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Harleston Funeral Home records

 Collection
Identifier: AMN 1014

Collection Overview

The Harleston Funeral Home records consist of 17 volumes which document the deceased, customers, and funeral expenses. They are organized into three series. The Funeral Records (1910-1923; 1929-1950; 1953-1958) are chronologically organized account books detailing funeral and related expenses. All of them contain indexes; some indexes list the deceased while others list the person paying for the funeral. Extensive biographical statistics are often given, and there are various mentions of other businesses using hearses such as those run by N. C. Boags, R. M. Snype and others and references to the Mickey Brothers and Eugene Gadsen (or Gadsden) funeral homes. The Insurance Records (1951-1970) also list deceased and related expenses, but include individual insurance information, and omit extensive biographical information. The Financial Records (1905-1907; 1951-1957) consist of an inventory, receipt, and account book, which lacks individual funeral records and statistics, but detail business expenses with hundreds of decorative bill heads. Researchers are required to use microfilmed records.

Dates

  • Creation: 1900-1976

Creator

Language of Materials

Material is in English

Access Restrictions

Papers have been microfilmed. Researchers are required to use microfilm.

Box 1 - See Reel 1

Box 2 - See Reel 2

Box 3 - See Reel 3

Box 4 - See Reel 4

Box 4 - See Reel 4

Box 5 - See Reel 5

Box 6 - See Reel 6

Box 7 - See Reel 7

Copyright Notice

The nature of the Avery Research Center's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Avery Research Center claims only physical ownership of most archival materials.

The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.

Historical Note

The original Harleston Funeral Home was established in Charleston, South Carolina in 1901 by Edwin G. Captain Harleston (1854-1931) and his brother, Robert Harleston (1846-1915), under the name Harleston Brothers Funeral Home. It was one of the first funeral homes for African Americans in Charleston. The same year that it was founded, it merged with Mickey Funeral Home following the death of its proprietor, Edward H. Mickey (1850-1899). Mickey had married E.G. Harleston's sister, Hannah Harleston Mickey (1848-1928). As a widow, she joined with her brother E.G. Harleston as joint proprietors of the business and in 1903, the name was changed to Mickey and Harleston Funeral Home. In 1913 the firm was dissolved and E.G. Harleston established a separate funeral operation by erecting a building at 121 Calhoun Street. The business was thereafter known as Harleston Funeral Home. That same year, E.G. Harleston enlisted his artist son, Edwin A. Harleston (1882-1931) to help with the business. They ran the funeral home together until 1931, when they both died. The business then stayed in the Harleston family until 1961, when Jobe Colbert bought controlling interest. In 1978, Grippon A. Boags purchased the business and renamed it Harleston-Boags Funeral Home. It still (2006) operates at 121 Calhoun Street.

Extent

3.5 linear feet (7 archival boxes)

Additional Description

Abstract

The original Harleston Funeral Home was established in Charleston, South Carolina in 1901 by Edwin G. Captain Harleston (1854-1931) and his brother, Robert Harleston (1846-1915), under the name Harleston Brothers Funeral Home. It was one of the first funeral homes for African Americans in Charleston. The Harleston Funeral Home records consist of 17 volumes which document the deceased, customers, and funeral expenses. They are organized into three series. The Funeral Records (1910-1923; 1929-1950; 1953-1958) are chronologically organized account books detailing funeral and related expenses. All of them contain indexes; some indexes list the deceased while others list the person paying for the funeral. Extensive biographical statistics are often given, and there are various mentions of other businesses using hearses such as those run by N. C. Boags, R. M. Snype and others and references to the Mickey Brothers and Eugene Gadsen (or Gadsden) funeral homes. The Insurance Records (1951-1970) also list deceased and related expenses, but include individual insurance information, and omit extensive biographical information. The Financial Records (1905-1907; 1951-1957) consist of an inventory, receipt, and account book, which lacks individual funeral records and statistics, but detail business expenses with hundreds of decorative bill heads.

Collection Arrangement

1. Funeral Records

2. Insurance Records

3. Financial Records

Acquisitions Information

Donated by Grippon A. Boags, July 1996

Processing Information

Processed by Jessica Lancia, 2006

Encoded by Melissa Bronheim, July 2010

Edited by Aaron Spelbring, January 2014

Funding from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation supported the processing of this collection.

Funding from the Council on Library and Information Resources supported the collection processing and encoding of this finding aid.

Related Names

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Inventory of the Harleston Funeral Home records, 1900 - 1976
Author
Processed by: Jessica Lancia; machine-readable finding aid created by: Melissa Bronheim
Date
© 2010
Description rules
Dacs
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is in English
Sponsor
Funding from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and the Council on Library and Information Resources supported the collection processing and encoding of this finding aid.

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture Repository

https://avery.charleston.edu/
Contact:
125 Bull Street
Charleston South Carolina 29424 United States
843-953-7608

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