A Funeral and Benevolent Society, Inistioge, county Kilkenny 1794

This funeral and benevolent society was founded 3rd November 1794 by the Innistioge (sic) Association Club and dedicated to the patronage of St Collom Kill by which they assumed the name of St Collom Kill's Society.
There are fifteen Articles of Incorporation of the Society which are signed by Jeremiah Hickey, clerk to the Society.   Some of these Articles are copied below and help us understand how some funerals were managed, including attendance at funerals and how much a funeral might have cost in 1794.
This appears to be a non-denominational Society, that is open to Catholic and Protestant alike but this would have been unusual.  The Society seems to have been secular; that is not under control of any clergyman but there does seem to be a Catholic feel to this Society.  It is a very interesting example of a self-help organisation.


The preface to all the founding Articles is as follows "A number of respectable house-keepers of the town of Innistioge, who are amenable to the discipline of their church, and the ordinances of the state, join together in an institution, whose only object is to lay up a joint fund or stock in the hands of one of their respectable members, or in the hands of some other person, whom they shall unanimously appoint, or otherwise chosen by a majority of voices, for the purposes of relieving any of their members, when afflicted by Divine Providence, with weekly support, and purchase funeral necessities for the more decent interment of their members". 


The First Article states that no person shall be admitted to the Society over the age of 45 years, that there shall be no more than 100 members and each proposed member was to be vetted for their moral character.  A President or Chairman was to be elected and twelve councilmen.   The sobriety and moral behaviour of members, of upmost importance,  was carefully monitored and every member had to comply with his Christmas and Easter duties; there could be no taking of unlawful oaths, for example, without the levy of a fine on the member.


Article Five stated that any member afflicted by sickness, gout and venereal disease excepted,  and is too incapacitated to earn his bread would be entitled to a British crown per week during 6 months of illness and that if his illness continued, even for life, he would be entitled to a British half crown out of the joint stock fund.    This seems very generous when the monthly subscription was agreed as one British shilling.


Article Six refers to the duties of members who were required to attend the funerals of the Innistioge clergymen, brother members, members' wives, parents and children, from the age of 12 years, until said children are married.........provided they are within 5 computed miles of Innsitioge; and the said attendance to continue from the dwelling house of the deceased to the burying place..........or they shall forfeit a British half crown to defray the expenses of the attending members.


Article Eight stated that at the decease of any member, or their wives, 40 shillings was to be laid out of the fund to defray funeral expenses, together with the expense of one High Mass, for the said deceased.  That no benefit for funeral expenses, nor for High Mass, would be due to a member upon the death of a second, third or fourth wife until 3 years had elapsed since the marriage.   The relict (widow) of any deceased member was to be paid a subscription of one British shilling by every member of the Society; and the same to be paid to a widower member.    The widow of any member was to be buried at the usual expenses as are full members, providing she died in her widowhood and had not remarried.


Reference:    Statistical Observations Relative to the County of Kilkenny made in the years 1800 and 1801 by William Tighe.  2 volumes. 1802.