Funerals

Bottesford c1900. Courtesy of the Records Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland.

Mrs Challands: But for the doctor in those days there was no National Health Service, and Mother used to pay into what they call a medical aid. And one of the school teachers in the village used to collect this medical aid, you had a card. Mother used to pay sixpence for each of us every week for doctor’s treatment, because you had to pay him, he sent you a bill. So if you didn’t belong to this society, well you’d have a bill and perhaps you couldn’t afford to pay for it. So Mother used to pay this sixpence.

Interviewer: So you couldn’t afford to be ill could you?

Mrs Challands: No, you didn’t have to – they tried their own remedies of course. Like, you’d got a sore throat you’d have raspberry and vinegar, and things like that.

Interviewer: Can you remember anything about funerals at all?

Mrs Challands: Yes, if anybody died in the village the bell would toll, and it would go three twos for a man, and three threes for a woman, and you’d say, oh somebody’s died it’s a woman or it’s man, and you knew by that.

Interviewer: Was it any different for a child?

Mrs Challands: No. They had a separate part of the churchyard where stillborns were buried, you know, because the rector, if the boys went fishing in this particular – because the river ran through the village and through the church yard and it always looked dark and just right for fishing – but the rector if he saw them there he’d just tell them to go because that was sacred, you know. But it was funny that they weren’t buried in the church yard that was consecrated, it was unconsecrated ground, it was because they hadn’t been christened, you see.

Interviewer: Or if somebody committed suicide…

Mrs Challands: That’s right, yes, that’s right. They carried the coffins, of course, on a hearse drawn by a horse.

Interviewer: Yes, and would the horses sort of be decorated?

Mrs Challands: No, no..

Interviewer: They wouldn’t have black plumes or anything like that?

Mrs Challands: No, no. Well, a village farmer actually used to do that sort of thing. For weddings he used to have a cab, you know, for the bride and groom, but for funerals there was just.. just lay on the boards across the wagonette, or if it was a farmer he’d perhaps go on his own farm wagon or something like that.

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