Funeral directing has changed a lot since it first emerged as a profession over two centuries ago. For years, funerals were arranged by people who just did it part time alongside their day job, who often did it just because it had become their family’s traditional role within the community. They arranged for someone to prepare the body (often referred to as ‘the layer out’) and organized the coffin maker and grave digger. Finally, the funeral service would be conducted in a churchyard by a minister.

There was a strong sense of community and the ‘layers out’ were very often the same women who worked as midwives. Over the years, the role of the undertaker has evolved into a profession in itself and the majority of those involved in funeral directing today are in firms with a long, established family history.

Once completed, the coffin would be taken back to the house of the deceased by the undertaker and his men. If the doorway was too narrow, as it often was in those days, the undertaker’s carpenter had to remove windows and then replace them after the coffin had been taken inside. This was done because it was felt that it was essential that the body remain at the home of the deceased prior to the funeral.

Families chose the front room as the last resting place for their loved one, who would be wearing their best clothes and who would be left with the family until the funeral. During this time relatives and family members would come to pay their respects. The Chapels of Rest that we are familiar with in funeral establishments today did not come into use until the 1950s.

With the coffin set on trestles in the parlor, candles would be arranged either side and a small altar set up at the foot of it. As embalming was reserved only for very wealthy clients, the undertaker would need to make regular visits to the house to ensure that the body remained in a bearable condition. It was common to place fragrant flowers around the room to hide the unpleasant odors which naturally arose.

On the day of the funeral, which usually took place three or four days after death, the friends and family would line up outside of their homes. Curtains would be drawn as a mark of respect, and they would stand silently as the coffin passed. If the deceased had to be carried beyond parish boundaries at any stage, be it during removal or in the course of the funeral itself, a fee had to be paid. This made it quite expensive if someone died away from home.

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With origins dating back to 1853, E.F. Box are one of the oldest funeral directors within the UK. They offer a range of funeral director services across a variety of faiths, beliefs and ways of celebrating life.