We often think of the Victorian fascination with mourning as commencing with the death of Prince Albert on December 14, 186, however, a very special object at Ryedale Folk Museum is a reminder that these preoccupations were already in place.

Though death is often viewed as a taboo subject nowadays, in the eighteenth and nineteenth century this was not the case. Few things carried as much social stigma in Victorian Britain as the ‘Pauper’s Funeral’. To avoid this fate, people needed to plan their ‘send off’ whilst they were still very much alive.

It had been the fashion during the eighteenth century for the gentry to have nocturnal – and, therefore, what must have been somewhat dramatic – burials. Members of the Cholmley family of Roxby Castle, Thornton-le-Dale, for example, are known to have been buried by torchlight.

By Victorian times, this custom had waned, but the theatricality of funerals remained, with mourners often expecting to see the whole spectacle of black horses pulling an elaborate black hearse.

The final journey of the deceased to their funeral was important to everyone, regardless of wealth. However, this was often additionally difficult in rural locations. But in 1839, the community of moorland village Farndale came together to organise the purchase of a hearse. They also funded a construction to house it. Today, it can be seen outside the Undertaker's office at Ryedale Folk Museum.

From meeting records, it’s clear that to achieve this they had to create a method of subscription that would be viewed as ‘fair’. Each household would be asked to pay according to its means. For this initial outlay, a family would be entitled to use the hearse, with just a small cleaning charge per use.

Unsurprisingly given the rural location of Farndale, the first six classes appear to be described as farmers, with the seventh noted as ‘cowkeepering’, with a subscription of 2s 6d. The final two groups were cottage-dwellers, asked to pay 1s 6d and 1s 0d subscription. A more substantial donation of £5 was also received from local landowner, Lord Feversham.

In Farndale, the journey posed practical difficulties due to the scattered distribution of inhabitants. The community purchase is therefore a sensible solution, but certainly an unusual one.

Like other aspects of life, funeral customs tended to filter downwards as the rest of society aspired towards standards set by the gentry, or perhaps even by royalty. But what is fascinating about the Farndale Hearse is that it offered the same experience for everyone. Democratising the process, the hearse allowed access for all (or almost all) to the communal asset, a wonderful piece of craftsmanship, with highly-elaborate carvings, etched glass and silver-plated holders for bearing flowers.

It must also have been a huge relief for families, expected to make every effort to support the dead to depart peacefully. Importantly, the expense of the hearse would not fall to the relatives in Farndale, but be prepaid, easing one of the burdens and expenses for the family.