Four Weddings and a Funeral

[Mart 'n' Al]

I was just wondering if anyone has actually had Four Weddings and a Funeral in quick succession in their family, or in their research. If  so I wonder what is the shortest time span between these five events.

Extra points, of course, if the deceased actually collapses at the fourth wedding.

Martin

[Countryquine]

Not quite four weddings and a funeral but we had a death, a birth and a marriage in our family in May, June and July in that order, one year.

My father also attended 3 funerals in 3 days when I was a teenager, my grandfather (mother's father) died one Tuesday morning, 36 hours later my grandmother (father's mother) died, and my grandfather's cousin died in the next day or so, meaning the funerals took place over three days in succession.

[River Tyne Lass]

Also, not four weddings and a funeral (I think we are all waiting to see if there are contenders to meet this one ) ...

My Great x 2 Grandfather called Edward Senior, had his burial service at St Oswald in Durham on the same day that his youngest child - a son - was baptised also at the same Church.

I think this a bit strange that a family happy event would take place on the same day as the child's Father's burial.

[jaybelnz]

Maybe they did it that way intentionally to lessen the family's grief of losing their father/grandfather/friend etc). If the funeral service was first, (and everyone would be naturally be very sad at that loss) perhaps the family thought it would be a good idea to baptise the child on the same day, so the joy of a little newcomer being baptised may have lightened up the mourner's spirits a little.

I think it's quite a good thing to do actually!  🙏🙏

[River Tyne Lass]

Yes, I think you are probably right.  How sad though, for my Great x 2 Grandmother at that time, to be left to bring up a large family on her own - albeit with the help of her own widowed Mother it seems.  The baptism must have been tinged with great sadness.

The child I mentioned was called Charles Edward Senior.  Sadly, he went on to die young - at only 16 years of age.   He actually died in a hotel in Newcastle Upon Tyne.  I don't know the story behind that one.  His burial entry records that he was a 'Gentleman'.  His Father Edward was also sometimes recorded as a Gentleman or Gentleman Farmer.  At the end of the latter's life he had taken on an inn and was the vice president of a licenced victuallers society.

After Edward's death, his wife Mary's fortunes (my Great x 2 Grandmother) seem to have gone down with each successive census.  She went from having servants to being one (a family 'nurse' at quite an old age).  She never remarried.

[Keith]

Best I can do is 3 weddings and 2 funerals in one year (1966).

March - death of my father's cousin and my cousin's marriage.
April - death of my uncle
October - marriages of my uncle and aunt.

[nanny jan]

1935 was not a good year for my dad;  in February a baby cousin died,  then in July his maternal grandma, followed in August by his sister (aged 23) and his mother in October.  He was just 12 years old.

[Mart 'n' Al]

I'm glad to see that this thread which I started has finally come alive. Keith is clearly the winner so far.

Martin

[Ayashi]

When my 4th great grandfather was buried in 1863 it looks like every unbaptised child in the family got a dunking. My 2nd great grandmother's three siblings and her cousin Andrew were all christened same day, same church.