The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-07-26 00:00:00

DEATH OF THE HON. AND REV. CANON
LYTTELTON.

We regret to announce the death, at Malvern, on
Thursday, of the Hon. and Rev. Canon Lytteiton,
rector of Hagley, and -cation .of ,Gloucester. The
deceased had been in a state of ill.halt.h for many
months past, but he rallied :greatly a few months
ago, and proceeeed to Gloucester to perform his
canonical duties at the Cattle dral. Whilst in this
city he had a relapse, and for some weeks his life
was in great danger. An improvement, however,
set in, and strong hopes were entertained that with
a change of air he might ultimately recover. With
this view he was remoted to blalvern recently, and
for a time the bracing air seemed to revive him ;
but a few days ago came reports of another change
to the worse, and he gradually sank, dying at nOOO
on'Thurs'iay. Canon Lyttelton was the secoua son
of AV ahem Henry, third Baron Lyttelton, by his
iiiarreiee with Lady Sarah Si:encer, eldest daughter
of the second Earl Spencer. He was born in 1820,
was teiucateet at Whichester, aad proceEded after-
wards to '.Crinity College, Cambridge, where he took
Lis MA. degree in due course. After gaining some
experi nee in the work of the Church in successive
curaciee, he was presented by his brother, the late
Lord Lyttelton, iii tile year 1847, with the living et
Hagley, a rectory which up to that time, had other
preferments conjoined. Canon Lyttelton's prede.
eesssor at H g,ey (the Rev. Mr. Turner) was aeo
rector of Frankley, and the cheree of St. K.-nelm'it,
Clem, was also in his hands; the letter, a chapel
having very ancient and intere,tin r legends at-
tached to it. 'With the appointment of the late
rector, these leolateral appointments cc !Bed, a
change which made a great reduction in. the vaiue
of the living comeared with what it had be, n. An
independeat rector had been appointed for Frankley
and the late Lord 'Lyttelton and hitebrother exerted
themseivee to securilarectorthuse for the gentle-
man appointed. They also prom ted the res. oration
of the historic St. Keaeltn'ie and in course of time
there came a restoration of Hagley Church ; the
latter brouaht about, not in the esaal way, but ex-
ecuted as a ttibute iroin the county of Worcester to
the worth and public oertiees of the rector's brother,
the late peer. The church, which is dedicated to St
John the Baptist, was enlarged ,e 3 well as restored.
and iit any men memorable in Church and State
have from tiee3 to time worshipped within its walls.
Mr. Lyttelton was no easy-going man, but worked.
away zealously in his parish, ana made it practically,
a parish with bouudaries far beyond those of
liagley itself. Appeals to him to advocate any
good cause in other. pulpits, whether far or near,
were readily responded to, and his activities in this
way, and on public platforms, and in the lecture
room of local) institutions, were considerable, as
long as he was in unimpaired health. Much valu-
able service was rendered by him as a lecturer,
when 1: etares were more generally popular at
coutery institutions than they have become of late
years, end his stimulating emu on these oecaeons
were no; thrown away or lome He was a warm ad•
vocate of education while some leaders of the people
were still dubious or lukewarm in the matter, and
in his own bawls at Llaeley lie was not only
watchful of the work gong on, but taking a helpful
part in it, and giving school work a breadth and
scope which indicated his wide-reaching sympathies.
As an example of the direct influenrei he .voeld
briag to bear on the educazion of the young peop:e
in his parish, he would take a class of lads, giving
them regular and epeematic instruction in some
branch of the natural sciences, interesting theni by
the experiments given, and awakenieg their intel'i •
genet. in a way te make learning a pleasure, instead
of a d,udgery. Excellent results followed ,from
what the rector did in this and other ways, and not.
a few of the lads who received their training in
Hagley Schocl have made their way to good posi-
tions in life, Among otner th'ngs no did to make
the school work at Hagley have a practical bearing
was his provision of a carpenter's shop, where for
many years he paid a man to teach the boys joinery
Early in the educational controversy he went far
beyond the views of those who thought 'the three
Its the Alpha and Omega of education. Owing to
the growth of populadon at Blakedown, he was in-
strumental in getting a church built there which
provides for the spiritual needs of that place, and
w believe that he bore alone the expense of the
additional curate in charge of the district. One of
the most recent works in which he was interested
was the erection ot a aiissioe room at Lower Hag-
ley. It is devoted to a service on the Sunday, is
used toe a Sunday school, and serves general
parochialipurposes on the other days of this week
There was a workman's club at liagley, which did,
net fail to have a share ot hie wide bpread sympathy,
and, in fact, wherever an opening. for -usefulness
oifered, he never failed to seize the opportunity pre-
s nted. The sermons and other literary matter he
list.
published
onef
would,h his
si
sermons
odnestao Si
i
Business" was published in 1875,together with Mr.
mnsakoef Turpadae long
and
lierbet Spencer's essay on "The Morals of Trade."
C,.non Lyttelton felt strongly on t.is subject, and
he thought there might possibly be sonae action
taken to secure a reform in the evils pointed out,
as he said, with admirable force and boldness in
Mr. Herbert Spencer's essay, and whi..di lie himselt
emphasised from the pulpit as Mr, Speimer had
from the deek. The ev.)rk of temperance reform
was alother matter which had a large share ot his
interest. The late rector was appeinted honorary
canon of Worcester in 1850, and he Was at that time
also holding theposition of chaplain to Earl spencer.
His appointment as Canon of Gloucester Cathedral
was in 1880. Canon Lyttelton had been twice
, married. His first wife was the second daughter of
Dr. Pepys Bishop of Worcester, aud some years
after her death he married Miss Yorke, daughter of
the Hen, and Rev. Grantham Yorke, Dean of Wor-
ouster. lie leaves no issue by either marriage.