Mickey Funeral Home Papers (1906-1934)

Avery Research Center Manuscript Number 1021

 

Historical Note:

 

The Mickey Funeral Home was established in Charleston, SC in 1894 by Edward Mickey (1850-1899), who helped found the Humane Brotherhood Association in 1843 and who was a state legislator during Reconstruction.  At his death in 1899, Edwin G. Harleston (1854-1931), brother of Edward Mickey’s wife, Hannah Harleston Mickey (1848-1928), took over the firm until the two Mickey sons, Richard Harleston Mickey (1889-1934) and Edward Crum Mickey (1883-1965), became of age.  Upon graduating from Avery Normal Institute in 1901 Edward Crum Mickey (who also helped found the NAACP in Charleston and was active in the Y.M.C.A.), learned the trade and worked with Edwin G. Harleston at the funeral home.  The company split in 1913; the Mickey Funeral Home re-established itself as an individual entity, run by the two brothers and their mother Hannah, while Edwin G. Harleston founded the Harleston Funeral Home. In the early 1930s, attempting to siphon business away from the Harleston firm, E.C. Mickey decided to build an expensive funeral parlor at 50 Cannon St. The business failed and the firm shut down in 1933.

 

Scope and Content: Approx. 3.25 linear ft.

 

The Mickey Funeral Home Papers consist of these series: Business/Financial Materials (1906 – 1934) pertaining to the firm and its operation, with correspondence, financial ledgers, and account books making up its the bulk; funeral materials (1914 – 1933) containing biographical data on the deceased, entered in three insurance books; and miscellaneous materials (1915 – 1929), consisting of visual materials, church-related materials, publications, and personal correspondence. Of note are occasional references of donations to the N.A.A.C.P., and other organizations like the Humane Brotherhood Association, the Y.M.C.A. and Y.W.C.A. With printed announcements of the Federation of Charleston re organizing the People’s Federation Bank for African Americans, otherwise known as the “Black Bank.”  Also included are financial records (195-1918) regarding the guardianship of a minor Isaiah Williams, son of deceased Henry Williams, with Edward Mickey serving as Bondsman. 

                       

 

For more information see:

 

Ball, Edward. Sweet Hell Inside: A Family History. NY: HarperCollins, 2002.

Harleston Funeral Home Papers, ca. 1900-1976. Avery Research Center.

 

Suggested subject headings

 

Mickey Funeral Home

Harleston Funeral Home

Harleston, Edwin G. (1854 – 1931)

Mickey, Hannah Harleston (1848 – 1928)

Mickey, Richard Harleston (1889-1934)

Mickey, Edward Crum (1883 – 1965)

Williams, Henry, fl. 1918

Humane Brotherhood Association

People’s Federation Bank, Charleston, SC

NAACP – Charleston, SC chapter

African Americans – businessmen

African Americans – businesswomen

African Americans – banks and bankers

Funerals and funeral homes

Death and burial customs

African Americans – vital statistics  (1914- 1933)

Charleston, SC – African Americans – vital statistics (1914 – 1933)

Charleston, SC – funeral homes

Charleston, SC – banks

 

 

Mickey Funeral Home Collection, 1906-1934

 

 

Avery Research Center Manuscript Number 1021

 

 

 

 

I

BUSINESS/FINANCIAL MATERIALS

 

 

 

 

1

Account Book (Dec 1906- June 1916 -- bulk 1913-1915) re dissolution of Harleston and Mickey firm.  Lists assets and liabilities up to May 1913 with misc. entries for 1911, 1912, and 1914. Includes statement of personal property, inventory, mortgage, and drafts of sale. Also lists insurance policies (1913) of Mickey family and misc financial records.

1-1

 

 

 

2

Ledger (Oct 1913-Oct 1930) organized by individual accounts, listing name and subject of account (livery, utilities, etc.) and noting dates when items were bought or sold and when debits or credits were incurred. Contains alphabetical index in back of volume and files attached to connected records.

1-2

 

 

 

3

Loose materials from 1913-1930 Ledger (see above) with financial notations. 

1-3

 

 

 

4

Journal (July 1915- Feb 1917) chronologically documenting income and expenses for items such as embalming materials, caskets, wages, doctor fees, rent, insurance, horse feed, utilities, etc.    

1-4

 

 

 

5

Cashbook (October 1915-April 1918) chronologically documenting income and expenses such as charity and church donations (to Humane and Friendly Brotherhood Society, YWCA, YMCA, Salvation Army, Centennary Church, Jenkins' Orphanage, etc.), wages, lodge dues (Knights of Pythius), entertainment fees, home improvement, advertising in Avery Pinnacle, etc.

1-5

 

 

 

6

Journal (Jan 1916-Jan 1921) chronologically documenting income and expenses with pasted-in financial sheets on front and back cover such as statements of income, profit, and loss, lists of assets and liabilities, merchant's stock statements, and running total receipts on adding machine tape.

5-1  OVERSIZED

 

 

 

7

Journal (April 1918-Nov. 1919) chronologically documenting income and expenses such as cemetery fees, church and charity donations (incl. NAACP), insurance, RR fares for corpses, funeral notices, wage allowances, etc.

2-1

 

 

 

8

Loose papers of financial notations from 1918-1919 Journal (see above) written on back of Federation of Charleston flyers (Sept 1919) re organizing a black bank.

2-2

 

 

 

9

Journal (April 1918-January 1920) chronologically documenting expenses such as livery and automobile charges, utilities, salaries, casket purchases, etc.

2-3

 

 

 

10

Journal (Nov 1919 - Feb 1920) chronologically documenting income and expenses such as livery and automobile expenses, utilities, salaries, casket purchases, etc.

2-4

 

 

 

11

Journal (Dec 1919-Mar 1925) documenting income and expenses such as livery and automobile expenses, utilities, salaries, casket purchases, etc.

3-1

 

 

 

12

Charleston Mutual Savings Bank Deposit Book, (Oct 1930-Jan 1933) with financial entries of Edward Mickey.

3-2

 

 

 

13

Journal (Oct 1931- Aug 1932) recording monthly check and cash payments listing name of party to whom payment was made, amount paid, and subject of payment (merchandise and material; delivery expenses; salaries, wages, commissions; etc.). 

5-2 OVERSIZED

 

 

 

14

Two books with of filled-out check stubs (July 1932-Jan 1933) from an unknown bank re business expenses. Notations on front and back covers.

3-3

 

 

 

15

Checkbook with some filled-out stubs (Jan - April 1934) and unused checks from the South Carolina National Bank.

3-4

 

 

 

16

Loose sheets from 1934 and 1932-1933 checkbooks containing receipts, blank checks with notations, and calendar entries.

3-5

 

 

 

17

Inventory Book (March 1925-Jan 1932) listing inventory and cost of caskets, burial clothing, name plates, ornaments etc.  Also lists payments received and made.

3-6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18

Invoice Book (Dec 1925-Aug 1932) containing misc invoices, many regarding undertaking supplies. Extremely brittle.

5-3 OVERSIZED

 

 

 

19

Loose materials from 1925-1932 Invoice Book (see above). Contains misc invoices re undertaker supplies, a grave vault guarantee, casket shipment, etc. 

3-7

 

 

 

20

Invoices (Jan 1924-Oct 1931) re undertaking supplies, News & Courier funeral notices.

3-8

 

 

 

21

Misc financial materials (1918-1929) including loose sheets with partial listing of assets and liabilities (Nov 1921), running total receipts on machine adding tape removed from 1918-1919 Minute Book and 1919-1920 Cashbook, receipts for rent (Nov 1921) from Richard Mickey to Hannah & Edward Mickey, two business appointment cards from casket companies (1919, 1929), loose materials removed from otherwise blank account book (Jan 1925-Feb 26) listing staff wages and "notes payable" re W.M. Thorne as well as other misc financial notations, some written on Richard Mickey letterhead.

3-9

 

 

 

22

Misc invoices (Jan 1932-Apr 1933) re undertaking supplies and their shipment as well as other misc receipts.  

3-10

 

 

 

23

Financial correspondence (Apr 1922-Oct 1932), mostly re firm-incurred debts. One letter mentions The Colored Embalmer's intention to publish an article on Edward Mickey, undertaker.

3-11

 

 

 

24

Minute Book (Sept 1918-May 1919) of Stockholder and Board of Directors' Meetings.

3-12

 

 

 

25

Advertisements for undertaking supplies (Jan 1927-March 1932; n.d.)

3-13

 

 

 

II

FUNERAL MATERIALS

 

 

 

 

1

Harleston and Mickey account book (Nov 1909-June 1916). Consists of funeral records chronologically listing deceased's name and address (except if an infant or child), person responsible for paying for funeral and their address, if different from deceased's. Also notes date and cost of funeral. Sometimes includes place of burial and notes on payments made. Brittle.

3-14

 

 

 

2

Insurance book (June 1914-Oct 1919) chronologically listing deceased and their addresses, insurance information, and whether account was paid. 

4-1

 

 

 

3

Insurance book (1925-1932) and attached files, loosely chronological, listing deceased and their addresses, insurance information, and whether account was paid. Contains notations on covers with pasted-in funeral notices on front cover.

4-2

 

 

 

4

Insurance book (ca.1932-1933) possibly chronological, listing deceased and insurance information with attached file.

4-3

 

 

 

5

Misc materials (1927, 1933) re death of individuals. Consists of a receipt for the funeral of Wesley Green (1917) printed on Mickey Funeral Home letterhead and a filled-out Standard Certificate of Death form for Preston R. Lewis (May 1933).

4-4

 

 

 

III

MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS

 

 

 

 

1

Non-business correspondence (Sept 1906; n.d) consisting of a letter and a photocopy of a postcard.

4-5

 

 

 

2

Publications The Colored Embalmer prospectus (Chicago, 1926) and Florida Memorial College Herald (Live Oak, 1922)

4-6

 

 

 

3

Journal  (April 1915 - June 1915, June 1918-Aug 1918) re the guardianship of Isaiah Williams, minor, upon death of his father to Mary Williams (stepmother), with Edward Mickey (undertaker) as bondsman.  Also includes Isaiah William's own financial journal entries (1918) listing wage income and expenses.

4-7

 

 

 

4

Financial ledger (June - Oct 1915, June 1918) relating to Isaiah Williams listing expenses as clothing, shoes, spending money, board, sundry articles for Orangeburg school, as well as account notations on Isaiah Williams' capital account, Mary Williams' drawing account, and funeral expenses of father, Henry Williams. Index in front of ledger.

4-8

 

 

 

5

Church enrollment notices (Sept 1913, n.d.) for Julius Fielding and Sarah Robinson into St. Mark's Church of New York and for James Rudolph into Memorial Church of Hampton, VA.

4-9

 

 

 

6

Unidentified account book (ca. 1915) containing list of customers and addresses with notations for purchases of pastries, tickets, donations etc. with a mention of a grand charity musicale for the Y.W.C.A.

4-10

 

 

 

7

Visual materials of Mickey Funeral Home consisting of a photograph (n.d.) of its hearses, a newspaper clipping (n.d.), a postcard (stamped 1922),  two calendars (1929), and images of cars, staff and building. 

4-11

 

 

 

8

Misc visual materials consisting of a postcard of women vegetable vendors (n.d), two postcard advertisements for Sumter Casket Co. burial clothing (ca. 1920), and a postcard of Small's Paradise restaurant in NY (n.d.).

4-12