Victorian Mourning Customs 2014

 This past October, Hearthside was set up to re-create the Victorian mourning customs and practices during the time when Simon Thornton passed away.

Hearthside was all draped in black, giving all who pass by the message that this is a house in mourning. 
 
We mourned the passing of  Simon E. Thornton, former owner of Hearthside,  who died on May 2, 1873.  
It was told to us that his body was prepared at the house by the undertaker, who would come with his equipment and a portable embalming table to do his service.
The coffin was in the Drawing Room where visitors would come and pay their respects.
 Each room in the house had displays of mourning clothing, jewelry, artwork, stationery displays, post mortem photography, and other funerary exhibits.

 Docent Estelle Barada waits for the next group of visitors to come into the dining room.  Photo by Susan Gonsalves

 When a home goes into mourning, all the servants went into mourning also. 
I portrayed the cook mourning the lost of my dear master.
 I handed out Funeral Biscuits to all who came to pay their respects to the family.
 

According to Victorian customs, following the ceremony, the coffin would be carried out of the house, feet first, and into a waiting hearse to bring it to the grave site for burial.