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Archiver > SCT-FIFE > 1999-11 > 0942003221


From: Mary Inglis <>
Subject: Re: Mortcloth ?
Date: Sun, 07 Nov 1999 11:33:41 -0800


I wonder if perhaps the mortcloth was not buried with the body. When
copying the mortcloth entries for Leuchars, the entries would read such as
this: The best cloth, the wee cloth (for children), the second cloth
(second best), etc. The fee charged had to do with which mortcloth was
used. The descriptions made me think perhaps it was the cloth used to cover
the body until actually interred - and then was reused over and over again,
depending on which cloth a body was entitled to use, according to station in
life, amount paid, and if a child (sometimes no fee charged). If a new
cloth were used and it was to "wrap" the body for burial, then who furnished
these cloths - what occupation would this be?
Were there morticians? If so, how early?

It is interesting that in the U.S. in the west was still sparsely settled,
it was the barber who took care of the body and made arrangements for burial
- sometimes in a wooden box, sometimes directly into the ground.
Mary Inglis

Kerry Heidebrecht wrote:
>
> Hi Barbara:
>
> To the best of my knowledge, it was a burial cloth that the body was wrapped
> in for the funeral and subsequent burial. Different types of mortcloth cost
> different amounts of money. I am a Funeral Director and own a Funeral Home
> and had never ever heard of the term mortcloth until I was doing my own
> family history and because the name mort is a derivitive of mortuary or post
> mortem, it has to do with death and of course we all know what cloth is so
> it literally would be a "death cloth" or covering that the body is wrapped
> in. Here is an example of costs re: mortcloth. This is from a Parish
> Registry in Aberdour, Fife - year 1820:
>
> Rates of Charge for Grave-digging:
> Charge for a grave of 4 feet in depth 2/
> " " 5 feet " 3/
> " " 6 feet " 5/
> " " 7 feet " 7/
> " " 8 feet " 10/6
>
> Additional regulation "That if after the Beadle has dug a grave to the
> depth of four feet (the allowance for which is 2/) and the person or persons
> ordering the same shall declare to him that though desirous of a greater
> depth, they are not able to pay according to the
> usual rates but offer themselves, or by others, to dig the grave deeper,
> that the Beadle is hereby enjoined to permit them to do so, provided always,
> that they pay him 2/ for the depth of the four feet and assist him with two
> hands at least in returning the earth.
>
> Charges for Mortcloth:
>
> Charge for the best mortcloth 5/
> Charge for the second mortcloth 4/
> Charge for a child's best morcloth 2/
> Charge for a child's second mortcloth 1/8
>
> Dues to the Beadle (grave-digger) in town /6
> " " in Country 1/
> Dues for bidding the inhabitants of the Village to the Funeral - 1/
>
> Very interesting items for your consideration... Hope you enjoy this as much
> as I did - especially with me being in the business that I am.
> Far cry today from what the charges were in those days.
> Kerry - Vernon, B.C. Canada
>
> >From:
> >Reply-To:
> >To:
> >Subject: Mortcloth ?
> >Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1999 13:57:48 EST
> >
> >Hello:
> >
> >What is a Mortcloth? How or when was it used?
> >
> >Regards
> >Barbara
> >
>
> ______________________________________________________
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