Macon Magazine

OURNING THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE IS NATURAL. In the Victorian era, however, mourning was an expected social custom governed by rules, regulations and filled with elaborate rituals. For some, mourning would last months to years. For Anne Tracy Johnston of Hay House, mourning lasted the majority of her adult life. Not only was mourning customary after the death of a loved one, it was expected particularly from women. With the use of dark garments, jewelry and other items, Victorian ladies like Anne memorialized their loved ones. Anne mourned for most of her life partially by choice, but also out of custom. Of Anne's six children, only two survived to adulthood. Her two brothers perished in the Civil War, followed by a sister-in-law and later a grandchild. Her husband, William Butler Johnston, passed away in 1887. In the Victorian era, your relationship to the deceased determined the length of time you mourned. For example, if a husband died it was expected that his wife mourn for two to four years. After losing so many loved ones and following strict social etiquette, Anne went into mourning for a prolonged period of time. HAY LORE Anne Tracy Johnston epitomized mourning customs of Victorian ladies An ongoing series about Hay House lore, traditions and history Queen Victoria of England, who went into mourning in 1861 after the death of her husband, Prince Albert, took the practice of mourning to an extreme. She rarely went into public and wore black clothing for the rest of her life. Many women in late 19th century America followed her lead. Death was romanticized and formal mourning practices were created, which regulated dress, funeral arrangements and burial plans. Many common household manuals at the time illustrated proper mourning dress and social behavior. e most detailed of these was "Cassels Household Guide" published in 1869. e practice of mourning also created an entire industry. Funeral services and grave sites were inordinately elaborate. Various black garments were produced for the different stages of mourning. Jewelers created necklaces and earrings from the hair of the deceased. Women were also required to purchase new mourning wear for each deceased relative. Hanging in the Green Parlor of Hay House is a portrait of Anne dressed in mourning, wearing a black lace dress and holding a fan made of peacock feathers. In addition, she is wearing two black wrist bands, likely representing her two deceased brothers, Gen. Edward Dorr and Maj. Philemon Tracy. Also included in the Hay House Museum's collection is Anne's mourning hair jewelry including two earrings, a broach and a necklace woven together using the hair of her dead loved ones. While some of these mourning rituals may seem strange and macabre by today's social standards, they were an everyday occurrence in Victorian America. We at Hay House are thankful to have Anne's portrait and several pieces of her mourning wear in the permanent Hay House collection. Several of these items can be seen on Hay House's social media pages. For those interested in other macabre and spooky stories surrounding Hay House, join us for this year's annual Legends and Lore tour on Oct. 28 and 30, which will highlight egends, folklore and ghost stories surrounding the Hay House Museum. Spaces are limited. Bring a mask! — WILLIAM AULTMAN, DIRECTOR OF COLLECTIONS AND PROGRAMS FOR THE HAY HOUSE MUSEUM M 32 maconmagazine.com | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

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