Hatchment, Funeral Achievement, Funeral Escutcheon 

A lozenge-shaped panel of wood or canvas painted with the Armorial Bearings of a deceased armiger placed on the front of his house, although now seen only in churches. It carried the full Achievement of the deceased which differed materially, not only in the display of the armorial bearings or ensigns of the deceased, according to dignity or rank but, by a nice distinction, accurately pointed out whether the defunct, either man or woman, was single or married, widow or widower, in the following general arrangement:

A bachelor: his entire Achievement on a black ground.

A single woman: her arms placed upon a Lozenge, with a ribboned Crest also on a black ground.

A married man: wife surviving: his arms impaled those of his wife, unless she were an heiress, when they were placed on an Escutcheon of Pretence, the dexter half of the background being black and the sinister white.

A widower: as a married man, but with the whole background black.

A widow: the husband's Arms were given with her own, but upon a lozenge.

Two wives or two husbands: the ground was divided into three parts per pale, the background of the survivor being white.

A military or naval officer: colours and military or naval emblems were sometimes placed behind the Arms .

The last of the line: the Crest was sometimes replaced by a Death’s Head.

William Berry's more detailed exposition may be accessed here.