What a brilliant description of a funeral complete with funeral mutes who must have been going out of fashion even them. Simply people paid to look mournful - I found these funeral mutes from a bit later than 1846 but they would have looked much like this:
I'm just thinking what an amazing feat it was to dig a grave 16' deep- and how dangerous with the risk of the whole thing caving in on the grave diggers. John McAuliffe greengrocer of 18 James Street left a PCC will PROB 11/2049 and I think he's on the 1841 census at John Street with his wife Caroline and 4 children. His death is on FREE BMD but not on Ancestry London burials.
Carole
Well spotted the Mute reference Carole. I dismissed that part of the entry and I'd never heard of Mutes anyway. What an education this diary is.
I've heard of paid mourners of course but didn't know they were called Mutes. I must do some googling to find out more.
Yes, 16 feet is extremely deep - I never would have thought that a grave would (or could) be dug that deep. Earlier I looked at google maps but it's so built up around St George Hanover Square that there doesn't appear to be a burial ground remaining - shame. Mr McAuliffe was buried so deep that he might still be there though.
I keep losing posts - I replied earlier saying that dee-jay may have a point about why Ann is regularly indisposed.
