Traditional
Funerals ...
Horses and hearses
The contemporary traditional funeral can be simple or elaborate,
but is always elegant and dignified
We have Jaguar Daimler limousines and hearses. Some families choose
not to use limousines and are happy to make their own way to the
place of burial or cremation. But we do advise that the chief mourners
do not drive on the day.
At Levertons, coffins are lifted from the hearse and carried
by our men or the family’s chosen bearers to the place
of committal. We would only use a bier if the coffin or casket
was prohibitively heavy. On natural burials the route to the
grave can be very long, so the cemetery often provides a hand
bier or cart. It is considered an honour for anyone to assist
in taking the coffin to the grave.
A funeral cortege can begin at one of our branches, assemble
at a place of worship or begin at the person’s home or
favourite place.
Horse-drawn
hearses are surprisingly popular in the 21st century. Levertons
uses a perfectly schooled team of immaculate Belgian Blacks.
The cost of a carriage hearse and pair of horses is £950
and a team of four is £1,550. If you want to know
more about the horses, see this
link. White horses are also available with a white
or black hearse.
‘Paging
away’ is when the funeral director leads the cortege
on foot and is done as the hearse begins to move away
for the first time, as the cortege passes a place of
particular
meaning to the deceased, or on arrival at the cemetery
or crematorium. This tradition probably originates from
when horse-drawn hearses would send a page ahead of the
cortege to stop other coaches which would stop to give
the coffin and mourners precedence as a mark of respect. |
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