Historian lifts the coffin lid on the history of undertakers

A local historian who specialises in death studies will give a talk at Christ Church about the origins of the undertaking trade in eighteenth-century England.

The talk, A Flock of Ravens, will examine the 18th-century origins of the funeral trade using imagery and written accounts of the period and will take place on Saturday 31st January.

Organisers say, “Expect a journey from the familiar to the extraordinary as Dr Dan O’Brien discusses funerary innovations, unusual traditions and unexpected rivalries that defined an important century in the history of funeral work.”

Dr Dan O’Brien lives locally and is a research fellow at the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath. His research focuses on death in 18th-century England and popular perceptions of the undertaking trade.

Dan also talks publicly to a wide range of audiences on different themes in mortality history such as funerary gifts, sea burial and mourning jewellery. He has recently appeared on History Hit’s After Dark podcast talking about the funeral of Queen Victoria and described a funerary crime on Killing Time with Rebecca Rideal.

The talk takes place on Saturday 31st January at 11am. Refreshments are available from 10.30am.

The talk is free, with donations welcome for the Christ Church renovation project.

Pictured: Satirical cartoon of a man caught between death, an undertaker and a physician