How did wakes start before funerals?

Wakes were originally started because the medical practice back then was found to be insufficient when successfully declaring someone dead. This was discovered by the movement of graveyards in order to make room for buildings and several of the coffins contained scratches on the inside from it's occupant (This was around the times of Edgar Allen Poe). The first remedy was installing a bell "topside" and running a string down into the coffin. Finally they decided to have Wake's, where they literally waited to see if the person would wake up, prior to burying them.