The Hearse House
I was minding my own business, trucking along in some research for the current book when a random research rabbit hole opened up and dragged me in before I could come for air.
I was trolling around images of a small town, looking for inspirations for the setting and I found this on one of the buildings I was looking at:
Having never heard of a hearse house, I had to find out more. This is what I learned.
In Austen’s day, there was no such thing as a funeral home. When a person died, they were usually laid out in their home. A wake, often with a viewing, would be held in the home, then the deceased would be taken to the church yard or cemetery for burial. A horse-drawn hearse would often be the vehicle used for transport.
When not in use, the hearse would be kept at the ‘parish stables’ or hearse house. These structures could take many different forms. Some were built on church property, close to the church yard itself. Others were tucked into the countryside, along the road. Occasionally they might be built in town, in a style similar to surrounding buildings. Often hearse house was decorated with key stones carved with memento mori style images, such as the skull and cross bones, or with the date of the building. The interior of the building often had lime-washed walls. Interestingly, this common wall treatment had antibacterial properties.
Hearse House, Chalep in le Frith by Alan Flemming
Hearse House at Bolton Parish Churchyad by Walter Baxter
An interesting side note, the date on the Hearse House in Chapel en le Firth is 1818, but the Beamish Museum calls the Marrick Priory Hearse, build in 1828, the oldest hearse in Britain. So, it seems there’s another rabbit hole to investigate. But that will have to wait for another time.
Have you ever heard of a hearse house? Tell me in the comments.
Click here for more trips down the Reasearch Rabbit Hole
References
https://co-curate.ncl.ac.uk/hearse-house/
https://www.mythslegendsodditiesnorth-east-wales.co.uk/hearse-house
https://marrickpriory.co.uk/the-hearse-house/
https://beamishbuildings.wordpress.com/category/hearse-house/
I love things having to with death and how we treat the dead. That’s why I listen Joanna Penn’s podcast. She is unapologetically interested in the macabre of all strains. Thanks for this glimpse down the lapin lair.
Never heard of a hearse house. This was most fascinating!
My brother and his wife live in Chapel-en-le-Frith and my Mum is in a care home there. When I was a child we lived in New Mills which is just in Derbyshire and close to both Chapel and Lyme Park. I now live just the other side of Lyme Park so have always been in the area!
However I’ve never noticed that inscription and will have to look out for it when I visit!
These are the kinds of little bits of interesting information that give me that ‘ah’ moment. I could’ve said ‘duh.’ But so uncouth, ha. The kind of thing I just assume one thing about but nothing has come up to challenge that. I mean, we see hearses like the above in period movies, usually depicting a dark forboding atmosphere. I guess I just assumed there was a hearse service and that the vehicles would be housed in the local stables. Those photos are pretty neat.
I had never heard of them before, but it makes good sense that there was one on an era of when people were laid out at home. We own a circa 1850’s house in the states and it has 2 coffin doors off the parlor in it. They’re 6 inches wider then any other doors in the house so they could get a coffin in. Interesting rabbit hole you went down thanks for sharing it!
Do you have any information about the horse drawn hearse that is now in All Saints Church, Hilgay, Norfolk…..I believe it was returned to the church approximately 15/20 years ago