Stories of Cloth

Sue

English birth, marriage and death

My mother was born in 1911 in Portsmouth, England, during the reign of King George V. She was christened Hilda Florence Laura but she was always known as Polly. This is a photograph of Polly as a baby, in her white embroidered christening robe. She is sitting on her mother’s lap and her father is wearing his naval uniform. He was away at sea when Polly was born.

During World War 2 Polly served as a nursing sister at a British Military Hospital in India. She met my father, Jack, an army officer, at the Nizam of Hyderabad’s ball. They married six weeks later. Polly had a white sharkskin suit made for the occasion, with a small headpiece of pink petals and a pink veil. Jack wore jungle green battle dress.

I was with Polly when she died, in her own home, at the age of 90. A service of thanksgiving was held at Altrincham Baptist Church to celebrate her life. This was followed by a service of committal at Altrincham Crematorium. Traditionally guests at a funeral wear formal black clothing, but my family chose to wear lighter clothes to signify our celebration of Polly’s life.

In Britain most families choose to use a funeral director to prepare the body for either a burial or cremation. The body is washed in disinfectant and then embalmed to delay decomposition, so that the funeral service can take place about a week after death.

Families can visit their loved one at the funeral parlour, to reflect and to say goodbye. Cosmetics are applied to the deceased and they are clothed in either a white gown or an outfit selected by the family, maybe a suit for men or a favorite outfit for a woman. The body is placed in a wooden coffin and family flowers or a wreath are placed on top. The funeral directors, wearing formal black suits, overcoats and sometimes top hats, then transport it to the service in a black hearse. For the first half mile of the journey they walk in front of the hearse, proceeding very slowly. No-one overtakes, as a sign of respect.