Death was handled much differently when Cordelia Rogers died in her home in Southampton Village in the fall of 1887. Unlike today, the body was kept in the house, and watched over at all times by members of the community. The funeral was conducted in the house, and when finished, the mourners walked the casket to the local cemetery for burial.On Saturday, October 29, at the Rogers Mansion on Meeting House Lane, the Southampton Historical Museum will reenact the Victorian-era funeral of Ms. Rogers and allow guests to be part of the experience.
“We’re not expecting that this is going to be an event for everybody,” said Emma Ballou, a curator and registrar at the museum. “We are not necessarily encouraging children to come, but it’s an event that we think is important and fascinating. How often do you get to attend a Victorian funeral?”
When guests arrive, Ms. Ballou said, they will be greeted by an undertaker who will explain the rituals and behaviors of those who lived during the Victorian period. The undertaker will also show the guests a few objects that are in the museum’s collection, such as hair jewelry that was worn by the deceased.
To show they are mourning, guests will each be given a black armband. Upon entering the Rogers Mansion, they will see the mirrors and portraits have been draped in cloth.
“They would cover up mirrors and portraits with black fabric because they were concerned that the spirit of the deceased would leave their body and enter into the mirrors, which then might enter into them or would enter into the portraits and haunt the house,” Ms. Ballou said.
She also said guests will be able to mingle with the reenactors in the dark room that will have many candles and flowers. Although the candles would have been used to provide some light to the room, Ms. Ballou said their scents and the floral boutiques were used to cut down on the smell of the corpse, since embalming was not a common procedure back then.
A minister will give a small service and the guests will sing some songs before taking the casket down Main Street to North End Cemetery. When they arrive at the cemetery, the casket will be placed on the ground and the minister will say a few more words. Afterward, he will give a tour of the cemetery.
“It’s a reflection of the Victorian period,” Ms. Ballou said. “It’s like, what better epitomizes all their repression and the grief that the Victorians were feeling at that time? We’re all about experiences here. Good experiences. Bad experiences. It’s important not to just look at the positive parts of history, but also the ones that are a little bit harder to deal with.”
“Mourning the Victorian Way: A Funeral Reenactment and Graveyard Tour” will take place on Saturday, October 29, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Rogers Mansion, 17 Meeting House Lane, Southampton. The cost to attend the event is $25, and guests who wear all black will get a $10 discount.
Greg Wehner on Oct 25, 2016