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FUNERAL OF THOMAS NORRIS OF SPEKE HALL |
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Mr Norris died at Harrogate, in June, 1700.
the surgeon received £8 12s for "seering the body." A younger
brother, John Norris, went over to make the arrangements, and the body
was brought by Leeds, Manchester, Rochdale, and Warrington, to Speke. At
Manchester the procession only baited, but there is a charge of 10s,
for the "two chaplains and clarkes." The journey from Rochdale to
Warrington was made in a day, and here the Speke tenantry must have met
the corpse, for the expenses rise from £1 5s, for the night, to
£6 2s; besides, a messenger is charged for, sent from Rochdale to
announce the approach of the funeral. We pass rapidly over the various
mournings; the young widow in "black napped baize," with " a fine long
training veil" costing £4 5s, and a "a fine crape girdle;" the
old mother " in black serge;" and the sister in "fine black Queen's
cloth." Silvester Moorcroft, who, against his will, served the office of
Mayor of Liverpool, AD 1706, was the draper
employed, and William Hurst, Mayor, 1704, assisted in the double
capacity of man milliner and woman's tailor. The charge for cravats and
ruffles alone was £9 2s 5d. Henry, John, and Richard,
followed their brother to the grave; William and Edward were in the East
Indies. The concourse of people must have been great: eight hundred and
ninety-nine quarts of ale at 4yd
were drunk; whilst £2 0s 6d is set down for wine
consumed at Speke, and £11 4s 1d for wine, tobacco, and
broken glasses, at Childwall. The fine was paid for burying in linen,
and also the burial tax. |
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T HEYWOOD - 'THE NORRIS PAPERS'
CHETHAM SOCIETY Volume 9 (1846) |
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