“More like the first exhibition at a playhouse, than the solemnity of a funeral”: Spectating urban funeral events in late 18th-century London

Crowds of spectators were an important element of urban funerals in 18th-century England, which represented both risk and reward for a mourning party. A large crowd of spectators could bolster the reputation of the deceased person as a figure of social significance and renown, but this was not guaranteed. Unlike the other elements of the funeral, the crowd was outside of the mourning party’s control, and its behaviour could disrupt the ceremony being performed in front of it. This chapter examines the act of spectatorship through a close analysis of the 1784 funeral of Richard Russell, an occasion which was defined by the disobedience of spectators. By examining the different forms of disorderly behaviour, it is possible to trace different motivations for spectatorship and the consequences which this had for the funeral. Through this approach the spontaneity of spectatorship is outlined, and the chapter demonstrates that there was no boundary between spectators and participants.