The Ties That Bind: Was George Peabody's Funeral a 'Folly?'

It was three months before George Peabody was laid to rest in his chosen place, Harmony Grove Cemetery. Grand funerals and "solemnities" were held in London, England; Portland, Maine and Peabody, Mass.

The events in London occurred when George was buried in Westminister Abbey. However, a close reading of his will revealed his desire to be buried in the town of his birth and his body was sailed home on the "Monarch" escorted by Prince Arthur and Admiral David Farragut. Much to the chagrin of the port of Boston, the "Monarch" landed in Portland, Maine where ceremonies were held.

His body traveled to Peabody on the Eastern Railroad. “The train arrived at the depot at a quarter before five o'clock...The funeral car was heavily draped, and artistically ornamented with emblems of mourning. The coffin was taken without any formality, upon the arrival of the train, and placed upon the funeral car. It was afterwards covered with a flowing black velvet pall. Six black horses appropriately caparisoned were attached to the car, and...it was borne to the Institute, ” reported the Peabody Press.

“While the remains have been lying in state, the Institute has been visited by thousands, and the sidewalk in front has presented the appearance of Broadway on a pleasant day. The street, too, has been crowded with all kinds of vehicles, from the pung (sleigh) of the trader to the coach of the well-to-do citizen. Capt. Hildreth's company guard the remains night and day, relieving each other at stated intervals. Their quarters are in Sutton Hall, and a visit to them reverts our mind back to the time when our boys in blue occupied the public halls of our national capital. Cots are spread on the floor, and a rough table is used for them to partake of their rations, which are cooked in the basement of the building, used by us for a press room. On Sunday, they attended the Unitarian Church in a body.”

The minister of the First Unitarian Church was Edward Ilsley Galvin. He arrived in 1863 and served in Peabody through 1871. In March 1869, Galvin made his feelings about priorities of town funding known at Town Meeting and expressed his displeasure at the amount of money the town used for Peabody’s funeral.

Galvin wrote a letter to the editor of the Peabody Press in March 1869. “I have no desire to conceal nor to take back what I said at the town meeting on this subject. I spoke conscientiously and from right motives, but let the facts be stated:

“By a vote of the meeting, the sum of $5,500 was appropriated for the support of the poor of the town for the ensuing year.  For the aid of the widows and orphans of soldiers who had given their lives for the preservation of our country's liberties, no special sum was voted; but the Selectmen were authorized to procure such appropriations (from the State) as might be needed. Now I have personally known a widowed mother, who has given two sons to the army, one of whom died in a rebel prison, and the other in battle; a third had served in it over a year, and a fourth had died since the war closed, and yet this mother, in her old age, and in feeble health, bowed down under her heavy sorrows, had only been allowed for several years, the paltry appropriation of $4 a month, by our authorities, because they had deemed that she did not need more. It was not until recently that they concluded to increase the appropriation to $8 a month.

“When theretofore it was proposed that the sum of $4,800 be appropriated for the expenses of the Peabody funeral, I could not but feel most sensibly the great disproportion between the first two appropriations and the last. And I, in plainest terms, said that it was well sometimes to hold up our acts in contrast.

“The town has appropriated but $3,500 for the support of all its poor for an entire year. A very inadequate and paltry sum for the aid of soldiers' families, and now we have the sum of $4,800 for the burial of poor, mortal dust. And I said that it makes me blush for shame, when I thought of this great contrast.

“I think that the funeral ceremonies were robbed of all solemnity by the vain pomp and pageantry which so prominently obtruded themselves upon public  notice. I understood that it was one of Peabody's last requests that he might have a simple burial. Why then was not this request complied with? 

“In conclusion, I can only express the earnest hope that from the recent experiences of 'funeral follies', our people may, at least, learn wisdom for the future.”

Galvin was born in Calaia, Maine in 1838 and received an elementary education in New England. He entered the theological department of Harvard College and graduated in 1863. He served in the union army in 1864 and was appointed lieutenant and acting chaplain of the 42nd Massachusetts Infantry. He returned to Peabody after the war and moved to Portland, Oregon in 1876. He later moved to Chicago to accept yhe position of Superintendent of Chicago Antheneaeum.