Funeral sighting

[Rowan2222]

This was seen during the morning by my partner and myself about 10 years ago.
We had just come out of a food shop and were about to cross the road when we stopped and pulled back from the kerb. We both had flash images of a funeral for a few seconds, and it was right in front of us. Afterwards we compared notes of what we saw and they seemed to tally, but despite some research done we didn't find the name of the girl.

What we saw:
Two horses, side by side infront of a medium length carriage,with large cart wheels. The back was flat with a slight lip. The driver was up front on a higher seat, and wore black. On the back of the cart was a short coffin shape under a heavy black wollen blanket.
The horses had blinkers, polished black leather harnesses, and had a plume of short black feathers on their heads. On their backs were black tabbards that were rectangular, and had silver ribbon inset run around the sides. The horses were deep chestnut colour. There was also writing around the edge of the cart in gold lettering.
We were very close - and afraid of the cart wheels despite it being parked - afraid of being caught under them, then saw the girl getting caught under one as it went along.
We couldn't figure this out at the start as how can you be run over by a funeral cart? Then realised this was a combined image with how she died somewhere else. So was a combination of her cause of death and her funeral.
The horses were hot - sweating and we were close enough to feel their heat.

We also saw the girl standing on the kerb by herself. She seemed well dressed - about 9 yrs old, with mid length blonde curly hair, well fed, a good quality coat and what looked like fox fur collar. Shoes were blunt ended, black and shiny.

Later research-
The cart was parked outside the pub - where this white van is now.
Google Maps

I researched the road. I found an old photograph taken showing the pub before the main Union street was raised.
The current road has changed direction. At the top there was a junction, and turning left would lead directly to the East side of St Nicholas Church.

This photo shows the pub right at the end as the roads were laid out in I think the 30's -

This photo shows the top of the road junction, and the church in the distance. The pub is a short distance down the road to the left - downill.

I was wondering if this is where the cart stopped after the service, on the way to the burial site - at the Pub!
Did they have wakes like this back then?
It also occurred to me that the cart and horses may have been used by the breweries for regular business, and maybe do funerals on the side when needed. Seems a good use of the horses anyway.

 

[Rowan2222]

I did some research on the type of carriage. It looks like those used in Scotland around the 1800's were uncovered. Glass sided carriages came much later.
I did find similar horse decoration with longer plumes in a photo. I'll try and find that again, as well as the cart if I can.

I found that the road to the east of a church is often called the "Corpse Road" as that is usually the road used for funerals for religious reasons.

I only have a cause of death to go on - crushed by a cart wheel, and the age of the girl being about 9, death date about 1820-1850, and the service was held at St.Nicholas. She was also of a wealthy family because of her clothes, but no clue where she would have been buried, or if the pub was used for wakes in the past with the carriage still outside!

 

[Rowan2222]

I can't find any photos or evidence for a flat backed carriage being used, only photo's of later glass sided ones. But some photo's have similar tabbards on the horses backs - black with a silver inset ribbon. Most of the photo's have long fluffy plumes. The ones I saw looked like crows feathers and were shorter than those seen in modern photos.

 

[Ultima Thule]

I had a real hard time trying to translate those photos into how the streets look now on the map. It must be much easier to visualize if you're right there on the ground. But how did you know it was that particular pub? Did you see it in your vision?

 

[Rowan2222]

I was outside it when it happened. the old photo's are referenced to the street names which haven't changed. I cross referenced it with the older town map. The pub hasn't changed - frontage is exactly the same now as it was in the 1800's, and the same as the photo.
But parts of the roads have changed in modern times. M&S is still on the same spot though! They just put a raised walkway in - which created "the tunnels" underneath.

If anyone wants to research online to see if they can find a flat backed funeral cart from Scotland around 1800's it would be interesting.

 

[Ultima Thule]

After looking at that first photo again, I noticed the St. Nicholas Street sign right above the Marks & Spencer. So then looking down in the photo from St. Nicholas Street past the M & S entrance the pub's facade looks nearly perpendicular. That means there must have been another street connecting St Nicholas to Netherkirkgate in those days. If I spin the image with the van in Google Maps, there is nothing but a wall directly across the street. So a lot has definitely changed.

 

[Rowan2222]

Well that street in the second photo doesn't exist anymore, but the one off down to the left is the same as the pub is on. It is just showing how close it is to the church and that was the route taken in funerals - before they built over it.

The first photo shows the pub right in the background same as it is today. Same roofline, same windows.

 

[Rowan2222]

It would not make sense to have a funeral carriage there today because of the road changes, but in the past the route was easy to get to from the church. I want to find out where she went. Which route to which cemetery, and which one was filling up in the 1800's?

 

[Rowan2222]

I have found that Netherkirkgate is one of the oldest streets in Aberdeen, with first mention of it in 1382, but it seems that the street existed before that as in 1212 the route existed.
Netherkirkgate

Haven't found out when the "ye olde frigate bar" was actually built yet.

 

[Lynne]

Was the carriage like this?