Piece of Genealogical trivia

Post by **AnneM** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 9:55 pm

While I was searching the records in England recently, I was looking through the deaths in Amesbury and came across the following record

1715 Lucretia Bourne Widd was buried May 9th (in lining) (not pd)

I was totally puzzled by the bits in brackets and eventually consulted the duty archivist who told me that 'in lining' means 'in linen'. Evidently people were supposed to be buried in woollen shrouds and if they were buried in any other material a fine was levied.

Some, particularly better off, families chose to bury their dead finer cloths and this seems to have been the case here, though it looks as though the Bournes decided to avoid paying the fine!

Anne

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:12 pm

Hi Anne
I have a book called "Death is for the Living" Anne Gordon, pub 1984 - it is a cracker of a book, covering all sorts of details about the customs, laws and typical practices surrounding death and burial in Scotland, including the woolen/ linen shroud changes in practices - as far as I remember some law was passed regarding what folk were to be wrapped in prior to burial, to do with economics of the time.

It 's fascinating stuff, honest....my only complaint being that the type is a bit on the small side so it is not the easiest to read without a good light

(which is probably my fault for ignoring the optician's suggestion that reading glasses were rapidly becoming a good idea....)

Best wishes
Lesley

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:12 pm

Hi Anne

I'll bet none of mine could even afford wool

Ther non-payment of the fine got me thinking about the power of the Kirk Session within a community and wondering whether their English equivalent had similar power over their parishioners.

Because all of my lang deid yins are 100% Scots my social history knowledge south of the border is virtually nil.

Russell

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:14 pm

Hi Russell
My limited forays into English records suggest that the power possessed by the Kirk Sessions in Scotland was not achieved to the same degree in England. Several reasons I think, to do with population size and perhaps a less Calvanistic attitude generally....

Best wishes
Lesley

Post by **AnneM** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:48 pm

A bit more digging or more accurately googling produced the following text of the Burial in Wool Act of 1678 (obviously applicable to England only)

'No corpse of any person shall be buried in any shirt, shift, sheet or shroud or anything whatsoever, made or mingled with flax, hemp, silk, hair, gold or silver, or in any stuff or thing other than what is made of sheeps wool only'.

It seems that an affidavit had to be sworn to the effect that it was wool only in the shroud and that the penalty was a £5 fine. Not paid by husband's lot. Always knew they were tight wads.

Lesley, that book sounds great. Must try to acquire a copy. Don't worry. You don't need glasses, just longer arms. I gave in when mine could not stretch any further and watching my hymn book was giving my neighbour in the choir sea sickness.

Russell. Most of mine were of the impoverished variety as well.

Anne

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:58 pm

Hi Anne

Not paid by husband's lot. Always knew they were tight wads.

Don't worry. You don't need glasses, just longer arms. I gave in when mine could not stretch any further and watching my hymn book was giving my neighbour in the choir sea sickness.

Hmm... not sure that tactic is going to work for much longer!

Best wishes
Lesley