If a Chinese person died where there was an undertaker in operation, the funeral organiser utilised their services in the same manner as the rest of the population. In fact, if it wasn’t for the distinctive names, a Chinese funeral can be indistinguishable in undertakers’ records from any other funeral of the same socio-economic class.
Undertakers’ records have survived for Brisbane since the mid-1870s. Although the coverage is not complete, a large enough sample has survived to make some observations about the consumption of funerary services by Brisbane’s Chinese community. Nineteen accounts dating from 1877 to 1887 from one operation were examined for this blog.
The records of William Walsh, the firm taken over by John and Kate Mary Smith in 1884, are available at the Genealogical Society of Queensland on microfilm.[1] Fortunately K. M. Smith was a far more detailed than W. Walsh when it came to writing up the accounts. She recorded the age, address of the deceased as well as the cause of death in many instances. For example, in January 1887, 28-year-old Foy Hang drowned while rescuing a pig.[2]
A range of budgets are represented from the most basic paupers’ funerals with a plain coffin on a cart to lavish affairs with glass-sided hearses with plumes and mourning coaches. In all cases, a person was responsible for the payment of the account. In most cases in this sample, Way Hop, storekeeper of Albert Street, paid the account but occasionally, a friend put the cash down. Very few of the deceased had relatives to make the arrangements.
| Deceased | Age | Funeral departed from | Date | Cost | Account paid by |
| Ah Fat | 50 | 8 Jun 1877 | £7/10/- | Way Hop, Grocer, Albert Street | |
| Ah Pouie | 34 | Montague Road, South Brisbane | 3 Aug 1877 | £7/10/- | Way Hop or Ping Kee, Albert Street |
| Ah Chow | 68 | Bowen Bridge Road | 2 Jun 1878 | £8/-/- | Way Hop, Albert Street |
| Loong Sang | 31 | 20 Mar 1879 | £15/-/- | Way Hop, Albert Street | |
| Way Foon | 47 | 17 Oct 1879 | £10/10/- | Charles Chen Toy, Gotha Street, Fortitude Valley AND Curator of Intestate Estates (balance) | |
| Ching Ah Choie | 40 | Kelvin Grove Road near Enoggera Creek | 24 Mar 1880 | £9/10/- | Way Hop, Albert Street |
| Ah Pack | 36 | Kelvin Grove Road near Bancrofts | 3 Dec 1880 | £8/10/- | Way Hop, Albert Street |
| Ki Chee | 49 | Waterworks Road near bridge | 28 Aug 1881 | £9/-/- | Way Hop, Albert Street |
| Tung Chow | 39 | Elizabeth Street | 1 Mar 1883 | £9/10/- | Way Hop (paid same day) |
| Ah Sow | 44 | Corner Melbourne and Boundary Streets, South Brisbane | 10 Dec 1883 | £9/10/- | Mr Way Hop |
| Ah Chong | 45 | Corner of Albert and Elizabeth Streets | 7 May 1884 | £9/10/- | Way Hop & Co. |
| Ah Tong | 24 | From a mile off the Waterworks Road, past the bridge | 30 May 1884 | £10/-/- | Way Hop (paid same day) |
| Yen Qoy | 28 | From Hospital | 24 Jan 1885 | £9/10/- | Way Hop, Albert Street |
| Yung Pan | 43 | From next to Exchange Hotel, Albert Street | 18 Mar 1885 | £9/10/- | James Wing, Chinese friend, keeper of an eating house in Albert Street, opposite the Gympie Hotel, to put cash down |
| Ah Sang | 40 | From near Newmarket Hotel, Enoggera | 25 Mar 1885 | £10/-/- | Wai Sang Loong, Storekeeper, George Street |
| Ah Quong | 20 | From Way Hop’s Store, Albert Street | 10 Aug 1885 | £10/10/- | Way Hop & Co. Father’s name Teo Chin working for Way Hop as clerk |
| Ah Gow | 27 | From Hospital | 12 Aug 1886 | £9/10/- | Way Sum Lung, Storekeeper, George Street, to pay cash |
| Foy Hang | 28 | From Waterworks Road | 23 Jan 1887 | £11/11/- | Way Hop, Grocer, Albert Street AND Yin Wau |
| Ah Name | 48 | From Ferry Street, West End | 26 Aug 1887 | £5/15/- | Ah You, brother, to pay cash |
So who was Way Hop? He also went by the name of Henry Ah Too.[3] Born in Hong Kong around 1831, he arrived in New South Wales about 1865 before moving to Queensland. He was a foundation trustee of the Temple of the Holy Triad, Breakfast Creek and performed rituals at the opening in January 1886.[4] Around 1888, he met widow Sarah Robertson and together they had three children. As he was naturalised in 1894,[5] Henry Ah Too can be found in the 1903 electoral roll as a storekeeper in Maryland Street, Stanthorpe.[6] He died in Stanthorpe in July 1915 and was buried in the town’s cemetery.[7]
Way Hop first appeared in the Brisbane newspapers in January 1873 when he imported 25 cases, 2 bags of rice, 3 baskets and 4 bags.[8] This was only the start of a spate of imported goods arriving every second day or so. Six packages of crackers arrived the following week.[9] These would have been put to a number of purposes including funerals.[10]
After Way Hop left for Stanthorpe, other Brisbane merchants took over the role of being responsible for payment of undertakers’ accounts. For example in January, 1901, Sin Chow, aged 55, died of a strangulated hernia. The £7/10/- account was paid for by Fat Kee & Co. in Albert Street.[11] Fat Kee took over the established business of Yuen Kin Kee & Co. Albert Street, in August 1886.[12]
This research is still in progress, with the next stage is to sample more undertakers’ records to see how long the practice of accounts being paid by local store keepers continued, and was it the norm in other towns.
[1] K. M. Smith is still in business. For a brief history https://thecommunityleader.com.au/in-the-community/local-history/the-k-m-smith-story-who-was-kate-mary-farrell/ [accessed 4 May 2022] and https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/kate-mary-smith-her-life-and-legacy/id456564326?i=1000411455673 [accessed 4 May 2022]
[2] K.M. Smith Undertaker, accounts 23 January 1887. Microfilm. Genealogical Society of Queensland.
[3] Telegraph 31 January 1916:6
[4] Queenslander 30 January 1886:186
[5] QSA Item no 882275
[6] Commonwealth of Australia, State of Queensland, Division of Darling Downs, Polling Place of Stanthorpe. No. 1 of 1903.
[7] Queensland Death Certificate 1915/ C3652 Henry Ah Too. Certificate sighted.
[8] Brisbane Courier 18 January 1873:2
[9] Brisbane Courier 24 January 1873:4
[10] See Warwick Argus and Tenterfield Chronicle 28 September 1876:2 for a contemporary funeral description.
[11] K.M. Smith Undertaker, accounts 25 January 1901. Microfilm. Genealogical Society of Queensland.
[12] Brisbane Courier 10 Aug 1886:8
Cemetrees 
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