Horse Drawn Hearse

This Horse-drawn hearse was built in 1894 by John Marston & Company in Birmingham.

This example has two large rear wheels with two smaller front steering wheels which are pulled by either one or two horses. Wooden spoon brakes extend to the rear wheels and are controlled by a hand level on the right-side of the driver’s seat. The driver would sit on a high raised open seat at the front of the carriage, capable of seating two.

The rear of the carriage is taken up by an ornate wood and glass case which would house the coffin of the deceased, which could be accessed by a rear facing door.

The word ‘hearse’ has its origins in the 17th Century; however the horse-drawn hearse or funeral coach became increasingly important in the Victorian era. Cemeteries were more commonly located on the outskirts of towns and they were the most convenient way to transport the coffin. It was also during this time that the funeral coach began to become more elaborate as the size and splendour of a funeral reflected social standing. Horse-drawn hearses are still used in large funerals today, though they began to phase out of general use in the early 1900s. The first motorised hearses were electric with a petrol-powered hearse soon following in 1909.

This example was built by the famous Birmingham-based carriage makers, John Marston & Company. This company was notably one of the few to build hansom cabs, notably ones for the royal family, It was acquired by a Nottinghamshire family of undertakers in 1903 and used as one of their main vehicles until 1936. It was restored for the centenary of the family business in 2003.