Reading the Regency

Mourning - The Degrees of Mourning

"The marriage of Morton and Miss Bellenden was delayed for several months, as both went into deep mourning on account of Lord Evandale's death. They were then wedded."
[Old Mortality, by Sir Walter Scott]

The different degrees or depths of mourning were supposed to reflect the stages of grief as those mourning the death of a loved one became accustomed to their loss. The deepest, darkest mourning suggested immediate grief, which gradually became lighter as the pain faded. Of course, in real life, no one could decide how quickly someone might "recover" from a death. The degrees of mourning dress helped everyone understand how that person was feeling without having to ask. Someone who took longer to process the loss of a loved one might wear the deepest mourning for longer than a person who had come to terms with a death sooner.

Only on the deaths of close family would someone go through more than two degrees of mourning, and the heaviest burden fell to the wife who had lost a husband. For more distant relations, only two of the following degrees would have been appropriate.

First Mourning

"It was melancholy to go to that house to which, in the last lines he ever wrote, he had invited us. The servants in deep mourning: Mrs. Darwin and her beautiful daughters in deep mourning. She was much affected at seeing my father, and seemed to regret her husband as such a husband ought to be regretted."
[Letter from Maria Edgeworth to Miss Sophy Ruxton, written from Loughborough, 25th September 1802]

In the 18th century and in France, this was known as "wool" mourning, but by the Regency period was commonly called Full Mourning or Deep Mourning. It was the earliest part of the mourning period, where grief was at its strongest. First mourning would be worn on the death of a husband, wife, parent, grandparent, brother or sister, sometimes a child, or any time where the death was felt particularly deeply, such as an uncle who had taken on the role of a father:

"She had resolved to continue in mourning for the longest period in which it is worn for a parent, because, in truth, her uncle had been a parent to her..."
[Chapter 22, Helen, by Maria Edgeworth]

In terms of fashion, deep mourning meant wearing black fabrics with the dullest surface, such as bombazine. Thinner matt or rough materials, like crape, would be laid over black sarsnet or muslin. No visible shiny or reflective materials or jewellery were allowed. Gloves were often made of black kid leather. Women would sometimes wear heavy black crape veils if they left the house, even during times when veils were not fashionable.

During deep mourning a man would wear his black hat with a deep crape hatband; the depth of the band relating to his connection to the deceased. The loss of a wife would be reflected with the deepest band, almost covering the hat, while thinner bands were used for distant relations or friends. Their coats and trousers would be made of black cloth, while any shiny buttons would be removed. Stockings or hose would have been knitted with black wool, and they wore dark shoes. Their shoe buckles and knee buckles on their breeches were also painted black. If a man wore a sword, the sword knot would be made of crape and during full mourning the blade would be blackened.

"A round dress of black bombasine; the body is made tight to the shape and up to the throat, but without a collar; long sleeves with white crape weepers: the skirt is finished at the bottom with a broad black crape flounce."
[London Fashions, Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions &c, pub. 1st December 1818 by Rudolph Ackermann.]

Weepers were also used during first mourning. They were lawn, muslin or linen cuffs or borders, attached to the sleeves of dresses or coats and were considered a "badge of mourning". They were quite large - some sources describe them as being nine inches (23cm) long - and could be used as convenient handkerchiefs for wiping eyes after crying. In Court mourning, such as the example shown above, they were made of white crape. This suggests to me that where there was genuine distress, such as the death of a family member, weepers made of a soft material like muslin could be used to dry tears, while in court mourning the white crape gave the same appearance without the absorbent practicality.