Dear Histarchers,

I'd like to thank the following for respomding to my query:
>Does anyone know when coffins for ordinary people's burials became a
>standard, or expected, thing. Was it during the 1700s or earlier?

*Gene Prince who suggested the late to mid 1700s with the rise of
cemeteries outside of town and individual memorialization. Recommended
Edward Bell's reference volume for good specific references.
*Pat Reynolds rightly asked "Where?". Found a reference to re-usable
coffins in Julian Litten's "The English Way of Death".
*David Babson drew to our attention to Noel-Hume's discussion of coffin
styles in "Artifacts of Colonial America" or "Historical Archaeology" and
thought that the common introduction was from the late 1700s. David
mentioned the link with the rise of commercial and public cemeteries -
having specific rules. He also discussed the rise of municipal ordinances
of more recent times and exceptions to the rule.

From my own knowledge, I have found one burial (likely convict) dating to
about 1790/1791 on Norfolk Island suggesting a coffin with brass tacks (for
decoration?). On the other hand, an extreme example, the suggestion of a
pit style burial for convicts that had died from starvation and/or
exhaustion at Toongabbie (near Sydney, Australia) around 1792. I got the
impression that it was generally expected by the 1780s/1790s (British in
Australia) that the dead should be buried in a coffin if the resources were
available.

Thanks for the help.

Robert

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