The burial customs were probably the same as those of their fatherland
and very peculiar in some respects. The most important character was
the Aanspreker, upon whom rested the whole responsibility of the
affair. Immediately upon a death he was notified, and at once repaired
to the sterfhuis (house of the deceased) with a few sheets of mourning
paper, upon which he took down the names of friends to be notified of
the death, and marked those who were to be invited as bearers or as
mourners. Until after the funeral he had full charge of all details.
If necessary he appointed assistants, in case the deceased was very
rich or very prominent there were often ten or even twenty Aansprekers
employed to announce the death, and one, usually an old servant of the
family, went in the middle of the street, walking slowly with bowed
head and face buried in a large mourning handkerchief and led by two
Aansprekers, one on each side, while the others were doing the "wete"
or announcement at the houses. On these occasions all were dressed in
low shoes, black stockings, black knickerbockers, a black cutaway coat
covered by a long, flowing black mantle, with a white cravat or bands
and a queer looking three-cornered hat or "steek," from one corner of
which to the right floated a long black crape streamer, whilst upon the
left corner was pinned a rosette showing the sex of the deceased and if
married or single.
At the funeral all gathered at the sterfhuis, the closest friends a
little earlier, who were served with beer or spirits and long clay
pipes or segars; when all were gathered the chief Aanspreker made a few
consolatory remarks or offered a prayer, then signalled the bearers to
carry out the bier and martialed the relatives and guests in order,
the youngest members of the family coming first. All the mourners and
bearers, and sometimes the driver of the hearse, were either dressed as
the Aansprekers or else wore rosettes pinned upon the sleeve or lapel
of their coat. The Aanspreker wore white or black gloves according to
the sex of the deceased. One or two Aansprekers led the procession,
the bearers walked beside the hearse; if there were other Aansprekers,
they went between the hearse and first carriage and the procession
slowly wended its way to the cemetery. All people meeting a funeral
stood still with bowed head and doffed hat until at least the hearse
had passed; at the cemetery gate the bearers bore the coffin to the
grave, and the Aanspreker made a prayer. After the coffin was lowered
and covered with earth, all filed out in the same manner as they had
come and returned to the sterfhuis. Here refreshments were served by
the women, who as a rule did not go to the cemetery.
To be buried within the church, in or before the baptistery, was a
great honor and showed deep veneration by the congregation and was
usually accorded only to ministers or men prominent in the church, an
extra price being paid for the privilege. The record is effaced of the
first burial within the Bergen Church; but the second was a little
daughter of Enoch Michielse Vreeland on August 1st, 1682; the third,
on September 4th of the same year, was Peter Mercelis. On June 21st,
1683, was "buried the corpse of Maekje Baltusen, daughter of Baltus
Bartensee, the sixth in church, and the first with knell." The last
burial in church mentioned in the records, was that of "Anntje Jackson,
aged forty-nine years, who died on Friday, January 13th, 1738, at about
8 A. M., and was buried on Sunday, January 15th, in the church in the
baptistery." It was not compulsory that interments should be made in
the cemetery or church and many burials were made upon bouwerijen or
farms. It was an old Dutch custom lasting until quite recent times, to
have burial clothes prepared and kept in store for each member of the
family.
The following account of the burial of a pensioner of Bergen Church is
dated 1690:
Coffin and spirits f25.10 stivers
1/2 keg of beer 15.16 "
Flour and milk 6.05 "
Sundries 15.05 "
Aanspreker 19.10 "
Mathew Cornelinsen for carting the goods 3.00 "
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Total f85.06 "