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Description
Funeral mutes were popular during Victorian-era England, the job of a mute was to stand vigil at the door of the deceased or with the family and look solemn and accompany the coffin during a procession, the cloth they wore and on their staffs (called wands) denoted who the funeral was for; white cloth was a child’s funeral, black was for an adult. They added volume to the crowd and to show the popularity of the person who died as Victorian funerals tended to be more extravagant among the middle to upper classes. Funeral mutes were compensated for their services with alcohol and were notorious drunks most of the time after a funeral.

Description
Funeral mutes were popular during Victorian-era England, the job of a mute was to stand vigil at the door of the deceased or with the family and look solemn and accompany the coffin during a procession, the cloth they wore and on their staffs (called wands) denoted who the funeral was for; white cloth was a child’s funeral, black was for an adult. They added volume to the crowd and to show the popularity of the person who died as Victorian funerals tended to be more extravagant among the middle to upper classes. Funeral mutes were compensated for their services with alcohol and were notorious drunks most of the time after a funeral.