Wouldn't Fred have mourned for Scrooge?

I assume Fred would have inherited the business.And what then?I mean-what did he do for a living?

Excellent point!

There's no suggestion (even in the book) of Fred inheriting his uncle's money. I don't know what the laws were back then about next of kin inheriting, if Scrooge had no will dictating otherwise. (He doesn't appear to have considered that he was ever going to die. ) Fred may not even have realized that Scrooge had died -- until the next Christmas when he went round to Scrooge's office with his annual invitation to Christmas dinner!

Scrooge seemed to have no other contact with his nephew and presumably would have left no instructions for Fred to be notified upon his death. Fred may not have traveled in his uncle's business circles at the Exchange where word got around of his funeral. His business cronies don't appear to have realized Scrooge had any family, they make no mention of the nephew.

Scrooge's death might have been in the newspaper. He was prominent enough (at least with those who owed him money!) but apparently Fred never received the news. Maybe Scrooge was so very unpopular, given his horrible miserly nature, that the papers chose not to give his memory the attention of even reporting his death!

Since there's no mention at all of Fred after his uncle's death, all this must be what we're expected to think anyway.

Given Fred's benevolent, forgiving nature and his remembrance of his mother's love for her brother Ebenezer, it seems certain that, if Fred had known his uncle died, he would have respectfully and sorrowfully attended the funeral. He would have been filled with regret that his uncle never changed his ways and that he had really had no relationship with Scrooge, but would probably not have mourned as you would for a beloved family member who had been kind to you and for whom you had good memories.

Realistically, Fred would have heard about his uncle's death shortly thereafter as Bob Cratchit would have seen he was informed. Clearly, Cratchit liked Fred who was always pleasant to him. I don't recall the book itself stating what Fred does for a living but in this 1984 version, he must have a business of some sort as he hires Bob Cratchit's son Peter as an apprentice and starts him out with what his uncle considers far too high a salary! From that standpoint, it seems impossible Fred doesn't hear of his uncle's death in time for the funeral. Bob would have told his son who would have told Fred.

Scrooge had a tombstone so must have made some arrangements for it before he died -- unless it was Fred who eventually saw to it (probably the case since again, Scrooge didn't appear to realize he was ever going to die!).

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Putting aside inheritance and the business, yes, I do believe that Fred would have mourned for his uncle. We've all had family members who weren't very kind to us, or for whatever reason we weren't very close too. Many times, they're older and are struggling with their last days and maybe lash out at younger family. And when they pass, we still try to remember something nice about them. If there were any good times with them, or maybe you'll mourn for the people who did have good memories of them. While Fred wouldn't have any real nice memories of his uncle, he would mourn because he would know that his mother would have been saddened by her brother's death. Or because he was never able to have a relationship with his uncle like his mother would have wanted.

As far as Fred getting the news in time for a funeral, I'm sure he would have. Cratchit would have ensured he was notified as soon as possible. And Scrooge, while not very popular, was well known in the community. The people at Fred's party knew of him and his relation to Fred. So whatever business Fred was in, he and Scrooge did have some mutual business acquittances, and word would have gotten to him.