7. Sin-Eating
In the Victorian era, sin-eaters were individuals hired to ritually consume bread or food placed on a deceased person’s body, symbolically absorbing their sins to ensure a peaceful afterlife. This practice, prevalent in parts of England, Scotland, and Wales, was believed to prevent the deceased from wandering as a restless spirit. The sin-eater would consume the bread and drink ale from a wooden bowl passed over the coffin, taking on the sins of the deceased. For their services, they received a small fee, often a coin worth a mere four English pence. This ritual was seen as a means to absolve the deceased’s sins, allowing their soul to rest in peace. The last recorded sin-eater was Richard Munslow, who died in 1906 in Ratlinghope, Shropshire (atlasobscura.com).
