Norfolk Newspapers -

Eastern Daily Press

Extract from June 12th 1909

The Late Archdeacon Crosse. The Funeral.

[Transcription copyright © Geoffrey Woollard]

The funeral of the Ven. Archdeacon Crosse, a canon residentiary of Norwich from 1893, took place yesterday amid an impressive manifestation of public and private sympathy. The first part of the service was rendered in the Cathedral, and the interment was made in the churchyard of Drayton, with which the deceased gentleman had family connections. At half-past two the coffin, followed by the mourners, left the house in the Close by a garden exit, and entering the west walk of the Cloisters fell in behind a procession of the Cathedral body. At the head of the procession came the bedesmen, then the Cathedral Organist (Dr. Bates), the choristers, and lay clerks, the Sacrist, the Precentor (the Rev. W. Hesmondhalgh), Canons Gepp, Thompson, Cowper Johnson, and Hervey, the Dean of Norwich (Dr. Lefroy), the Registrar of the Diocese (Dr. W.T. Bensly), the Chancellor of the Diocese (Mr F.K. North), the Lord Bishop of the Diocese (Dr. Sheepshanks). Then came the coffin, and finally the mourners, who were as follow: - Mrs Crosse (widow), Mr and Mrs Ernest Crosse, Rev. A.J.W. Crosse, Rev. E.F. Crosse, Mr and Mrs Robert Fisher, Rev. L.E.H. and Mrs Wilford, Mrs A. Bernard Crosse, Miss K.W. Crosse, Miss M.G.B. Crosse, Dr. and Mrs Edmund Hudson, Rev. L.H. Crosse (brother), Miss Crosse (sister), Mr and Mrs J.J. Winter, Colonel H.B. Winter, Mr W. Kerr, Rev. Arthur A.T. Crosse, Dr. Herbert Crosse, Mrs Gover, Mr Cecil Gover, Miss Gover, Miss D.A. Crosse, Miss Edith Crosse, Mr and Mrs Rowley, Rev. Charles Marcon.

The coffin, which was of polished oak with brass furniture, had upon its lid a long cross, at the foot of which was a plate bearing the inscription: - "Arthur Bayly Crosse. Archdeacon. Born 25th August, 1830. Died 8th June, 1909." Upon the bier were many beautiful floral tributes, all of them from the nearer members of the family except a wreath from the choristers and lay clerks. A corps of postmen in uniform acted as pall bearers, and so paid an effective tribute of regard to one who had always interested himself warmly in their social and other welfare. In this order the procession moved slowly along the middle aisle, and so into the Choir, the opening sentences of Croft's Burial Service being sung meanwhile unaccompanied. The coffin was deposited immediately beneath the tower, the central floor-point of a cruciform church, and the mourners were conducted to the Corporation stalls. The opening sentences had been sung to Croft's music, while the procession was moving along, and as soon as all were seated, the 90th psalm was sung to Felton's chant. The hymn, "Rock of Ages," followed, and the Dean read the lesson and the prayers. The service also included the hymns, "Now the labourer's task is o'er," and "On the resurrection morning," the latter being the only item accompanied on the organ. The Bishop pronounced the Benediction, and the choir sang the "Nunc Dimittis" as the procession moved off. Mr Maddern Williams, who was at the organ, played the "Dead March" from "Saul," and this completed the proceedings in the Cathedral.

The offices of the Registrar and Chapter Clerk of the Diocese were represented by Mr L.G. Bolingbroke, Mr C.Y. Hall, Mr W. Lain, Mr C.J. Taylor, and Mr Burton. The Surveyor's Office was represented by Mr C.J. Brown and Mr Holden. On behalf of the Norwich Cathedral ex-Choristers' Guild there attended Messrs. Charles Cook Pooley, J.J. Manning, H.A. Briggs, R. Minns, G.F. Steward, D.A. Day, G. Abbs, E.F. Steward, S. Self, and W. Taylor. Mr W.H. Dakin and Mr F.W. Caley attended as a deputation from the Norwich City Mission. The Norwich Y.M.C.A. was represented by Mr Geo. Holder, one of the leaders of the Lodging House Mission, of which the late Archdeacon was President until the time of his death. The following were the members of the escort furnished by members of the Norwich Postmen's Institute: Messrs. B.J. Jermy, inspector; J. Baker, vice-president, Institute; E.J. Hayward, hon. secretary; G. Woods, assistant secretary; B. Weston, assistant secretary; G. Wright, librarian; G. Hodson, assistant librarian; A. Trett, E. Hardiment, R. Murray, E. Kirby, A. Spooner, A. Bilham; Mr A.R. Royer-Stonebridge represented the Archbishop of Canterbury's Assyrian Mission, and Miss Mary Ensor and Mr Barlow represented the Christian Police Association. Amongst others in church were Mrs Sheepshanks, Mrs Hay Aitken, Canon Jessopp, Miss Hinds Howell, the Rev. W.H. and Mrs Cooke, the Rev. M.S. and Mrs Jackson, Mr T. Cobbold, Mr J.E. Alexander, the Rev. E.C. Morgan, Mrs Dakin, the Rev. F. Girling, the Rev. W.F. and Mrs Crewe, the Misses Hansell, Colonel Wood, C.B., and Mrs Wood, the Rev. C.W.H. and Mrs Baker, Mr W.R. Gurley, the Rev. R.M. Boys, Mrs L.G. Bolingbroke, Mrs Hustler Tuck, the Rev. E.F. Gilbard, the Rev. F.C. Hibburd, Colonel Sturgeon (postmaster of Norwich), Mr J.R. Newby (Yarmouth), Mr A.J. Newby, Mr H. Harper Smith, the Rev. E. Manley, Mr R. Grigson, Mr T. Hawkin, the Rev. F.B. De Chair, Mr T.A. King, the Rev. J. Callis, Mrs Cowper Johnson, Dr. Edward Bunnett, Mr G. May, Mr F.A. Steward, and Mr T.S. Breese. There were besides in the congregation many persons of obviously poor circumstances in life, a touching token of the kindly sympathies of the late Archdeacon. Canon Aitken asks us to explain "that his absence from the funeral of his lamented colleague was due to his being away in the extreme north-west of Ireland, whither he has gone in order to fulfil a mission engagement." Mrs James Stuart and Mr J.W. Clarke were also unable to be present. Mr Clarke, had he been present, would have represented the Norfolk and Norwich Police-court Mission.

On arrival of the hearse and carriages at Drayton the coffin was met just outside the church gate by the Rev. A.J. Spencer, rector of the parish, who was joined by the Dean and Canon Hervey, both of whom had driven over in the funeral procession. Inside the churchyard a little knot of parishioners and others had gathered to pay a last tribute of respect. Among them were the Rev. C.A. Hope. Archdeacon Pelham, who had been engaged in his archidiaconal visitation at East Harling, motored over to Drayton, but arrived a little too late to be actually present at the final rites. Some of the postmen's deputation who had attended the Cathedral, cycled over, as did also two of the Cathedral choristers, in whom the late canon took such a real interest. The committal sentences were recited with touching simplicity by the Dean, the concluding prayers being said by the Rev. A.J. Spencer. The last resting place of the Canon is within the private burial enclosure of the Winter family. The sides of the grave were embedded with moss studded with geraniums, white blooms, and large white daisies, this work being carried out by Mr Ribbons, gardener at the Lodge.

The senders of the wreaths were as follows: - Mrs Crosse (widow); Mr and Mrs Ernest Crosse, Dorothy and Elsie; Rev. A.G.W. and Mrs Crosse, Gwendoline, Victoria, and Graeme; Ernest, Margery, Frankie, Marion, and Tom Crosse; Kitty and Marguerite; Gertrude Wilford; Brother and Sister; Lieutenant A.B. and Mrs Crosse; Dr. and Mrs Hudson; Fred and Christina Hudson; Colonel Winter and family; Mr and Mrs J.J. Winter; Dr. Herbert and Misses A. and E. Crosse; Mrs Gover and family; Mr and Mrs Rowley; Gladys and Dennis Crosse; Mr and Miss Watts; Mr and Mrs Henry Leyland; Mr and Mrs C. Tenant; Rev. and Mrs C. Marcon; Mrs Charles Rudd; the servants at the Precincts; Mr and Mrs Easton Taylor; Mr and Mrs Forster; Dr. James Newby and family; Mr Edwin Tench; Canon and Mrs de Chair; Miss Robinson and the members of her Bible class; the Misses Hinds Howell; the Rev. and Mrs W. Cooke; the Bishop, Mrs Sheepshanks, and the Misses Sheepshanks; Mrs Henry Nevill; Canon and Mrs Hervey; Mrs Wyrley Birch; Mrs F. Moule; Dr. and Miss Bensly; W.H. and C.J. Taylor; Dr. and Mrs Bates; Mr and Mrs Tooke Hales; Mrs Pim and Mrs J.E.B. Wilson; Miss Bignold; the Lay Clerks and Choristers at Norwich Cathedral; the Ex-Choristers' Guild; the Members of the Norwich Postmen's Institute; the Rev. A.J. and Mrs Spencer.

The funeral arrangements were carried out by Mr W. Moll, of Guildhall Hill, Norwich.

See also Other Extracts from Newspapers.

These pages are for personal use only. They may not be copied, and the links within them may not be harvested for use on your own web pages. Please see the Copyright Notice.

Copyright © Pat Newby
December 2004