Tradition & Death in Antigonish "Apart altogether from lineal connections, the fact that they were all from the 'Old Country' made them like brothers and sisters, in love and friendship. --Did one of them die, in any of the settlements from Upper South River to Cape George, a messenger was sent forthwith, on foot of course, to give the tidings, so that each family would be represented at the funeral. This was regarded as a sacred duty to be strictly observed and without fail." [Casket, 31 July 1913 (William D. Cameron)] Death had a central place in the lives and minds of early Antigonish County residents. According to Brian D. Osborne and Ronald Armstrong, coauthors of Scotch Obsessions, the Scottish “need for a decent and respectable funeral” bordered on fixation. Other scholars have gone so far as to characterize the fascination with death as a distinctive cultural trait of the Scots. American historian Wallace Notestein writes: “He (the Scot) has an incredible number of stories about death. Death has always interested him and funerals have been one of his diversions." Antigonish County’s early Scottish residents, motivated by a fierce sense of tradition and clan loyalty, shared this singular preoccupation. The story of Father Alexander MacDonald of Arisaig serves as a graphic example. MacDonald, who had the misfortune to die away in Halifax in April 1816, was borne home on the shoulders of some sturdy men who travelled on foot “night and day, over almost impassable roads, dense forests, and swollen rivers.” His flock refused to let him be handled by “strange hands” and even turned down the offer of a man-of-war to transport the corpse. In 19th-century Antigonish society the wake was a time-honoured cultural tradition. It was a unique ceremonial with its own special etiquette. The body was laid out on the board usually chairs or barrels draped with sheets--in the front room, the best room in the house. A small plate of salt was placed on the chest of the deceased. A local resident, usually a woman, reputed to be a good hand at laying out, was entrusted with washing and preparing the body. The hand-made coffin, usually a box fashioned from ¾ inch pine or spruce, was constructed by a local carpenter. The handles were usually made of rope, while black cotton material was tacked to the sides and bottom. The coffin’s interior was usually left plain, save for a silk pillow or tucker placed under the head of the deceased. The carpenter did not charge for his services, treating this task as both a privilege”and a favour. Alexander McPherson of Upper North Grant (d. 1900) is a classic example. He made over 200 coffins in his lifetime free of charge. Occasionally, families found it a tight squeeze to negotiate a coffin in and out of the house. In Mary Helen Fault's family, the window "in the little entry way...frame and all" had to be removed to facilitate the movement of her grandfather's coffin out the front door to the veranda. The wake lasted for two, sometimes three nights, and was attended by a widespread circle of friends, relatives and acquaintances who came to pay their final respects. The neighbours supervised and catered the whole event. Family honour dictated that no one be sent away hungry; nor could a guest commit the unpardonable faux pas of declining hospitality. According to Mary L. Fraser, author of Folklore of Nova Scotia, “every bite that was served during the wake went towards the release of the soul if it were suffering in Purgatory.” The wake, however, was more than a social occasion. As religious affiliation demanded, prayers were said; in Catholic households, the wake was punctuated by recitations of the rosary. During the three-day ceremonial, close friends, mostly men, watched over the body during the night. The long hours were relieved by ample refreshment and an entertaining repertoire of songs and stories, typically about forerunners and second sight. This tradition had a long pedigree with the Scots, harking back to times when rival clans threatened to abduct the corpses of each other’s kin. At the very least, the vigil reassured everyone that the deceased was truly dead. The Scottish funeral has gained great notoriety in the literature on the Scots. The event contained elements of both mirth and melancholy. Stories abound of the whisky that flowed freely and the pipe music that stirred the mourners who accompanied the coffin to the graveside. The manuscript notes of R.D. MacDonald, grandson of the Keppoch bard, provide the reader with an engaging vignette from the 1830s: “John McKinnon was the next arrival and was the first man that died in the settlement. He was carried on the shoulders of his friends through the wood. One gallon of rum was all they had for the funeral. The old Highland custom was strictly adhered to, the 'giullan' or coffin was lowered down above David Fraser’s, St. Josephs. This was considered half ways, and all sat down and the 'slige' and 'cuach' went around, and a short prayer offered for the repose of the soul of the departed, after which-each one present picked up a stone and laid it on the spot the coffin rested. This was called a 'Cairn'.” Early Scottish funeral traditions were not totally immune to the changes ushered in by the Victorian era. During the 19th century, as scholars have noted, death ceased to be a brief, private occasion and was transformed into a prolonged, highly formalized public ritual. Funerals became imposing events closely linked to respectability, wealth and power. In fact, current scholarship suggests that the funeral, more than the wedding, solidified class position and affirmed family status in the eyes of the onlookers. This “social necessity” called for ostentatious displays of grief and often ruinous expenses. The hearse, an elaborate, ornamented vehicle, became the mainstay of the 19th-century funeral. It was fitted with plate glass sides so that mourners who shared in the public spectacle would view the casket. Ironically enough, this term also became de rigueur at this time. The casket, originally a box for treasured objects, now enclosed precious human remains reposing in cushioned elegance. At this time, embalming also significantly transformed funeral customs. This practice, given impetus by the American Civil War, took widespread hold in late 19th -century North America. The lucrative business of death spawned a great variety of paraphernalia such as mourning dress (including black silk and crepe variants of capes, handkerchiefs, shawls, bonnets, veils and parasols), mourning jewellery, black-edged mourning cards, envelopes and notepaper. Victorian funeral traditions found their way to Antigonish in the late 1800s. In fact, as early as the 1870s, H.H. McCurdy’s general store advertised “Mourning Goods”. Antigonishers incorporated black crepe and arm bands into their mourning rituals. A grieving family traditionally fastened a black wreath to the front door and even hung black crepe on the door of the house for the duration of the wake. Curtains were closed and blinds pulled; they often remained that way for nine months. Patrick S. Floyd, one-time mayor and carriage maker, started operating as an undertaker on St. Mary’s Street in the 1890s. He introduced Antigonish to the new technology of embalming. He also operated a carriage hearse adorned with lanterns, fringed curtains and oval plate glass windows; this vehicle was last used in 1943. White horses, nicknamed the "Black Mariah" in Pictou County, frequently drew the hearse. Mary Helen Fault vividly recalled "Pat" Floyd's presence at her grandfather's funeral in August 1910. He was decked out in a tall black hat and black coattails, an imposing figure perched on the hearse's high seat as he urged on the black horses with their black plumed bridles. Many Antigonishers also ritualized this rite of passage along Victorian lines by using ornate coffin plates, mourning cards embossed with drapery, sheaves of wheat and obituary verse, and black-edged notepaper. In the rural areas, the store bought casket made slow inroads during the early 20th century. In places like Mattie Settlement (East Tracadie), for example, death was not the exclusive domain of trained professionals. "Preparing" the corpse, constructing the coffin, making the linings (a task almost always reserved for women) and digging the grave continued to be community responsibilities as relatives and neighbours, alike, extended a helping hand in the rituals of death. Moreover, floral tributes and elaborate fittings did not figure prominently as indicators of status. Still the number of mourners in attendance did not go unnoticed. Little wonder, "Alex the Scotsman" Macdonald of Keppoch faithfully recorded the number of waggons at the funerals of his mother, father and sister. These statistics were the measure of the public respect his family members had commanded. [Click on image to see enlargement] Old Post Office decorated in black crepe and Union Jacks to mark Queen Victoria's death in 1901. "Lying in State", St. Ninian's Cathedral, Bishop John Cameron, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, died 6 April, 1910 Funeral procession at St. Ninian's Cathedral for Bishop John Cameron, 1910. A funeral for Kenneth Chisholm and daughter Catherine in Antigonish with hearses and horses, Main Street, 1926 This horse-drawn hearse was originally owned by Patrick Floyd who operated a carriage works and undertaking business in Antigonish. It was last used in 1943. This hearse is currently on exhibit at the Nova Scotia Highland Villlage at Iona, Cape Breton. Advertisement for Patrick Floyd's undertaking services. Notations in "Alex the Scotsman" MacDonald's Notebook, Keppoch, Glen Alpine, 1918-1930. Note the references to the number of waggons in attendance at the family funerals. Black-edged notepaper was an integral aspect of the etiquette of bereavement. Letter from Addie to Winifred, 15 August 1909 Receipt for a funeral, 1915, from P.S. Floyd, Antigonish undertaker. The total was $31.50 including coffin, hearse, embalming and burial. Sadie (nee MacKinnon) and Alex Gillis, Livingstone's Cove, Antigonish County, c. 1918. Sadie, a well-known midwife, frequently prepared bodies for local burial. She even lined the coffins made by her husband, a local store owner. Advertisement for McDougall Monument Works, The Casket, 18 January 1900 Advertisement for "Mourning Goods" at H.H. McCurdy & Co., The Casket, 11 May 1876 Memorial notice for Colin McIntosh, 23 April 1885. Memorial Cards Framed Memorial Cards for Angus McDonald and Catherine McDonald, 1895 Memorial Card 1896 Coffin plates for Angus McDonald and Catherine McDonald, 1895. The coffin plate was traditionally kept by the family as a cherished reminder of the deceased. Mass card 1932 Funerary Ribbon for the Antigonish Rebekah Lodge, International Order of Odd Fellows Mourning attire, MacPherson (unidentified), North Grant/Clydesdale, c. 1870s For another example of mourning dress, see photo of Mrs. D.R. McDonald, c. 1899 by one-time Antigonish photographer, George Richard Waldren. See also an example of widow's attire in Waldren's photo of Mrs. Angus McDonald, Heatherton, c. 1908. Mourning attire, August 1933, Lakevale, Antigonish County. [Left to Right] Martha (MacDonald) King, Annabelle (MacDonald) Murphy, Gus Masson and Florence MacDonald MacEachern North Grant Stone Works c. 1930s, site of Arsenault Monumental Works established by Wilfrid "Papa" Arsenault in 1936. This skilled craftsman learned the stonemason trade in Tracadie, New Brunswick. His first significant commission was the local cenotaph erected in 1937. Samples of funerary poetry - Click to view... [ Back ]