Victorian era mourning period on display at Merrehope
Oct. 2—From black-draped cloths over mirrors to an old wooden coffin resting on a stand in the hallway, the mourning period of the Victorian era is now on full display at Merrehope.
Back for its second year, the Meridian Restorations Foundation Inc. is presenting "Mourning at Merrehope: A Reproduction of Victorian Mourning in a Neoclassical Home" on the second floor of the historic home museum through the end of October. Admission is $10, $5 for students, which includes a full tour of the mansion, built circa 1859.
"We had such a good response to the event last year that we decided to bring it back again this year," said Kim Waters, president of the Meridian Restorations Foundation, which owns Merrehope. "We have the second floor staged as a family living in the home would have prepared it during a period of mourning during the Victorian era."
In December 1861, Prince Albert, the beloved husband of England's Queen Victoria, died, and her response would have a lasting influence on the way a family mourned the loss of a loved one not only in Europe but also in America, said Albree Florey, a member of the foundation board and organizer of the event.
"Queen Victoria went into deep mourning after Prince Albert died," she said. "It was the custom for a widow to wear black for a period of one year after her husband passed away, but Queen Victoria wore black for the rest of her life."
That custom of black mourning clothes became popular in America and is still popular today, Florey said.
Funerals back then were mostly wakes held in the home and only men, by way of an invitation, were invited to attend. "It was considered very disrespectful not to attend if you received an invitation," she said.
To help visitors visualize the customs and traditions associated with the mourning period from the Victorian era, Merrehope's second floor displays include a staging of a replica turn-of-the-century casket in the hallway to receive visitors during a wake, which at that time could last up to four days. Mourning clothes are on display. All of the mirrors on the second floor are draped in black cloth, like they would have been until after the funeral, so the spirit of the deceased would not get trapped in the mirror, Florey said. Family photographs were usually turned face down to protect family and friends from possession by a spirit of the dead.
Clocks on the second floor are stopped as they would have been stopped at the time of death during the Victorian period to prevent bad luck. Another superstition, she said, was that the dead person was carried out of the house feet first in order to prevent the spirit from looking back into the house and beckoning another family member to follow him or her.
"They had a lot of superstitions back then," Florey said.
In one room, an embalming table that would have been used in local houses in the late 1800s to early 1900s is set up and holds a display of authentic records and mementos from the original James F. Webb Funeral Home, founded in 1869, including an old sign-in book for a funeral service, a record of funeral service book, an embalming book and a payment receipt.
On Monday, Oct. 30, funeral historian Erin Lybrand will present a mourning history presentation and exhibit from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Merrehope. Admission is $20.
It is a special one evening only presentation and is back by popular demand, Florey said.
Lybrand, specializes in the history and preservation of funeral procedures and traditions from the past. Also, her extensive collection of funeral memorabilia will be on exhibit in the historic home's downstairs for the evening.
Mourning at Merrehope is presented by the Meridian Restorations Foundation Inc., Webb & Stephens Funeral Home, World of Flowers & Gifts and Kevin Hurt, program director of the East Mississippi Community College Funeral Service Technology program.
Merrehope, located at 905 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, is open for tours from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Contact Glenda Sanders at gsanders@themeridianstar.com.
