Reverend Henry Ward Beecher's funeral was at 10:30 a.m. on March 11, 1887, at Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, New York. Beecher was well known after acting as pastor at Plymouth Church for nearly forty years. Beecher was also a prolific author, known for writing on social reform and anti-slavery topics. A portrait of Rev. Beecher can be seen here. The following image is a member's ticket to the funeral.
What is remarkable is the information we can glean from the text of an ephemeral object. As has been noted before, these data need to be interpreted carefully. For example, the ticket states that it "admits one only, must be shown at the outer cordon of police and presented at the Orange street entrance by 10 A.M." What initially seemed odd was the cordon of police at the funeral. One could conjecture that the police presence was requested because of the popularity of the minister and that the funeral would draw a large crowd. This is further supported by the note that most pew holders will have their normal seats, but some have been reserved.
Another theory about the police presence is that it was requested because of past controversy, such as the Beecher-Tilton scandal of the 1870s. This is certainly plausible, from looking at the ticket. It is important, though, to understand the full context of the situation to make complete judgments by conducting further research on the funeral, such as through newspaper reports.
--Abraham
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