Early American Funeral Undertaking
Tradesman Undertakers HAFD page 139 Colonial period: undertaking combined with cabinetmaking lack of regulation regarding funerals 1799 Baltimore: funeral undertakers appointed as coroners War of 1812: western expansion cabinet-making undertakers added services Plates 25 and 28
Readings Question #1 HAFD page 142 Who was the “furnishing undertaker”? What type of services did he offer? What influence did he have on the funeral service profession?
Performers of Personal Service HAFD page 146 nurse, nurse-governess, midwives nurses also practiced healing arts end of the 18th century: “layers out of the dead” 19th century: women less prominent role in the “business” of undertaking expanded services and wide range of tasks tradesmen, craftsmen, male functionaries
Religious Functionaries HAFD page 148 up until the 19th century: churchyard and church cemetery main mode of “sepulture” role of the clergy was important church sexton extended his mortuary functions (early 19th century)
Readings Question #2 Municipal Officers Describe the evolution of the sexton to the sexton-undertaker in 19th century America. Municipal Officers HAFD page 149 Readings question #3: What were the duties of the “inviter to funerals”?
Readings Question #4 HAFD page 149 Who were the Early American funeral undertakers? What were their duties?
Readings Question #5 HAFD page 155 Why is the first half of the 19th century crucially important in the evolution of the modern funeral director?