitions About Death & Burial

• A corpse should leave any home or building feet-first, or else the corpse would be looking back at the building and calling for someone within to follow him in death.
• Touching the corpse will ensure that the ghost of the dead will not haunt you. A variation says that touching the corpse on the forehead assures you will not dream of the dead.
• Taking a corpse to the cemetery in your own vehicle is extremely bad luck.
• The corpse should not pass over any part of the same road twice.
• If the funeral procession stops on its way to the cemetery, another death will soon follow.
• Counting the cars in a funeral procession is ill advised, as it is said you are simply counting the days until your own death.
• Take care that you do not see your reflection in a hearse, or you will be the next to be carried in it.
• Going ahead of the funeral procession or passing a funeral procession is very bad luck, and death will soon follow if you do. It used to be believed that carrying a baby in a funeral procession would ensure that it would die before its first birthday.
• If a black cat crosses in front of a funeral procession, there will be a death in the family of the deceased within three days.
• Some fascinating American superstitions involve the burial of people who have been murdered. Some believed that burying the victim face-down would prevent the murderer from leaving the area in which the victim was buried. Others believed that burying the liver separately from the body would ensure that the murderer would be caught near the place the liver was buried!

Graves and Cemeteries

• Graves should be dug east to west. Superstition over time has varied on which direction the head should be laid. Many say the head of the deceased should be laid towards the west. In general, it is so the soul will not be lost at the Resurrection. One reason given for this is so the dead won’t have to turn around when Gabriel blows the trumpet during revelation. Still others believe the head should face the east, as that is the direction of the star that shone at the birth of Jesus.
• Graves should never be left open overnight. It will lead to another death. It is ideal to dig and close a grave all on the day of the burial.
• If a grave is left open over Sunday, another death will occur before the next Sunday.
• The shovels and other tools used to dig a grave used to be left at the grave site for a day or more after the burial, as moving them too soon would bring bad luck (AA).
• If the casket slips while it is being lowered into the grave, another death will soon follow.
• Leaving the grave before it is filled will welcome another death to follow.
• If it rains into the open grave, bad luck will come to a member of the deceased’s family.
• Likewise, being the first to leave the cemetery is bad luck and could bring you death. Another similar superstition stated that the sex of the first person to leave the cemetery would be the sex of the next person to die.
• Another member of the family will soon die if the earth covering a grave sinks in.
• It is bad luck to step over a grave, and bad luck to point at a grave.
• Visiting a cemetery after dark will bring you bad luck.

Superstitions About the After Life

• If lightning strikes the house of the dying, the devil has come to claim them.
• If a person dies with their mouth and eyes open, they will go to hell.
• To dream of a deceased person in an agitated state means that they are in hell. Likewise, to dream of them in a pleasant state means they have gone to Heaven.
• If it rains shortly after a person is buried, it means that the person has found eternal rest and happiness. A variation on this superstition says that thunder after a funeral shows the deceased has gone to Heaven.
• If a turtle-dove flies upward after a death, the soul of the deceased will go to heaven.

Victorian Funeral Customs and Superstitions

Victorian Funeral Customs and Superstitions

Curtains would be drawn and clocks would be stopped at the time of death. Mirrors were covered with crape or veiling to prevent the deceased’s spirit from getting trapped in the looking glass.  A wreath of laurel, yew or boxwood tied with crape or black ribbons was hung on the front door to alert passersby that a death had occurred. The body was watched over every minute until burial, hence the custom of “waking”.  The wake also served as a safeguard from burying someone who was not dead, but in a coma.  Most wakes also lasted 3-4 days to allow relatives to arrive from far away. The use of flowers and candles helped to mask unpleasant odors in the room before embalming became common. In 19th century Europe and America the dead were carried out of the house feet first, in order to prevent the spirit from looking back into the house and beckoning another member of the family to follow him.  Family photographs were also sometimes turned face-down to prevent any of the close relatives and friends of the deceased from being possessed by the spirit of the dead.

Grave robbery by the “Resurrectionist Men”, often doctors themselves was a problem in the 19th century as medical schools needed fresh cadavers for dissection classes.  “Bricking-over” a grave was a way of guaranteeing some security after death. The fear of a loved one being buried alive inspired coffin makers to design warning systems such as a bell on the grave which was connected by a chain to the inside of the coffin in cases of premature burial, thus the expression, “Saved by the bell.”  Small cakes, known as “funeral biscuits” were wrapped in white paper and sealed with black sealing wax and given to guests as favors. Lavish meals, or collations, were often served after internment. Burial usually followed four days after death.

In many cemeteries, the vast majority of graves are oriented in such a manner that the bodies lie with their heads to the West and their feet to the East. This very old custom appears to originate with the Pagan sun worshippers, but is primarily attributed to Christians who believe that the final summons to Judgment will come from the East.

Personal stationery and handkerchiefs carried a black border, with a wide border indicating a very recent death.

White was a popular color for the funeral of a child. White gloves, ostrich plumes and a white coffin were the standard.

Superstitions

If the deceased has lived a good life, flowers would bloom on his grave; but if he has been evil, only weeds would grow.

If several deaths occur in the same family, tie a black ribbon to everything left alive that enters the house, even dogs and chickens. This will protect against deaths spreading further.

Never wear anything new to a funeral, especially shoes.

You should always cover your mouth while yawning so your spirit doesn’t leave you and the devil never enters your body.

Stop the clock in a death room or you will have bad luck.

To lock the door of your home after a funeral procession has left the house is bad luck.

If rain falls on a funeral procession, the deceased will go to heaven.

If you hear a clap of thunder following a burial it indicates that the soul of the departed has reached heaven.

If you hear 3 knocks and no one is there, it usually means someone close to you has died. The superstitious call this the 3 knocks of death. 

It is bad luck to meet a funeral procession head on. If you see one approaching, turn around.  If this is unavoidable, hold on to a button until the funeral cortege passes.

Large drops of rain warn that there has just been a death.

If you leave something that belongs to you to the deceased, that means the person will come back to get you.

If a firefly/lightning bug gets into your house someone will soon die.

If you smell roses when none are around someone is going to die.

 If you don’t hold your breath while going by a graveyard you will not be buried.

If you see yourself in a dream, your death will follow.

If you see an owl in the daytime, there will be a death.

If you dream about a birth, someone you know will die.

If it rains in an open grave then someone in the family will die within the year.

If a bird pecks on your window or crashes into one that there has been a death.

If a sparrow lands on a piano, someone in the home will die.

If a picture falls off the wall, there will be a death of someone you know.

If you spill salt, throw a pinch of the spilt salt over your shoulder to prevent death.

Never speak ill of the dead because they will come back to haunt you or you will suffer misfortune.

Two deaths in the family means that a third is sure to follow.

The cry of a curlew or the hoot of an owl foretells a death.

A single snowdrop growing in the garden foretells a death.

Having only red and white flowers together in a vase (especially in hospital) means a death will soon follow.

Dropping an umbrella on the floor or opening one in the house means that there will be a murder in the house.

A diamond-shaped fold in clean linen portends death.

A dog howling at night when someone in the house is sick is a bad omen. It can be reversed by reaching under the bed and turning over a shoe.

Information Gathered From Friends of Oak Grove Cemetery

Mourning in the Georgian Era

Mourning in the Georgian Era

by Geri Walton

Everyone is usually familiar with Victorian mourning and its strict etiquette and rules. Mourning in the Georgian Era also had rules associated with it and those rules varied. For instance, in 1782 there was no general mourning when Prince Alfred died as etiquette established “never to go into mourning for any of the blood-royal of England under 14 years of age, unless [they were] … the heir-apparent.” When the Princess Dowager died, mourning lasted six months and theatres were closed for three weeks, whereas when Princess Amelia of Great Britain died in 1786 the mourning period lasted six weeks and theatres were closed for a mere ten days.

Georgians, just like Victorians, wore black when in mourning. Black was worn to denote privation of life,” as black was considered the “privation of light.” The Irish author and satirist Jonathan Swift noted that despite wearing black, Georgian Era mourning was sometimes neither strict nor somber. He demonstrated this when he wrote that “he always observed the merriest faces in mourning coaches.” One gentleman added to Swift’s comment that “black clothes are but seldom accompanied with sorrowful countenances.” The gentleman also maintained that at least two women he knew, who had not recently lost a relative, became “very  “the melancholy” as mourning clothes were of “great advantage to their complexions.”

The two melancholy women mentioned above were not the only ones to show improper decorum when it came to mourning. For instance, it was reported that a man named Sir Henry Lovejoy went to a new play “in black and weepers; and though he had buried his wife but a week, he laughed as hearty as if he was to have been married the next day.” There was also a certain lady who reputedly danced at Cornelys’ just a fortnight after her husband’s death, and a son whose father had so severely restricted his finances, that upon the father’s death the son “immediately rifled the strong box … and swore he would not return home till his father was buried, and every farthing spent.”

Although some Georgians were willing to abide by proper etiquette and rules when it came to mourning, one Georgian gentleman in 1769 felt that disrespectful mourning had gotten out of hand. He wrote to the editor of the Town and Country Magazine hoping to improve the decorum of Georgian mourners. He stated that if that happened “foreigners will no longer be able to twit us with all want of decency; and we shall approach a little more towards rational beings.” He also offered various rules and etiquette for Georgians mourners, and provided a bit of humor with it. He suggested his ideas be used by wives mourning for their husbands, husbands mourning for their wives, and heirs mourning for their fathers.

Here are his suggestions:

Wives Mourning for Their Husbands:

• The first week wives were not to appear in public.
• They were also not to be without a handkerchief, even in private.
• The second Sunday they were to be “much affected with the sermon; the handkerchief not omitted.”
• After the first month, the widowed wife could attend a tragedy and then “weep in character, either at the play, or the loss of her husband.”
• The second month, she was allowed to attend a comedy and she could “smile but not languishingly.”
• The third month, allowed for laughter at a play or dancing at Cornelys’ with her perspective bridegroom.
• The fourth month permitted her to jump into her intended arms, and “finish her widow-hood.

Husband’s Mourning for Their Wives:

• The husband was directed to “weep, or seem to weep at the funeral.”
• He could not be seen at the chocolate house for the first week and was supposed to provide a “proper sigh whenever good wives, or even matrimony [was] mentioned.”
• The third week allowed for a mistress, if he did not have one.
• The fourth week he could appear in public.
• The second month he could obtain more mistresses if he chose not to marry, as mistresses supposedly provided solace for his melancholy.

Heirs Mourning for Their Fathers:

• The heir was instructed not to leave before the funeral ended, although horses, dogs, and equipages could be readied for his departure.
• The disposition of the estate, gardens, etc. could be examined.
• Additional servants could be hired if needed and they could be put into mourning.
• Immediately after the funeral women were allowed to call on the heir or he could visit them.
• The heir could also frequent the “gaming table [or] get admitted [as] a member of the Jockey Club [or] the Franciscan Friars.”
• Finally, if not ruined by too early expiration of his mourning, he could also discard his mourning dress.

Of course, not everyone was so lighthearted when it came to death and mourning. Public figures had epic funerals and associated with them was epic mourning. For instance, when Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, died, besides a specific order in which the funeral procession was to proceed, there were numerous mourning coaches and his body was covered with a black velvet pall. Nelson’s servants were also “in mourning” and rode in a “mourning coach,” and at least one mourning coach bore several gentlemen “in their full uniform coats, with black cloth waistcoats, breeches, and black stockings, and crape round their arms and hats.” In 1798, there was a report of a woman dressed in deep mourning who had lost her husband and two sons in the war. She hoped to present a petition to the majesties but was prevented, although she eventually succeeded in throwing her petition into their carriage, where it fell upon Princess Elizabeth’s lap.

Mourning rules were also associated with families, relatives, and servants in the Georgian Era. In the Life of Harriot Stuart, written in 1750 by the English poet and authoress, Charlotte Lennox, she noted:

“[The] length of time devoted to mourning, and the apparent intensity with which one mourned, were determined to a large extent by the relationship that … existed between the two people and the ‘public knowledge of that relationship’ … mourning was usually only done for kindred, and … the formal rules that governed mourning, which specified an exact amount of time for each degree of kinship, ‘showed that servants were excluded from family.'”

This meant that mourning by any employer for one of their servant’s, indicated their relationship was more of a friendship than mere employer and domestic.

References:

Annual Register, Vol. 1798, 1800

Friday’s Post, in Ipswich Journal, pg. 2, 24 August 1782

“Friday’s Post and Express,” in Norfolk Chronicle, pg. 4, 2 October 1790

Lennox, Charlotte, The Life of Harriot Stuart, Written by Herself, 1750

The European Magazine and London Review, Vol. 49, 1769

The Order to be Observed in the Public Funeral Procession of the Late Vice-Admiral Horatio Viscount Nelson, Vol. 8, 1806

“Wednesday & Thursday’s Posts,” in Northampton Mercury, pg. 2, 4 November 1786

Urban, Sylvanus, The Gentleman’s Magazine and Historical Chronicle, 1806

Funerals in Eighteenth Century Virginia

FUNERALS IN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY VIRGINIA

A Research Report by Thad Tate

Colonial Williamsburg, Inc.  (1956)

Funerals in colonial Virginia were to some extent social as well as solemn occasions. The friends and relatives of a dead person had often gathered at his plantation from considerable distances. Once they had made the tedious journey, they might expect to stay several days. The necessity of feeding them during this time meant that a certain amount of feasting became an expected part of the funeral. Even in cases where people did not come from so far off, at least one meal was in all probability provided for those who were present.

Drinking was also quite common at seventeenth century funerals and may have continued with some frequency into the eighteenth. However, there was an obvious reaction just prior to 1700 against the huge amounts of liquor being consumed at funerals. Some people even began to specify in their wills that nothing to drink should be provided, and so the practice may have moderated somewhat. There are, however, other evidences, such as the three gallons of wine and nineteen gallons of other spirits provided at the burial of one John McClanahan in 1774, that drinking was still prevalent at Virginia funerals.

The funeral service for a member of the planter class or for some other person of wealth and position customarily was quite elaborate. The attendance vas usually large. Near relatives and a good many more distant ones; friends and fellow planters; humbler neighbors from near-by small farms; and the servants and slaves of the plantation were all likely to be present. Those closest to the dead wore some indication of mourning, either full mourning clothes or a black ribbon or armband. They might also have been left mourning rings and mourning gloves by the will of the dead person.

Funerals usually took place at home, and there was considerable resistance to the idea of holding them in church. Likewise the church graveyards were largely for the burial of transients or persons who lived very close to the church. A family burying ground in the garden or at some other convenient location on the plantation was much more popular. Hugh Jones' Present State of Virginia (1724) describes these preferences very succinctly:

The Parishes being of great Extent (some sixty Miles long and upwards) many dead Corpses cannot be conveyed to the Church to be buried: So that it is customary to bury in Gardens or Orchards, where whole Families lye interred together, in a Spot generally handsomely enclosed, planted with Evergreens, and the Graves kept decently: Hence likewise arises the Occasion of preaching Funeral Sermons In Houses, where at Funerals are assembled a great Congregation of Neighbours and Friends; and if you insist upon having the Sermon and Ceremony at Church, they'll say they will be without it, unless performed after their usual Custom.

As Jones' description indicates there was a funeral sermon delivered by the rector of the parish, not too different from modern funeral sermons except for its greater length. The clergyman would also read the Anglican Order for the Burial of the Dead as it appears in the English Prayer Book of 1662, this being the prayer book in use in the colonies from that date until the end of the Revolution. The vestments worn by the clergyman would depend upon whether he wore his ordinary habit or dressed as he would have for a service in the church. If in street attire he would have worn a long cassock, cincture (sash), gown or black or grey coat, tippet (long black scarf), a soft black square cap or a black cocked hat, a large wig, and bands (a soft white linen neckcloth with two pendant tabs. Vested for church he would have exchanged the gown or coat for a linen surplice, probably at this time one which buttoned up the front and was full and long. He would have removed the tippet and then probably have put it back on over the surplice together with a hood. His hat, of course, would be removed.

The one or two contemporary illustrations which are available here strongly suggest that in the case of a funeral a clergyman would have appeared in ordinary habit rather than wearing a surplice. The cassock would, however, certainly stamp him distinctly as a cleric. As illustrations of eighteenth century clerical dress we have in our files color slides of a former member of the staff correctly vested and standing in the pulpit of Bruton Parish. There are also several contemporary illustrations, mostly English but certainly applicable, in our Graphic Arts File. A list of these has been compiled and will be held for use, if needed.

It is probable that the parish clerk might have been present at any funeral to assist the clergyman with responses, etc., since he is specifically mentioned as one of the persons to be included in the funeral procession in several wills. Like the clergyman he wore a cassock, bands, and wig.

It is clear from the contemporary records that Virginians made a sharp distinction between the funeral and the burial, much more so than today when the two words are often interchangeable in popular usage. The funeral referred to the gathering of mourners for the sermon and other suitable memorials. The burial involved only the actual interment of the body. It was moreover possible to separate these two parts of the service by intervals or as much as several weeks, especially if the deceased had requested a more or less private burial.

There is some indication of the firing of guns at Virginia funerals. However, this seems largely to have been a seventeenth-century custom. There was, for instance, a 1655 law in the colony against the wasting or powder at entertainments, but weddings and funerals were both exempted from its restrictions. There is much less evidence of this custom in the eighteenth century; so it probably should not be included in any representation of a funeral of the later colonial period.

Where the funeral and the burial were observed at the same time or where the burial was not private, some sort of procession from the house or church to the burying ground took place with a greater or lesser degree of ceremony. The following, which describes the funeral of Col. John Hutchings of Norfolk in 1768, is undoubtedly a rather elaborate procession:

He was yesterday carried to the place of interment by six reputable tradesmen, his pall supported by six Aldermen, preceded by a party of the militia with their muskets clubbed, muffled drums, and mourning banners, and was followed by a numerous offspring, a great number of relations, and a very great concourse of people of all ranks and degrees.

A much simpler procession would have been that of Mrs. Elizabeth Stith, a wealthy widow of Isle of Wight County, whose will specified that she should have "a decent burial, with only my relations and near neighbors at it; and that the parson and clark with the four men that bear me to the grave shall have hat bands and gloves;…"

The following account by a traveler in Virginia in the 1780's, Robert Banter, gives a rather full description of a funeral — and a fairly elaborate one — which took place some weeks after the actual burial:

This morning I dressed myself in mourning to go to poor Mr. Hopper's funeral with Mr. George McCall. It's the custom in this part or the country to have the funeral service performed two or three weeks after the person is buried — a very foolish one in my opinion, as it only serves to renew the grief of the relations. People were invited all the way from James River to it [this apparently occurred near Tappahannock]. Mr. Mathews, the parson who married them about six weeks ago, read the service. As soon as it was over, the ladies walked into one room and the gentlemen into another, where a table was spread with funeral cake and wine sealed with black. After this followed a cold dinner. Neither Mrs. Ritchie nor Mrs. Hopper appeared…

Many of the descriptions of funerals and burials which do survive are those of extremely elaborate rites. Two of the best accounts, for instance, are those of the funerals for Lord Botetourt, the next to last royal governor, and for Peyton Randolph, the Speaker of the House of Burgesses, who died attending the Continental Congress at Philadelphia. but was returned to Williamsburg for burial. These were exceptional; they might well have been the two most ceremonious funerals in the entire history of colonial Virginia. But, as the evidence above might suggest, even the death of the average planter often called for a funeral attended by a large gathering and marked by a high degree of formal ceremony.

At the same time there was a counter-movement in the direction of simpler funerals setting in during the twenty-five years or so before the American Revolution. Many planters who possessed both the means and the social position to warrant the fullest funeral observances were stipulating by will that they should be interred quietly and without great formality. These were men such as Thomas Lee of Westmoreland County who complained of the "indecent mirth" at funerals and asked that his burial service consist of only the church ceremony attended by those relatives and friends who were near and that a funeral sermon be preached in his parish church on some day other than that of the burial.

The specific instructions of such men, who as Charles Carter of Cleve said of himself, "never delighted in funeral pomps," are a valuable source of evidence for the type of simple funeral which they desired but also for the more prevalent funeral customs which they abhorred. Quite commonly they sought to introduce one or more of the following modifications in the traditional ceremonies:

1.) Keeping the burial portion of the ceremony private or nearly private. Thomas Lee's request on this score is mentioned above, and Charles Carter asked that his buria1 take place at night and be kept as private as possible. The usual request was, like that of Thomas Lee's, that attendance at the actual burial be held to relatives and near neighbors.

2.) Elimination of the funeral sermon. Not only was the sermon moved to another day from the interment; it was omitted altogether, much in keeping with modern Anglican practice. There are numerous examples of this (e.g., Philip Grymes of Middlesex County who requested "no funeral sermon—prayers only").

3.) Restrictions in the use of mourning clothes. This was so commonly asked that it seems safe to conclude that, even where the funeral remained rather elaborate, there was a general trend in the direction of simpler mourning observances. To some extent the non-importation agreements of the pre-Revolutionary era promoted this, since black ribbon and clothes probably had to be imported; but it was a movement that was well under way before 1765.

Charles Carter's will was very detailed in his instructions on mourning. He asked that only his children appear in mourning and that any other relatives should wear "Common Clothes, the men with a black Crape on their left arm and the women with a black knot on their left side…" He added, "I do positively forbid the putting of any of my servants in mourning, having always determined within myself as much as my power lay, by setting a proper example, to put a stop to the ridiculous custom of involving familys by pompous funerals and mournings… "

There are other examples, too. Philip Grymes wanted only his wife in mourning and only if she so chose. Mrs. Stith in her instructions for a very simple procession also mentioned that the pallbearers should have only black hatbands and gloves. And Philip Rootes of King and Queen County wanted none of his family to go into mourning.

4.) The use of common men as pallbearers. This sometimes occurred even at important funerals and may have been in reality a long-standing practice; for Sir John Randolph who was entombed in the Chapel of the Wren Building in 1737 had specified that his body should be carried by six poor house-keepers of Bruton Parish. One of the most interesting requests is that of Philip Rootes who wanted four of his Negro slaves as pallbearers.

Any attempt to describe a funeral of a Virginia plantation owner of the 1760's or 1770's must then really take into account two diverse characteristics, first of all, the traditionally elaborate ceremony attended by a large number of mourners, but, secondly, the increasing note of simplicity in the burial customs of the age. Depending upon which of these features received the greater emphasis a funeral scene laid in this time and place could show considerable variation in the size of the gathering and in the degree of formality observed and still retain its claim to authenticity.

The following outline, which follows a middle course between the divergent trends in funerals, suggests one possible example of a representative funeral of the period:

Attendance. Even if the funeral were represented as a fairly simple one, there should probably be a large number of people present — and a very varied cross-section of the rural population of Virginia. Besides the members of the family, there might be a number of men, obviously wealthy planters and of the same social class as the deceased, with their wives. As many, or perhaps even more, plainer people, representing the neighboring small farmers, and the slaves of the plantation should also be present. Then the clergyman and his clerk would complete the mourners.

Pallbearers. Even some of the really large funerals, such as that of Peyton Randolph mention only six pallbearers. Apparently four or six were the usual number in most cases. As some of the above examples have shown, these men could have ranged all the way from fellow planters to Negro slaves of the deceased.

Mourning dress. This is one of the details on which the greatest amount of variation is possible. The best description which we found is that of the very simple mourning requested by Charles Carter with all but the closest relatives in ordinary clothes, the men wearing black crape on their left arm and the women with a black knot on their left side. Mourning gloves for the pallbearers might also be depicted. Fuller discussion of mourning dress will require consultation with Mrs. Walsh, who is in charge of our Costuming Department.

Place of Burial. There is no problem here at all, as any attractive and well-landscaped plot either in the garden or elsewhere on the plantation served as a final resting place for the family.

Details of the funeral and burial. There could or could not be a sermon by the clergyman, but almost certainly he would read all, or portions of, the burial service from the English Prayer Book of 1662. His dress and that of the parish clerk, who also would probably be present, would have been as indicated above. If both the funeral and burial were being held, then there would have been a procession to the grave, joined by all the people present.

The funeral as a social gathering. If any sizeable number of people were present, then the fact that the sadness of the occasion was partly alleviated by its being in part a social gathering should not be overlooked. There would perhaps be a spread of food after the burial and a good deal of conversation among the people present.