Mort Cloth

Used to drape coffins at village funerals. The dead had to be carried some 8 miles over the hills to Sanquhar. The origin of the cloth is described in Brown's 'History of Sanquhar', where it is recorded that subsequent to a refusal by the Sanquhar authorities to lend a mort-cloth to Wanlockhead, as had been the custom, an appeal was made successively to Presbytery & General Assembly which ruled that Wanlockhead be given a church and therefore a mort-cloth in its own right. The church closed and was purchased by WMT in 1986.
Object no :
WHTX001n
Collection :
Creator :
NA
Place of Production :
NA
Dimensions :
Length 2700mm x 1500mm
Materials :
Heavy woven cover with cloth lining and all round fringe of tassel
Location :
NA
Accession number :
WADLM: E1/220
Copyright :
Wanlockhead Museum Trust
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