1916 Antique Funeral Undertaker Ledger Book Coffin Registry Archive Ephemera VA

Item Description

This is a remarkable, museum-quality piece of early 20th-century mourning and death care history. This authentic, handwritten Single Entry Ledger spans the year 1916 and features a beautiful antique cloth cover with a geometric border design and deep red corner accents.

While the ledger contains standard blacksmithing, hardware, and shop entries (such as wagon welding, horseshoeing, and buggy repairs), its primary historical significance lies in the back of the book. Page 181 features a beautifully handwritten, sobering record titled "Amount for Coffins," tracking individual local deaths and funeral sales during 1916.

Historical Provenance & Local Context

This ledger likely stems from a classic rural Virginia "Combination Shop"—where a local skilled craftsman (often a furniture maker, blacksmith, or general merchant) pulled double duty as the town undertaker.

The primary business sections track services for community members like S.R. Boyce & Brother and Aaron Thompson, detailing everyday trades like "sharpening harrow teeth" and "repairs on buggy."

The crown jewel of this volume is Page 181 ("Amount for Coffins"), which lists individual entries for casket sales. This section provides an invaluable demographic look at the community, including entries such as:

Jack Green for Moses Spencer

Harry Grant for mother

Daniel Turner for Dabney Jones

Emma Massie for husband

Aaron Thompson for child

Tom Taylor for wife

Prices for a coffin during this period ranged from 8.00 for a child to 45.00 for a high-end adult model.

Ephemera & Reference Pages

This ledger is packed with fascinating early 20th-century reference material printed directly into its initial pages, along with loose historical paper:

Presidents of the United States Table: Features a complete historical list ending at Woodrow Wilson.

"Help! In Case of Accidents" Guide: Includes antique medical advice for drowning, sunstroke, dog bites, and lightning.

Antidotes for Poisons…