Thomas Clayton was buried on 22 January 1721/2 at Standish Parish Church. Five months before his death, he added specific instructions to his will about the type of funeral he wanted. Aged about 92 when he died, he speaks about his death with a touch of humour, as he ends his plans with: "if they are not content with that they can't Displease mee being Dead."
When his death was over with, and the date for the funeral was set, he wanted his family to write letters up and down the country to friends, relations and neighbours. Food was to be prepared for his guests, he wanted there to be: "a Cold Dinner for the better sort and sett it in the little Parlour, a Cold Dinner for the Ordinary Sort and Sett it in the Hall."
The day itself was all about the impression it gave of his family. The poor were to be given a dole of 2d. each, and guests were not permitted to spend more than 20 shillings in total on drinking in Standish after the event. He wished there to be eight escutcheons [coat of arms] on his hearse, and he wanted the coachman of the hearse to wear the same black coat that he had worn for his wife Ann's funeral 27 years earlier (hopefully the coachman hadn't gained too much weight!). After the funeral, the coachman was able to keep the coat.
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| My recreation of what Thomas Clayton's funeral escutcheons might have looked like - those of the Clayton family on the right and those of the Atherton family (his wife's arms) on the left. These were to be displayed on his hearse. |
All his relations and any gentlemen who attended were to wear hatbands and gloves. Given that his family were to wear mourning clothes for a period of time after his death, he specified amounts for this in his will. His son Richard Clayton, his wife Martha and their son William Clayton were to have twelve pounds for their mourning clothes.
His son-in-law Nicholas Rigby, his wife and son Nicholas, were also given twelve pounds for mourning clothes. Mary Parker and Richard Cross were provided with eight pounds for mourning. And his grandson Thomas Williamson a merchant from Liverpool, and his wife were provided eight pounds for their mourning clothes. He specifically states that if any of these people named are dead, then the amount is reduced, nobody gets any extra!
Unfortunately, I have found no reference to the type of funeral he actually received. Let's hope his family followed his wishes.