Funerary businesses are common on high streets across the country and an important part of the response to death in our communities. How did this trade and its familiar services come to be, where and why did the funeral trade begin? This talk journeys through eighteenth-century England to discover the origins of the funeral trade and the identifies of some of the first undertakers. These were entrepreneurs whose products were a mix of the familiar and the extraordinary; from coffins, through hearses to hired mourners who attended the funeral. Our encounter with these products will be illustrated by the accounts from across eighteenth-century society: participants, spectators and even critics. We see how the undertakers worked and observe how the satire of the period captured fears and uncertainties about their motives. 

The talk will take place at Christ Church Frome on Saturday 31st January at 11am Refreshments will be available from 10.30am

Entry by donation in aid of the Christ Church Future Fund 'energising a sacred space'.