Funeral costs - 1900s

[searcher 52]

My grandmother had to bury her husband and her youngest child in the same week in 1901. My thoughts are this must have been a sigificant outlay for her not to mention the knock on effect for her of bringing up the three remaining children of whom the eldest was barely 8.

Her husband was an "assurance agent" and I wonder if there would have been insurance to cover or defray the cost.

Has anyone any knowledge to shed on this aspect of social history? Can I find out more about his employment, wages, conditions? Might he have had some kind of cover after his death - pension like? What did a funeral cost in those days?

Any thoughts gratefully appreciated.

[emanday]

Now, I might have been misled on this, but I understand one of my rellies and one of his children also died in the same week. Story is that the wean was put in the same coffin with her Dad to reduce the costs.

I've never been able to find a child's DC with the right surname in the right period, so it might be yet another of my family myth's.

[Tracey]

I have mention in a letter of a cost of a funeral in 1899. I will look for it.

[Tracey]

Ok, it says

Edit......£4 .. 6 .. 3 wrong ! should be £6.. 4 ..3

This was in Scotland and i assume it would have been a very basic funeral.

Hope this gives you some idea.

Tracey

[nelmit]

My grandmother had to bury her husband and her youngest child in the same week in 1901. My thoughts are this must have been a sigificant outlay for her not to mention the knock on effect for her of bringing up the three remaining children of whom the eldest was barely 8.

Her husband was an "assurance agent" and I wonder if there would have been insurance to cover or defray the cost.

Has anyone any knowledge to shed on this aspect of social history? Can I find out more about his employment, wages, conditions? Might he have had some kind of cover after his death - pension like? What did a funeral cost in those days?

Any thoughts gratefully appreciated.

Hello,

I think I can safely assume that the funeral costs would have been covered by his employer especially as he was an assurance agent.

I've seen many references, while transcribing poorhouse applications, to employers paying funeral costs and then a pension to the family.

It may be she applied for help after his death. If she lived in Glasgow I could check for applications if you want to give me the details.

Kind regards,
Annette M

[joette]

I have a receipt for my GGreat-Grandfather's funeral in 1906.Will look it out & have a look but Tracey's £6:00 or so sounds about right.
It has a detailed breakdown of the costs-horses,grave-digging(which I think was free as Andrew Young was a Grave-digger).
I also have one where my relative was insured & her daughter (who had her committed to the asylum about three days before her death which as the result of a fall at home!) recieved £100.One of her daughter's husband's was an insurance agent so I know the money was a result of this policy.
My maternal Great-Grandfather cut down on the costs by carving his own gravestone(he was a Mason) & making his own coffin.This was in the 1930's.

[Chris Paton]

Hi,

I don't have costs for 1900, but a couple of years back I extracted the names of all the Patons found in Perth's burial registers, from 1794 to 1886, held at the A. K. Bell Library. The entries from 1844 to 1886 list the prices paid for the burials, so if that is of interest, it can be accessed at my family history website at http://chrispatonscotland.tripod.com/id64.html

Hope that might help!

Chris

[nelmit]

My grandmother had to bury her husband and her youngest child in the same week in 1901. My thoughts are this must have been a sigificant outlay for her not to mention the knock on effect for her of bringing up the three remaining children of whom the eldest was barely 8.

Her husband was an "assurance agent" and I wonder if there would have been insurance to cover or defray the cost.

Has anyone any knowledge to shed on this aspect of social history? Can I find out more about his employment, wages, conditions? Might he have had some kind of cover after his death - pension like? What did a funeral cost in those days?

Any thoughts gratefully appreciated.

Hello,

I think I can safely assume that the funeral costs would have been covered by his employer especially as he was an assurance agent.

I've seen many references, while transcribing poorhouse applications, to employers paying funeral costs and then a pension to the family.

It may be she applied for help after his death. If she lived in Glasgow I could check for applications if you want to give me the details.

Kind regards,
Annette M

Hello,

A wee snippet from the poorhouse application made by Margaret after her husband's death -

........She had a few pounds saved, all spent. She buried a baby same week as husband died. Got from British Legal £9 8/- which is all spent on funeral. ...................

Kind regards,
Annette M

[AnneM]

Hi All

Annette

That is so sad. You could just weep for the poor woman.

Chris

I feel a trip to the library in Perth coming on!!

Anne

BTW Just found a will for one of husband David's rellies who died in 1680. It asks that he be buried in a manner to create as little noise and tumult as possible. Then from the inventory of his estate it is clear that his funeral cost £13!

Went on the measuring worth site and found that that is now worth £1580 approx. Relatively modest by today's standards.

[Chris Paton]

Hi Ann,

Happy hunting in Perth!

Good luck

Chris